Human Remains

“Human Remains” illustrates the banality of evil by creating intimate portraits of five of this century’s most reviled dictators: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Francisco Franco, and Mao Tse Tung. We learn the private and mundane details of their everyday lives – their favourite foods, films, habits, and sexual preferences. Their personalities and psychological make-up are revealed through the details they convey. There is no mention of their public lives or of their place in history. The intentional omission of the horrors for which these men were responsible hovers over the film. “Human Remains” addresses this horror from a completely different angle – irony and even occasional humour are sprinkled throughout the documentary. The film is based entirely on fact, combining direct quotes and biographical research. Though based on historical figures, “Human Remains” is contemporary in its implications and ultimately invites the viewer to confront the nature of evil.