Sergei Loznitsa, one of the most distinct creators of contemporary European cinema, interprets on theatre stage the novel of grand proportions about the catastrophe of the World War II which has sparked sharp discussions among historians, sociologists and researchers of culture.
The Erinyes is an attempt to take a new look at the Holocaust and the crimes of Nazi Germany by recounting the WWII history not, as it is customary, through the lips of numerous victims of Nazi and other war crimes, but from the perspective of an executioner, a direct participant and perpetrator of crimes.
In the epicentre of the production is a fictitious figure of Maximillian Aue, an SS officer and a doctor of jurisprudence. During the wartime he takes part in the Eastern Front campaigns to massacre Jews, and today he is a regular member of the French bourgeoisie, an owner of a lace factory. He is both an intellectual with interest in philosophy, literature, classical music, and also a cold-blooded murderer, a cog in the merciless bureaucratic Nazi killing machine.
One can only feel for a man, who is confronted by certain life circumstances which turn him into a wild beast. Alas, nothing appeared in his life that would have forced him to act differently. You know, not every culture has the tradition of hara-kiri. In fact, this character somewhat resembles Faust. His life path is interesting, his story urges us to think about the human being. Likewise, any war urges us to think about the human being and his/her situation. It is a horrible and repugnant experience, for anyone, and we must think it over so this experience does not return, – says the director of this production Sergei Loznitsa.