A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Cure for Hate: Bearing Witness to Auschwitz” (2023).
I occasionally get sent screeners to review, well ahead of their potential distribution (especially their distribution in the UK). And this was one of them. Often these films turn out to be pretty dreadful ‘B’ movies. But “The Cure For Hate” turned out to be the exact opposite. A really professional and well-crafted documentary that cuts deeply into your soul.
You may struggle to find this film in the UK for a while. It has only just started having a few test screenings in the US. But hopefully, it might get a distribution through a chain like Picturehouses and/or appear on a streaming channel.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Tony McAleer was a strong influencer and figurehead of the extreme right in America: a Nazi and a Holocaust denier. Now, having seen the light, he is on a path seeking redemption and forgiveness from the Jewish people. He visits the extermination site at Auschwitz to “bear witness”.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (There is no rating for this film as yet but it includes graphic photographs and newsreel footage. I would guess that the BBFC would give this one a “15” and it would be an “R” in the US).
Talent:
Starring: Tony McAleer.
Directed by: Peter D. Hutchison.
Written by: Peter D. Hutchison & Tony McAleer.
Twitter Handle: #ACureForHate.
Tony McAleer being shown round Auschwitz by his guide, Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Zieba. (Source: Eat The Moon Films)
“The Cure for Hate: Bearing Witness to Auschwitz” Review:
Positives:
- The concept of this documentary is immediately gripping. How will an infamous Holocaust denier react when confronted with the very things that, a few short years ago, he laughed about and claimed had never happened? The film has McAveer shown around Auschwitz and the ex-Jewish ghettos in Krakow and Warsaw by Jewish guides. And there are some very uncomfortable silences in this film as McAveer attempts to put into words his feelings in front of the Jewish guides.
- The film sensibly divides itself into three main streams that we cut between throughout the film: the history of the Holocaust; McAveer’s visits to the sites; and McAveer’s background and hate-campaigns in the US in previous years. It keeps the running time (only a tight 84 minutes) fresh and interesting. I know quite a lot about the history of the Holocaust. I’ve visited the excellent exhibit at London’s Imperial War Museum a number of times. So for me, the most interesting element of the film was the journey undertaken by McAveer himself. The factors which (from his position on the inside) he saw as common to all of his fellow activists. Why did he believe these things? He explains how disconnected he was, with no father-figure to guide him. This organisation gave him meaning and an emotional berth. “To be wrong” he says at one point “would have been to challenge my identity”. Chilling. And while he doesn’t implicate himself in any direct violence, he is very open to his role in instigating it. “I never pulled a trigger” he says “but I still have the blood on my hands”.
- While still knowledgeable about these atrocities, there were still nuggets of history of which I was unaware. The most interesting of these was the (shelved) ‘Madagascar plan’. This would have seen European Jews forcibly transported to the island of Madagascar. The ‘what if’ of these exterminations being avoided and that lemur-rich island becoming, in-time, the new Jewish state are intriguing. Other aspects new to me were a massive Nazi rally in Madison Square Gardens; the fact that ‘other undesirable minorities’ (gypsies, homosexuals, etc) at 5 million almost matched the 6 million Jews transported; and the violent rally in Skokie, Illinois in the late 70’s.
- For a film of this type, it is technically very strong:
- The music by Landon Knoblock is suitably sombre but avoids going completely melodramatic. Nicely fitting.
- The cinematography by Maciek Glaz and Marcin Kopiec is impressive. There is some excellent use of drone footage to properly express the scale of Auschwitz.
- There’s some neat editing by Lucas Sabean as we skip through old photos of victims and guards alike. And the ‘easy option’ would have been to add cuts in the discussions between McAveer and his guides. But Sabean wisely recognises that the tension is in the pregnant pauses.
Negatives:
- I’m not sure the film ever quite delved deeply enough into McAveer’s current views and beliefs. Is he now a religious man himself? (At one point, in Krakow, he is seen wearing a red yarmulke but no explanation is provided). He has been married with kids. I was curious about whether he still married? If so, what are his family’s beliefs and how do they now view his past.
Summary Thoughts on “The Cure for Hate: Bearing Witness to Auschwitz”
There are some portions of history that beggar belief, and the Holocaust is one of them. This film pulls no punches. There are some genuinely upsetting photos and videos: the discussion about the ‘hair room’; a huge pile of steel-rimmed glasses; and a perfect-looking, but dead, baby swaddled in white lying on top of a pile of bodies. As a history of the event (#neverforget) it is a well-delivered piece. But the addition of McAveer’s changed perspective makes for a really interesting documentary.
As a tale of remorse and regret it reminded me a lot of one of the Oscar-nominated documentary shorts from last year: “Stranger at the Gate” was about a US shooter who thanks to one piece of acceptance and kindness takes a different path. And this documentary similarly deserves a wide distribution and consideration for awards. Because it is really very good indeed.
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Trailer for “The Cure for Hate: Bearing Witness to Auschwitz”
The trailer is here: https://youtu.be/N_3qisWYDcU .
