NAZI CREATURES

Hitler, Göring and Himmler shared a common, ambiguous and puzzling fascination with animals. But why did these criminals, the main architects of the “Final Solution” that led to the deaths of 6 million Jews during the Second World War, show such an interest in animals? Did they have special functions?

The obsession cultivated by Nazi leaders for the animal world went far beyond simple affection (like Hitler's for his dog Blondie, for example) and far beyond a simple desire to defend the animal cause through the enactment of a set of laws. Exploiting their intelligence and strength at the cost of genetic manipulation, the Nazis transformed animals into creatures at the service of the Reich: propaganda tools, weapons of war and symbols of racial ideology all rolled into one.

Combining archival footage, expert commentary and historical re-enactments, this documentary explores a little-known chapter of the Third Reich, exposing the ruthless, pseudo-scientific methods employed by the Nazis to control nature and justify the horrors of the Holocaust.