Taking sides MBP, Maecenas Film, Paladin Production, Studio Babelsberg present a Little Bear production of an István Szabó film in association with Jeremy Isaacs Productions ... France 2 Cinema, with the participation of Canal+ ... ; produced by Yves Pasquier ; script, Ronald Harwood ; directed by István Szabó.

After Hitler took over power in 1933, many Jewish artists were forced to leave Germany. Wilhelm Furtwängler chose to stay. Though never a member of the party, he was a recipient of honors associated with party membership. However, the conductor often used his position and contacts to save hundreds of Jewish musicians from concentration camps. When U.S. Major Steve Arnold is tasked with the pre-trial investigations, his aim is to prove that the conductor's genius contributed to the Nazi propaganda, while Furtwängler insisted he stayed to bring comfort to the German people with his music.