Editors' Introduction

Introductory Reflections on Perpetrators of Crimes Against Humanity and their Representation in Documentary Film

“…It is understandable, as several scholars have already suggested, that this shift in focus could prove highly problematic Lusztig 2013;Buruma 2015;Pettitt 2017;Critchell et al 2017). The reasons behind this concern are numerous: first, the perpetrator's perspective could end up taking precedence over that of the victim; second, the filmmaker could be accused of taking the side of the perpetrator being examined; and third, foregrounding the perpetrator's point of view could elicit a kind of emotional engagement that may undermine the viewer's moral judgement of their horrific acts.…”

“…Due in large part to the problematic nature of this approach, it is very common to find statements that clarify that dealing with perpetrators does not mean condoning, forgetting or even justifying their acts, but merely attempting a better understanding of the reasons why the atrocity was perpetrated (Browning 1992;Foster 2000;Behlil 2013;Schlund-Vials and Martinez 2015;Critchell et al 2017;Williams and Buckley-Zistel 2018). In addition, understanding is essential to prevent the recurrence of any kind of atrocity.…”

“…In addition, understanding is essential to prevent the recurrence of any kind of atrocity. For instance, the role that public education has in genocide prevention has been pointed out by several scholars (Smyth 1998;Elizur and Yishay-Krein 2009;Hollows and Fritzon 2012;Wade Beorn 2015;Pettitt 2017;Critchell et al 2017;, with Theodor W. Adorno's influential essay 'Education after Auschwitz' being one of the first in 1966. As Adorno eloquently asserts, '[t]he premier demand upon all education is that Auschwitz not happen again ' (1998, 191) and to this end an examination of the perpetrator is indispensable because '[t]he roots must be sought in the persecutors' (1998,193).…”

“…Perpetrator testimonies in their different forms thus constitute a valuable source of material for researchers. 13 The exploration of how the perpetrators and their acts are being depicted in diverse forms of cultural representation is another useful aspect of perpetrator studies Critchell et al 2017;Knittel and Goldberg 2020). The originality of these narratives lies in the shift in point of view they propose: their protagonists, rather than being the victims of the atrocities, are instead their perpetrators.…”

Motivational change in the perpetration of genocidal violence

“…This study of motivational change is important, as bringing in a temporal dimension allows us to understand and analyze violence in dynamic terms and to expand from a static to a processual perspective (Knittel et al, 2017). In order to fill this gap in the literature, this article poses the question: How do motivations for perpetration of genocidal violence change over time?…”