This Academy Award-nominated Best Foreign Language Film is amazingly depressing and exceptionally moving. The story follows Salomon Sorowitsch, one of the world’s finest counterfeiters, arrested in 1936 just before WWII.

He’s eventually sent to Sachsenhausen and asked (otherwise facing death) to counterfeit money for the Nazis. In return, he and his team in the “Golden Cage” will be treated better than the rest of the inmates.

Based on a true story, “Operation Bernhard” stands as one of the most successful counterfeit operations ever. This film goes into exquisite detail about it, revealing the strength of the human spirit and the intense feelings of joy and confusion the men felt in the face of so much pain.

Grade: B+

The Counterfeiters releases in theaters Feb. 22.