Narratives of Modern Genocide (Prime Video) – Stream It or Skip It

Narratives of Modern Genocide has a precise aim of bringing individual stories and accounts into the light, and in doing so, it provides us all with a timely reminder of how hate can lead to genocide. Watch Narratives of Modern Genocide now on Prime Video.

As the Nuremberg Trials ended in 1946, Lord Hartley Shawcross famously stated: There comes a point when a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his own conscience. He was, of course, referring to the political power wielded by the Nazi regime. However, he was also making a clear statement on the actions of those who ignored genocide, many of whom were everyday folk who may not have agreed with Hitler’s actions but did and said nothing due to fear of retaliation or persecution.

Following World War Two, politicians and institutions rallied behind a commitment of ‘never again’, stating that the horrors of the Holocaust were never to be repeated. However, since then, we have had multiple genocides, from Cambodia to Syria, Somalia, Burundi, Chechnya and Bosnia, to name but a few. In truth, despite commitments made in 1946, genocides have continued to be enacted while the world looks on, and education about genocides and human rights abuses remains largely absent in our schools and colleges.

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Narratives of Modern Genocide has a precise aim of bringing individual stories and accounts into the light, and in doing so, it provides us all with a timely reminder of how hate can lead to genocide. It speaks directly to the need for governments to provide safety and opportunity to those fleeing persecution and hate, a message that is both timely and urgent, given the state of global politics and increasing global nationalism.

However, it needed more time to fully explore the personal accounts it brings to the screen. These urgent accounts deserved deeper exploration alongside the exploration of the causes of genocide and the world’s continuing slow response to crimes against humanity. Ultimately, this does not distract from the powerful messages as Narratives of Modern Genocide calls for education and lived experience to become a part of the teaching landscape.

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