Unveiling Hidden Voices: Trailer Released for Napola Schools Documentary
Unveiling the trailer for my Napola schools documentary marks a significant milestone in my journey as a documentary filmmaker passionate about exploring hidden history through historical documentary storytelling.
I’m excited to finally share the first trailer for this work-in-progress project that has driven me over the past four years. The Napola schools documentary delves into one of the most chilling and lesser-known chapters of Nazi Germany—the story of the elite schools known as Napolas.
The Napolas, or National Political Education Institutes (Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalten), were elite boarding schools created by the Third Reich to train the future leaders of Nazi Germany. Boys as young as ten were drawn into a harsh world of strict discipline, ritual violence, and relentless ideological indoctrination. These institutions were designed to strip away individuality and produce unwavering loyalty to the authoritarian state.
As a documentary filmmaker, I’m fascinated by how personal stories can illuminate hidden history. Together with historian Dr. Helen Roche from Durham University, we’ve travelled across Germany, filming interviews with former Napola pupils—now in their 90s. Listening to their first-hand testimonies has been deeply moving and, at times, harrowing. Their voices provide rare insight into how propaganda and authoritarian systems shaped childhoods and identities.
While creating the Napola schools documentary, we’ve gathered striking photographs—including many from personal collections—and filmed evocative scenes inside the abandoned halls of former Napola schools. These visual elements bring the survivors’ oral history to life and help convey the stark realities of the Napola experience.
Earlier this year, the German-language version of this historical documentary, Die Napolas im 3. Reich: Geschichte und Erinnerung, premiered at the Brandenburgische Landeszentrale für politische Bildung in Potsdam. The first trailer just released offers a first look at the English-language version, which remains a work in progress.
Challenges of Historical Documentary Filmmaking
Making the Napola schools documentary has been one of the most complex and rewarding filmmaking processes of my career. Documentary filmmaking about hidden history brings unique ethical challenges.
Key questions have guided us throughout production:
- How do we craft a historical documentary that remains truthful yet sensitive to painful memories?
- How do we ensure that screenings of a film like this don’t become politicised, given the powerful and controversial legacy of Nazi Germany?
- How do we responsibly work with eyewitnesses who are approaching the end of their lives, whose memories are both personally intimate and historically significant?
These questions have shaped every decision in the filmmaking process, reminding me of the power—and the responsibility—of telling stories rooted in history and memory studies.
First UK Screening in Cambridge
I’m excited to announce that an early cut of the Napola schools documentary will have its first UK screening at Cambridge University on Friday, 11th July. Helen and I will be there to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A, discussing both the historical discoveries and the filmmaking challenges involved in bringing this project to life.
Bringing this documentary to the screen has been a journey filled with unexpected moments. Over the past three years, Helen and I have travelled across Germany, sometimes revisiting sites multiple times to capture them in different seasons or light. We navigated language barriers, deeply personal memories, and the logistical challenges of working with elderly interviewees whose health could shift quickly.
Every interview left a lasting impression. Sitting in living rooms and kitchens with former Napola pupils—now in their 90s—offered a window into stories seldom heard. Many shared photographs from their personal collections, helping us piece together a vivid picture of life inside these elite schools.
Editing the film has been a delicate process, balancing powerful testimonies with visual storytelling and historical context. Our goal has always been to create a film that does justice to the voices we’ve recorded and the complexity of this dark chapter in history.
I’m immensely proud of what we’ve crafted so far and eager for audiences to see the first glimpse of this ongoing work.
If you’re passionate about documentary filmmaking, exploring hidden narratives, or learning about the human stories behind history, I’d love for you to watch the first trailer and follow along as we complete this important work.
For more of my work exploring research, history, and storytelling through film, you can watch my academic films here.