On Moral Grounds (2006)

Shot on location in Eastern Europe and in the courtrooms of the United States, this documentary brings to light the saga of WWII restitution and the stories of those who have sought justice for half a century. One man, Adolf Stern, takes us on an emotional journey that mirrors similar quests by thousands of other Holocaust survivors. After being liberated from Buchenwald, Adolf, penniless, traveled to Prague to redeem his father's life insurance. Rather than being consoled as a survivor of unspeakable horrors, he was thrown out of the insurance company office. He was told: "No death certificate, no insurance claim." Not until 1996 did the matter arise again. Adolf's niece, attorney Lisa Stern, heard the story through family members. Lisa teamed up with the pioneer of bad faith insurance law, William Shernoff, and set off on an incomparable legal odyssey. Against all odds, the two lawyers were determined to right the wrong perpetrated on Adolf and other survivors by insurance companies, which were supposed to take care of their policyholders in times of need. This David and Goliath account explores how persistence and powerful advocacy can achieve justice for wrongs committed half a century ago in a foreign land.