Film: ‘The Aryans’ (2014)

There will be a film screening of Mo Asumang’s documentary ‘The Aryans,’ followed by a discussion led by College of Charleston associate professor Joshua Shanes. ‘The Aryans’ (2014) is a documentary about right-wing movements worldwide and their completely incorrect interpretation of “Aryanism,” a phenomenon which began with French philosopher Gobineau and continued with the Nazis. Black German filmmaker Mo Asumang embarks on a journey into the madness of racism and meets German neo-Nazis, America’s most notorious racist Tom Metzger and members of the KKK in the Midwest.

Shanes is an associate professor and associate director of Jewish studies at College of Charleston. His research interests focus on Central and East European Jewry in the 19th and 20th centuries, specifically turn-of-the-century Galicia and the rise of Zionism as a counter-movement to the traditional Jewish establishment.

The screening is part of the Countering Hate: Overcoming Fear of Differences initiative, which was launched in the fall of 2019 in the College of Arts & Sciences to foster community and understanding and help students discuss difficult topics.