Born Helmut Herzfeld in 1891, John Heartfield adopted his English name to protest the rise of German nationalism during the First World War - one of many symbolic gestures that defined the artist's uncompromising career. This biographical program begins in Heartfield's native Berlin and progresses through his painful childhood, his involvement in the Dadaist movement, his friendships with Bertolt Brecht and George Grosz, and his active stance against Hitler's Nazi regime through his provocative photomontages. His exile and internment in Britain and his return to East Germany in 1951 are also covered. Archival materials, interviews, and speeches featuring a vehement Heartfield are combined with numerous examples of his work.

*Portions in German with English subtitles