Beyond Hate

Bill Moyers is the host for this wide-ranging and provocative examination of "hate." Inspired by Holocaust survivor and renowned author Elie Wiesel's "Anatomy of Hate" conference in Oslo, Norway, the filmmakers examine the difference between "anger" and "hate," the former a common emotion, the latter a more complex emotion that, while presenting itself under many guises, often carries certain institutionalized characteristics. First and foremost is that the object of hatred be reduced to a less than human status--this principle seems to hold true whether we're talking about Nazi genocide or wife-beating. Among the interviewees who discuss "hate" are: L.A. gang members; Tom Metzger, head of the White Aryan Resistance group; Myrlie Evers, widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, who was murdered in 1963--she credits her hate for white people at the time as the key to her emotional survival; Vaclav Havel; Nadine Gordimer; John Kenneth Galbraith; Jimmy Carter, and many others. Weaving "stories" of hate with commentary from participants in the "Anatomy of Hate" conference, Beyond Hate is an excellent discussion starter which touches on a myriad of different aspects (including prominent segments on Arab-Jew relations, religious wars in Ireland, and gay-bashing) of hate, while also offering some tentative teaching models for future generations to perhaps go "beyond hate." Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (Available from: Mystic Fire Video, 225 Lafayette Street, Suite 1206, New York, NY 10012.)