On the banks of the Danube lies the picturesque town of Mauthausen. Against the backdrop of the woods and water Oompah bands play in traditional Austrian pubs as Mauthausens go about their daily lives. But only two kilometres from the town centre, thousands upon thousands of people from over 30 countries were once tortured and murdered.
This is the site of a former KZ – German short for concentration camp – a place that now attracts busloads of tourists, parties of schoolchildren, bikers and people from all over the world every day.
Giggling school-groups are quickly silenced as they enter the camp and learn of the atrocities committed inside. Mauthausen residents talk proudly about the town and their frustration about the continuing stigma attached to living there. Some older ladies reminisce about their ‘beautiful’ weddings to handsome former SS guards, while others recount chilling childhood memories.
Stripped of conventional documentary filmmaking devices, KZ offers a startlingly powerful exploration of a difficult and oft-explored subject, and is at once a timeless and contemporary film.
Festivals: Finalist Sundance 06, Edinburgh 06, Audience Award VARA Amnesty Film Festival.