The Incisive Film About the Relationship Between Names and Identity
Comes to Digital HD on April 5th
What’s it like to have a name that makes people you meet do a double take? Or laugh? Or cringe? Those are some of the reactions recounted in the one-of-a-kind documentary MEET THE HITLERS. The film, from Emmy-nominated director Matt Ogens, arrives on Digital HD from Virgil Films & Entertainment’s Morgan Spurlock Presents banner on April 5, 2016.
Most of us don’t give names much thought, but some names can’t be ignored. This is why 80-year-old Gene Hitler expects a double take whenever he presents his Medicare card, and why teenager Emily Hittler finds high school a struggle for acceptance. Matt Ogens’ (Confessions of a Superhero, the upcoming narrative feature North) MEET THE HITLERS examines the relationship between names and identity by exploring the lives of people from all walks of life who happen to be linked by the name Hitler.
This beautifully shot film raises important questions about the meaning of names and what they say about us. It explores complex issues like immigration, racism and tolerance. Yet it’s ultimately a character-driven story, offering a moving portrait of its subjects, whose reactions to their name span the spectrum of human experience, from tragedy to comedy, and heartbreak to hope. MEET THE HITLERS is a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of the power of names and their relationship to identity in the modern world.
Morgan Spurlock is the Oscar-nominated director of Super Size Me, Freakonomics and other important works. In 2014, he entered into a partnership with Virgil Films to acquire and release distinctive documentaries to theaters, DVD and video on demand. Films distributed under the Morgan Spurlock Presents banner include A Brony Tale, I Am Santa Claus, and the award-winning Two: The Story of Roman & Nyro.
Matt Ogens is an award-winning filmmaker and commercial director, known for an evocative visual aesthetic where image and narrative are intertwined. Ogens got his start directing long form docu-series for networks including MTV, VH1, CBS, and CNN, and earned three Emmy nominations for his work for ESPN. His feature documentary “Confessions of a Superhero” debuted at SXSW to critical acclaim and was picked up for distribution by Morgan Spurlock’s documentary label. Ogens segued into commercials, working with top agencies and brands and racking up awards from The One Show, Clio, SXSW Interactive, and ADC for his “Screw*d” interactive campaign for Craftsman. He continues to work across both commercials and long form entertainment, recently directing “From Harlem with Love” for ESPN’s Emmy-winning “30 for 30” series, as well as his second feature documentary “Meet the Hitlers,” which explores the impact of names on personal identity. He is currently in post-production on his first narrative feature film, “North,” starring Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark, and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
About Virgil Films –
Virgil Films & Entertainment was founded in 2003 by Joe Amodei to acquire, market and distribute DVD, TV and Digital product in the theatrical feature film, documentaries, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with OWN, Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, Pureflix Entertainment, MLB Productions, Morgan Spurlock’s Warrior Poets and other high-profile entertainment brands since their inception. Releases from Virgil Films & Entertainment include the Oscar-nominated documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me; the award-winning documentary Miss Representation; the critically acclaimed, timeless, best-selling Forks Over Knives, the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo and its sequel Korengal. They have also released the compelling I Am Chris Farley, A Brony Tale, Legends of the Knight and others.
Follow them on twitter: @virgilfilms | www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com.