Vanessa Lapa is an Israeli Academy-winning director and producer. She launched her career as a journalist and produced and directed over 100 news reports for Israeli TV. In 2006 she founded Realworks Ltd., an independent production company specializing in documentary film. Her credits include “Olmert: Concealed Documentary” and “The Decent One.” The latter screened at the Berlinale.

“Speer Goes to Hollywood” opens today, October 29, at Film Forum in NYC, and November 5 at Laemmle Theaters in LA. The film won Best Documentary at the Israeli Academy Awards, also known as the Ophir Awards.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

VL: For me, “Speer Goes to Hollywood” is a cautionary tale of how media such as film can be easily manipulated to shape the way that history is remembered. It’s also a crucial reminder of the importance of one’s personal and collective choices, and reflecting upon one’s personal and civic responsibilities towards society and humanity overall.

I came to this project thinking of Speer as an opportunist trapped by the circumstances of Germany in the early 1930s. I had yet to know him as the megalomaniacal architect who wanted to build “buildings that would last forever,” or as the liar and relentless manipulator that I eventually found in the tapes.

In some ways, I suppose that when I approached this film, I was also under his sway. I did not know him as the relentless taskmaster of an army of slaves 12 million weak, one-third of whom would die to feed his ambition. I did not realize at first that he almost singlehandedly extended the war in Europe for an unnecessary two years, causing millions more to die. Or that he did this while he was fully aware that it was already a lost cause.

It was only during my four years of research that I came to “live” this other Speer. What I found was a man for whom human life had no intrinsic value.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

VL: As a documentary filmmaker, I believe it is our job to decipher and understand the people who changed the course of history by examining their words as much as their deeds. It can, at times, be a discomforting process for the filmmakers — as much as it is for their audience.

At times, old assumptions must be swept aside. But as unnerving as this process is, it is essential that the subject’s own words be brought to light and preserved for posterity.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

VL: I wanted to take the viewer on a 40-year journey through the sounds and images, thoughts and emotions that meandered through the mind of Albert Speer. This is his retelling of World War II and its aftermath, but is it history or his story, as he would have liked his history to be? Is it cold fact or idealized fiction, nostalgic reminiscences or the product of some conscious effort to whitewash his own reputation and walk away like a saint from Sodom?

These are questions that resonate loudly in this era of “fake news.” Are we consumers or critics of the narratives we encounter on screens big and small? Are we more easily manipulated than we care to admit by the sounds and images meandering through our own minds? What happens when the media and institutions of power collude to embrace one of the people responsible for some of history’s darkest episodes?

The aura Speer exudes is of an elegant man, more akin to a country squire than the mass murderer of millions. The secret, we find, lies in his soft-spoken eloquence, his sharp intellect, and his innate ability to charm and manipulate the people around him, whether they are the judges at Nuremberg, or the journalists, publishers, and filmmakers who unwittingly helped him rewrite the past and his own part in it.

Had his film been made, it would have rewritten the history of a historical injustice and transformed its villain into its unchallenged hero. To avoid this, we must reach the truth. That is something that Speer tried to deny us.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

VL: That is a difficult question since there were so many challenges with making this film. I think my biggest challenge was merging three different timelines. The first is the war years between 1933-1945, the second is the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, and the third is the “here and now” of the story, which takes place in 1971 when Speer is sitting opposite a scriptwriter, drafting the script for Paramount Studios based on “Inside the Third Reich,” his best-selling wartime memoir.

As the film is constantly going back and forth between three different periods of time, intertwining these timelines thoughtfully was difficult, especially since we did not use flashbacks and external narration.

The complexity of merging these timelines emphasize the thoughts, behavior, and character of Albert Speer during these respective periods of his life whilst trying to keep the viewer glued to the screen and in suspense.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made. 

VL: As most documentary filmmakers know, the process of funding is extremely difficult in our world. We never know if we are going to make it or not. After getting the first seed money from the Israeli broadcaster yes Docu and the Israeli film fund, The Keren Makor Foundation, we started a fundraising journey.

That journey was accompanied by many successes and many disappointments, many “make or break” moments. Up until the last moment, we didn’t know if we could proceed to make our film. We successfully received funding from private investors, which allowed us to proceed.

In addition, the Austrian broadcaster, ORF, came on-board. The fact that they funded my first film, “The Decent One,” which was a success, was helpful in the funding process for my second film.

Once we had a rough cut, we could apply for funding from various organizations, such as The Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and The Israeli Lottery.

In order to wrap up the film and release the film, we received the extra needed support from our private investors.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

VL: My love and passion for cinema and the power I attribute to this form of art to convey a message. I might be a little naïve, but I believe that with true cinema, true storytelling, we can make the world a better place.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

VL: The worst advice I ever got was that I shouldn’t leave my stable job as a reporter in order to pursue an independent career as a filmmaker, and that I was never going to make it. This was parallel to the best advice I ever got: never ever ever ever give up.

W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors? 

VL: I really believe that anyone can pursue their cinematic dreams, aspire to be the best in their field, and attain perfection in their professional skills, regardless of their gender. I believe that grit goes far beyond gender barriers — if I could make it, anyone can make it. I truly believe that, and I believe in you!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

VL: The films of Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, and Kathryn Bigelow, for the beauty of period movies; the brilliant and elegant way they combine emotions and storytelling, which we can all relate to; and the human and action movies they dare to make, just like their male peers.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

VL: The pandemic hit all of us, and me personally, very hard. The industry took a big hit during that time, and I found it impossible to be creative “cinematically” — I felt I was hitting a wall and couldn’t wrap my head around this.

Luckily, I found a different temporary outlet during that time, as I started painting ceramics. I created a collection of hand-painted ceramics, mostly plates and trays painted in different colors combined with different quotes for every item. Each piece is one of a kind.

We decided to postpone the release of the film until 2021, so my film was on hold during the pandemic. I started selling the painted ceramics in order to keep afloat.

W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make it more inclusive?

VL: I believe we are improving and moving in a better direction. I strongly support and encourage all actions taken to expand the inclusivity of all people from all races.

As I said earlier, I truly believe in the role of civic responsibility and the collectiveness of humanity. Therefore, people that have a voice out there, make it heard. Every voice is important, and every voice counts to make a change, big or small. Never keep silent.