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ESCAPE TO LIFE
This portrait of Erika Mann and Klaus Mann, the two openly gay oldest siblings of German writer Thomas Mann (DEATH IN VENICE) follows them from childhood through adulthood in the mid-1900s. They both were writers, antifascists, and cabaret performers and were nearly inseparable, having such a close bond that they often told people they were twins. When Hitler took power, Erika and Klaus moved to the United States where they continued to write. During this time, Erika began to do most of her antifascist work, which eventually took her to England. Klaus started a literary journal, which featured the writings of his father and other illustrious intellectuals of the time. But Klaus's battle with drug abuse was a losing one and he spent many years disillusioned and depressed. In his forties, he committed suicide, shaken to the point of surrender by the Fascist movement in Germany. Through dramatic reenactments, never-before-seen interviews with Erika, archival footage, original screen performances by Erika, and anecdotes by friends and family, ESCAPE TO LIFE offers a tribute to two extraordinary individuals and a family of historically influential artists.