The documentary film on Aktion T4, created by filmaker Cameron Mitchell along with his father David T. Mitchell, professor at George Washington University, is making it's debut this weekend in Los Angeles and at the Slamdance Film Festival!
David had sent me a link to view the film and write a review. The film is, in a word, astounding. Forbes has reviewed it as well. Here is the link for that: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2025/02/18/disposable-humanity--new-film-unmasks-horror-of-nazi-euthanasia/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2F2IULz_zYBkJmNv-Ee6aw6LkzjOtY6JyquxJkNaMGZkZCajpOtfeHvLw_aem__dSrcTq_qLo6oUoFFYW7FQ
But here is my review: A Critical Review of the Documentary Film: Disposable Humanity
This documentary is groundbreaking in that it authenticates the fates of 300,000 people with disabilities in Hitler’s secret euthanasia program, Aktion T4, in a factual and genuine manner. The makers of this film, writers and executive producers Cameron S. Mitchell and David T. Mitchell, a family unit, provides a unique perspective on the experiences of individuals with disabilities. This is exemplified in the opening scene, where they encounter challenges while attempting to travel to Auschwitz using older trains that lack wheelchair accessibility. This documentary contrasts the harshness of Aktion T4 with the beauty of the German and Austrian countryside, highlighted by André Barros' haunting musical score.
The inclusion of world-renowned Memory Studies and Aktion T4 scholars such as Dr. Susanne Knittel and Robert Parzer and others lends credence and heft to the documentary. As does the insightful inclusion of the family members who took it upon themselves to research their relatives’ fates since the victims’ stories were purposely hidden for decades. Florian Schwanninger, the archaeologist who led the excavation in Hartheim, recounts the discovery of children's toy artifacts, including a doll leg and a toy plane. These findings poignantly highlight the human tragedy inflicted by Aktion T4.
Conveying the narrative will significantly raise awareness about the tragic fate of the individuals who were victims of Aktion T4. Because Aktion T4 has no survivors, Dr. Knittel famously stated there is a need for vicarious witnesses to tell their story. Being a vicarious witness is not an act of speaking for and thus appropriating the memory and story of someone else but rather an attempt to bridge the silence through narrative means.
Disposable Humanity does that: it speaks for those who can no longer speak for themselves.
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