“The Disappearance of Josef Mengele”, interview with the director Kirill Serebrennikov and the actor August Diehl

At the 78th Festival de Cannes, we met with director Kirill Serebrennikov and actor August Diehl to discuss their new film, “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele“. A Cannes Premiere at this year’s festival, the film goes beyond the individual horror of one man’s crimes to explore the systems and silences that made his disappearance possible.

Humanizing the Inhuman

The film follows Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death,” as he evades justice by escaping to South America. But Kirill Serebrennikov is quick to clarify: “The idea that each war criminal deserves the punishment doesn’t work, unfortunately. Because they avoided it easily.” Instead, the film opens a space for viewers to confront the uncomfortable proximity between monstrosity and humanity.

For August Diehl, portraying Mengele was a deep ethical challenge: “At the beginning I thought—why should I do the embodiment of evil?” But the turning point came with a chilling realization: “It is easy to say these people are monsters… but the real problem is that they’re humans.”

The Banality—and Network—of Evil

Referencing philosopher Hannah Arendt, the team delves into the banality of evil, presenting Mengele not as a cinematic villain, but as “weak, vulnerable, and banal.” As Diehl notes, “There is nothing admirable in this. He’s not a man with vision.”

But as Serebrennikov emphasizes, the real story is larger than the man himself: “Mengele is not the main point of it… it’s about the people who made Mengele possible.” The film becomes a portrait of collective complicity—those who took bribes, ignored documents, or quietly looked away.

A System That Protects Monsters

Serebrennikov and Diehl are clear: The Disappearance of Josef Mengele is not just a historical narrative, it’s a warning. “Evil is somewhere very close to us,” Serebrennikov warns. “We need to protect ourselves against this terrible nightmare.”

In Diehl’s words: “War is the best possibility for the people like Mengele to grow up. Mengele is not unique… people like him exist right now and will exist in the future.”

Cinema’s Moral Responsibility

So what is the role of cinema when confronting evil that looks ordinary? For both director and actor, it’s about breaking the silence. “We’re not here to excuse,” they agree. “We’re here to remind.”

By offering no redemption or catharsis, “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele” forces its audience to look directly at the quiet architecture of horror and the very human hands that built it.

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