The Commandant’s Shadow

The true story that inspired the Oscar-winning “The Zone of Interest”, this documentary tells how, eight decades after Auschwitz, Hans Jurgen Höss and Anita Lasker Wallfisch – both survivors in their very different ways – come face to face, together with their children, to explore how the Holocaust has impacted all their lives.

It’s a historic moment, the first time the descendant of a major war criminal meets a survivor in such a private and intimate setting. Told through firsthand testimony, letters, personal and historical archive footage, this feature-length documentary is about a mother and daughter, a father and son, and the shadow cast down the generations. Raising questions about love, guilt and forgiveness, it is also a story of hope, acceptance and compassion.

“An overpowering work of excavation and confrontation—as well as a timely and urgent warning about the continuing threat of antisemitism.” ~Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

“Völker’s sensitive film brings together these two wounded families to sit down for tea. It’s a fascinating encounter defined by guilt and unspeakable hurt…” ~Tara Brady, The Irish Times