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Berlinger expressed that we live in an era
of extreme divisiveness where hate has been
normalized. He said that we see a rise in pop-
ulism and antisemitism, and he is using les-
sons of history with his films to demonstrate
how these feelings have resulted in destructive
mass behavior.
“I wanted to reach young people by using
the language of cinema today,
” said Berlinger,
whose film work took 18 months to complete
with time spent filming in Budapest, Hungary,
which in many ways has settings for times
depicted in the films.
“I’m proud about the show in that it looks
and feels very different from previous doc-
umentaries about Hitler and the Nazis. I
targeted a younger audience, and I think we
achieved that through our style.
”
Berlinger, raised in a culturally Jewish
home, became absorbed with stories of
Nazism as a teenager seeing liberation film
footage. These feelings entered into his choice
of becoming a German major in college. His
early work for an American company placed
him in Germany representing American busi-
ness interests.
“The first time I was ever on a film set was
when a commercial was being shot,
” he said.
“That was the first time I wanted to become a
filmmaker. Thirty-five years later, I’m telling
this story that I was so obsessed with.
“I have nothing against contemporary
Germans. I think contemporary Germans
are some of the most socially conscious
Europeans,
” he added.
The director, who has spent time in
Michigan watching film festivals and directing
advertising films for products originating in
the state, has given a lot of his professional

time to documentaries that explore how peo-
ple get involved with destructive behavior.
Among his many films that have to do
with evil is one that explains the history of
the Armenian genocide and another that calls
attention to the killing acts of Ted Bundy.
“I explore generally how people do bad
things, but I also occasionally explore how
people do good things,
” Berlinger said. “I’ve
made films about pop culture figures, famous
rock bands and achievers, but I’m fascinated
by why people do terrible things. What is it
about human nature that such terrible things
can happen?
“One of the film series I’m known for is The
Paradise Lost Trilogy. It’s three films I made about
the wrongful convictions of three teenagers,
and the films got them out of prison. That’s a
very positively emotional experience.
”
The six parts of the Holocaust documen-
tary, each an hour in length, are “Origin of
Evil,
” “The Third Reich Rises,
” “Hitler in
Power,
” “The Road to Ruin,
” ”Crimes Against
Humanity” and “The Reckoning.
”
The one segment of the Holocaust series
that was the most difficult to make was
reported by Berlinger as the fifth.

“That episode details the actual origins and
execution of the Holocaust,
” Berlinger said. “It
is very difficult to look at that footage and fig-
ure out how much is enough to make people
realize the horrors of the Holocaust along with
the shootings at Babyn Yar (Babi Yar).
“The reason is again I want younger viewers
to relate to the story that they’re hearing.
“If you just look at grainy viewings of atroc-
ities, I don’t think it reaches you as much as
seeing yourself in the victim. That’s the very
definition of empathy when you see yourself
in somebody. By recreating that shooting
scene, I wanted younger viewers to imagine
being caught up in that and what would hap-
pen if that was you or somebody you loved.
”
The commentary reaches from famed
authors about the Holocaust to professors of
the Holocaust and includes Shirer’s grand-
daughter. Considering speakers, Berlinger
wanted to include those who would have spe-
cial appeal for younger viewers.
“We’re in an era where hate speech has
been normalized, where we have propaganda
often replacing news, a rise in antisemitism
and a rise in the distrust in the institutions
of democracy,
” Berlinger said. “Democracy
depends upon people with different points of
view coming together, agreeing what’s best for
the common good and implementing it.
“But if you split into two camps, as this
country has, if we otherize the other half, if
we villainize and dehumanize the other half
and normalize hate speech, democracy is very
perilous.
“What I hope people will get out of this is
that democracy is precious, fragile and easily
dismantled as happened in Germany. I hope
people see some of the parallels today.
”

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Joe Berlinger in action

Details
Anyone with Netflix access can watch
Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial.

A scene from the fifth episode of Hitler
and the Nazis: Evil on Trial