TimeOff Reviews
tHe docuseries Why We hate, premiering oct. 13 on
Discovery, is as ambitious as it is timely. Backed by executive pro-
ducers including Steven Spielberg and Alex Gibney, directors Geeta
Gandbhir and Sam Pollard explore how extremists and demagogues
use tactics like propaganda to incite violence. Beyond tracing the
roots of hate, the filmmakers ask why and how it drives ordinary peo-
ple to monstrous behavior.
It’s a massive undertaking, one that demanded the filmmakers not
only synthesize reams of relevant information, but also avoid stereo-
typing that would perpetuate the same conflicts they seek to defuse.
They succeed, mostly, by scouring the world for complex case stud-
ies, from the U.S. to Rwanda to Myanmar. Along with ensuring that
no group is depicted as uniquely hateful, this expansive,
inclusive approach allows viewers to calmly consider the
role of hate in conflicts where they don’t have a personal
allegiance.
Diversity is paramount here, and not just in the sense
that people with a wide range of identities are repre-
sented. Instead of casting a single host for the series,
Gandbhir and Pollard select a guide for each episode
whose expertise is salient to the topic at hand. Interna-
tional criminal lawyer Patricia Viseur Sellers lends em-
pathy and perspective to the toughest hour, “Crimes Against Human-
ity,” which probes the phenomenon of mass killings.
The show begins and, in a finale devoted to hope, ends with sci-
ence: psychology, anthropology, neuroscience. This emphasis leaves
some blind spots. By leaning on interpersonal as well as scientific so-
lutions, the series prioritizes quelling aggression over righting injus-
tices. Yet no amount of mindfulness meditation—one of the proposed
curatives—will heal the wounds of genocide or slavery; kindness in
one-on-one settings may never change the fact that some people in
this world have more reason to be angry than others. Why We Hate is
a vital show. If only it had the courage to consider that the most effec-
tive form of conflict resolution might be justice. •
TELEVISION
Hate watch
By Judy Berman
Lawyers Bryan Stevenson and Patricia Viseur Sellers reflect
on the connection between hate and crimes against humanity