From Rights to Responsibility: The Prague Film School’s Workshop on Hate Speech and Collective Memory
As part of the Le Case di Micòl project, the students of the Prague Film School participated in a second workshop session of Alfieri della Memoria, a program designed to stimulate civic reflection through cinema, critical thinking, and historical awareness. If the first session explored the role of propaganda and the legacy of human rights, the second meeting deepened the analysis of hate speech and the collective mechanisms that enable discrimination and genocide.
Language as a Weapon
The workshop began with a crucial question: How does hate spread? Students examined how language can be used to dehumanise, exclude, and justify violence. From the anti-Semitic slurs of Nazi Germany to the role of radio broadcasts in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the group reflected on how ordinary people become complicit in extraordinary horrors — often through words.
The session highlighted how language constructs reality. Through subtle shifts in vocabulary — replacing “people” with “vermin,” “citizens” with “outsiders” — propaganda can make persecution appear not only acceptable, but necessary.
From Past to Present: Recognising Patterns
One of the workshop’s key goals was to connect historical patterns to current social challenges. Students discussed how hate speech continues to exist — not only in fringe groups, but also in mainstream political discourse, media, and online platforms. The group explored the role of social media algorithms, echo chambers, and the spread of extremist ideologies online.
By drawing a line from historical mechanisms of exclusion to the present-day digital landscape, the students learned how prejudice evolves — and how vigilance and education remain essential.
A Space for Reflection and Debate
The classroom transformed into a space for dialogue. Students questioned how societies justify the exclusion of minority groups, and what forms of resistance are possible. They debated issues of freedom of speech, censorship, and the limits of tolerance in democratic societies.
The concept of “banality of evil”, coined by Hannah Arendt, became central to the discussion: how can everyday people, simply “doing their job,” contribute to systems of oppression?
The Power of Responsibility
The workshop concluded with a powerful idea: memory is not only about the past — it is about the future. Knowing the history of hate speech is not enough. What matters is recognising it when it happens today, and having the tools to react.
For aspiring filmmakers and storytellers, this is especially relevant. Cinema is not neutral. Every frame, every script, every choice of character and narrative carries ethical implications. As young creators, the students were invited to think of their work not just as entertainment, but as an act of responsibility.