Stealing the Fire

The New Nuclear Weapons Underground

A film by John S. Friedman and Eric Nadler

This new story of international intrigue is especially timely as the world focuses on Iraq and the potential atomic weapons of other nations.

Stealing the Fire follows an unbroken chain of events and personalities connecting Hitler's atomic bomb program and today's nuclear weapons black market. It follows the trail of Karl-Heinz Schaab, a German technician, who sold Saddam Hussein top secret documents stolen from Germany and traveled to Baghdad numerous times to help Iraq in its nuclear bomb quest.

Combining interviews, location shots, and historical footage, Stealing the Fire was shot on three continents. It journeys from the boardrooms of Europe to the cafes of Brazil to the desert laboratories of the Middle East. It is a real-life espionage thriller.

58 min. (original 98 min. also available).Video or DVD. Sale $195. Rental $75.

"The film is timely, chilling and grimly instructive." Christian Science Monitor

Berkshire Jewish Film Festival, 2003
HotDocs, Toronto, 2003
Amsterdam International Film Festival, 2002
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, Centerpiece, 2002
Vancouver International Film Festival, 2002
Nominated, Distinguished Documentary of the Year, IDA, 2002