On 24 November, nearly 70 people attended the screening of the Emmy nominated documentary film “The Commandant’s Shadow” in Belmont Shul.
This moving film follows the true story of Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, Camp Commandant of Auschwitz, who was responsible for the murder for over a million Jews, as he faces his father’s terrible legacy for the first time.
Helped by his son Kai, it shows Hans Jürgen’s dawning understanding of the activity within the Camp and his father’s role in it, contrasted by the experience of a Camp survivor, the remarkable Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, supported by her daughter Maya, and the ultimate meeting of the four in London.
The audience was enthralled, hardly moving during the 90 minutes of the film’s showing. It was introduced by the film’s executive producer Wendy Robbins and producer Gloria Abramoff, followed by refreshments, then a discussion and questions from the audience led by the producers and director Daniela Volker. Everyone found it moving and thought-provoking.
Anita has written a book about her experiences in Auschwitz and Belsen called “Inherit the Truth”.
THE COMMANDANT’S SHADOW is available for personal viewing on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
For information on public screenings worldwide on payment of a license fee, please email Tamar Simon
3 December 2025