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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.
” 

TIMYOUNG0119

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