Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Acquire Groundbreaking Doc “The Commandant’s Shadow”

Special U.S. Release May 29 with an encore presentation on May 30 brought to you by Warner Bros. Pictures and Fathom Events

Tickets on Sale NOW for This Special Theatrical Event

Fathom Events is proud to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures in bringing filmmaker Daniela Völker’s timely and poignant documentary “The Commandant’s Shadow” to theaters across the U.S. on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, with an encore presentation the following day. Screenings for this very special event will be available in 500+ theaters across the Fathom network of cinemas. Tickets go on sale from today at Fathom Events and participating theater box offices.

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“The Commandant’s Shadow” follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, as he faces his father’s terrible legacy for the first time. His father was the Camp Commandant of Auschwitz and masterminded the murder of over a million Jews; the life of Höss and his family was recently fictionalized in the Academy Award-winning “The Zone of Interest.” Now, “The Commandant’s Shadow” tells the story of the real people who lived on site at Höss’s death camp.

While Hans Jurgen Höss enjoyed a happy childhood in the family villa at Auschwitz, Jewish prisoner Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was trying to survive the notorious concentration camp. At the heart of this film is the historic and inspiring moment – eight decades later – when the two come face-to-face. This is the first time the descendant of a major war criminal meets a survivor in such a private and intimate setting, Anita’s London living room. Together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, the four protagonists explore their very different hereditary burdens.

The film features original excerpts of Rudolf Höss’ long-forgotten autobiography, written shortly before his execution. His words are the ultimate proof of what really happened at Auschwitz, documented by the perpetrator himself, countering denial and ignorance of the Holocaust.

This once-in-a-lifetime feature-length documentary explores the relationships of a mother and her daughter, a father and his son, and the long shadows cast by the crimes that impact generations. It raises questions about love, guilt, and forgiveness, but is ultimately a much needed story of hope, acceptance, and compassion.

In the wake of the atrocities of October 7^th – and at a time when antisemitism has reached a level not seen since the Holocaust – “The Commandant’s Shadow” is a stark reminder that there can be no reconciliation without a true and honest reckoning of the past. Only then can we hope to avoid repeating history and build a better future.

“This documentary is an incredible look at the reality of Auschwitz through the eyes of those who experienced it in very different ways,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “We are very pleased to again partner with Warner Bros. to bring this very important film to the big screen.”

Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, stated, “We are always looking for opportunities to partner with our friends at Fathom, and ‘The Commandant’s Shadow’ is especially worthy of this kind of event-ized theatrical release. This real and raw documentary tells not one but two truly moving stories that will connect to the hearts and minds of audiences, and we’re proud to be able to share it with them through our Fathom program.”

About Daniela Völker

A German and Argentine filmmaker based in London, Daniela Völker has made series and one-off documentaries for Netflix, CNN, PBS, BBC, National Geographic, ITV, ZDF, and France Television on a variety of subject matters, including the challenges of living together after the genocide in Rwanda and the toxic legacy of Argentina’s “Dirty War” in the 1970s and early ‘80s. Völker spent four years writing, producing and directing “The Commandant’s Shadow,” a film she started developing during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

About “The Commandant’s Shadow”

“The Commandant’s Shadow” is written, produced and directed by Daniela Völker and produced by Gloria Abramoff, with Wendy Robbins, Neil Blair, Jonathan Blair, Matti Leshem, Joel Greenberg, Len Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, Sajan Raj Kurup, Jani Guest and Jamie Jessop serving as executive producers. Völker’s creative team includes directors of photography Rob Goldie and Piotr Trela, editor Claire Guillon, and music composer Gabriel Chwojnik.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with HBO Documentary Films, A Snowstorm / Creators Inc. Production, In Association with New Mandate Films, A Film By Daniela Völker, “The Commandant’s Shadow.” It will be distributed in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures, and is rated PG-13 for thematic content involving the Holocaust, some disturbing images, and smoking.

About Fathom Events

Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

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