UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “To Kill a Nazi,” a Penn State faculty member's documentary about a French family man’s quest to kill his father’s Gestapo executioner, will make its world premiere June 22 as an official selection at Dances With Films, and will screen at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
Written, directed and produced by Boaz Dvir, an award-winning filmmaker, and narrated by iconic actor Jason Alexander, “To Kill a Nazi” shows Michel Cojot regretting his assassination decision and seeking redemption the following year during a hijacking and hostage crisis.
“The twists and turns in this story are so unbelievable that I spend even more time than usual researching and triangulating every detail,” said Dvir, an associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications who directs Penn State’s Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative. “We hope the documentary stimulates discussions about identity and meaning and leaves plenty of room for viewers to draw their own conclusions about Michel Cojot’s trials, tribulations and actions.”
“To Kill a Nazi” will screen at 8:15 p.m. June 22 at Dances With Films, widely considered a major showcase for independent filmmakers. In 2023, USA Today named it a Top 10 North America film festival and recently, MovieMaker magazine called it one of the world’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals.”
“We’re so excited to unveil the character of Michel Cojot to audiences,” said one of the documentary’s producers, Tradition Pictures CEO Matthew Einstein. “Cojot’s journey is one of the most compelling we’ve ever come across. He truly is a three-dimensional character whose story ranges from vigilante to hero with reckless abandon.”
University of Florida Associate Professor Gayle Zachmann served as a producer and historical consultant on “To Kill a Nazi.”
Dvir’s previous documentary feature, “Class of Her Own,” has screened at nearly 30 film festivals around the world, winning more than a dozen awards since it was released in 2024.