Cinema and the Shoah: a look at horror

Le Regard Libre N° 66 - Antoine Bernhard

«The Shoah inscribed a decisive crisis at the heart of the 20th century, marking it irrevocably. Cinema was the art of the 20th century», writes Jean-Michel Frodon. So it's easy to see why the seventh art form is an essential part of today's reflection on the Holocaust. Each film on the subject brings with it controversy and debate, but it also casts a new light on the unfathomable mystery of the Shoah, the annihilation of man by man. So what is the strong link between cinema and the Shoah? And how do films illustrate or condition a singular relationship to the event in question?

As a preamble, we'd like to make it clear that we're distinguishing the Holocaust from other Nazi crimes. Obviously, the line between them is blurred. However, as a radical novelty in the history of mankind, the Shoah is of a very special nature.