"The Commandant’s Shadow"

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Film still from "The Commandant’s Shadow," directed by Daniela Völker (USA, 2024).

Hans Jürgen Höss, son of Rudolf Höss, commander of Auschwitz and responsible for the murder of more than one and a half million people, confronts for the first time the shadow of his family legacy at the age of 87. His story, which inspired the recent film The Zone of Interest, takes tangible form in this remarkable documentary, in which he meets face to face with Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, cellist and Auschwitz survivor.

Accompanied by their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, the latter being Anita’s daughter, the four of them reflect on their respective family legacies shaped by trauma, guilt and memory. The Commandant’s Shadow delves into the complexities of relationships between victims and the descendants of perpetrators, addressing fundamental questions about responsibility, forgiveness and the lasting impact of past crimes on present generations.

Film will be screened in its original version with subtitles in Catalan.

A film in the 2025 edition of the Barcelona Jewish Film Festival.

October Film Festivals in and around Barcelona

October’s calendar is packed with an impressive list of film festivals in and around the city. Check out our article October Film Festivals in and around Barcelona where you'll find gritty investigative documentaries, hair-raising fantasy and horror flicks and everything in between!

For more events check our online events calendar.