Hitler’s legacy on screen

Directed by Chanoch Ze’evi, Hitler’s Children introduces us to the descendants of Hitler’s most infamous associates, Goering, Himmler, Frank and Hoess. Growing up with the burden of a name that induces terror and permanently associates them with one of history’s greatest crimes, how do these children of the Holocaust cope with the legacy their fathers left them?

Through intensive, detailed research, director and producer Chanoch Ze’evi, who himself is a third-generation Holocaust survivor, located direct descendants of the Nazi regime’s leaders, and persuaded them to lend their voices to a narrative described by the Hollywood Reporter as “a haunting addition to the Holocaust film canon.” Niklas Frank, son of Hans Frank and godson of Hitler, has spent his adult life vehemently speaking out against his father and the Nazi regime. Bettina Goering, grand-niece of Hermann Goering, lives in voluntary exile in Santa Fe. In speaking to these and other heirs to the Nazi legacy, Ze’evi created an in-depth and mesmerising dialogue that tells the story of the Holocaust from a new and original vantage point.

In the words of a review by Film Journal International, Hitler’s Children is “As fascinating as it is provocative about aspects of evil, guilt, denial, heredity and repentance”. Described by the Los Angeles Times as a haunting exploration of filial love in the face of monstrosity, and by Reeling Reviews as “A cautionary statement of the dangers of the rise of a new fascism”, this multi-award winning documentary is an extraordinary historical triumph that is not to be missed.

Details: 16 November, 7.30pm; Clive M Beck Auditorium RCHCC, corner Glenhove Road and 4th Street Houghton; Hazel or René 011 728 8088/8378; rchcc@telkomsa.net or rene.s@telkomsa.net; www.greatpark.co.za