Ten questions for Mo Asumang

Mo Asumang visited Bayreuth once before, in 2022, to present her film and discuss it with the audience. Today, three years later, the film is more relevant than ever. On 11 and 12 November 2025, Mo Asumang will once again be a guest at the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence to show her film and discuss the current issues of racism and right-wing extremism with young and old alike. We asked her for an interview ahead of her visit: 

UBTaktuell: Ms Asumang, in the film you say that you wanted to understand "what lies behind this hatred" spread by right-wing extremists. To this end, you met with right-wing extremists in Germany and America. What prompted you to embark on such a dangerous personal journey?

Mo Asumang: A death threat had been circulated in the form of a song. The neo-Nazi band White Aryan Rebels sang the song "Die Kugel ist für Dich, Mo Asumang" ("The bullet is for you, Mo Asumang"), and that's me. I was shaken to the core and filled with fear. That fear led to avoidance strategies: I avoided sitting by the window, because a bullet can go through a window. All windows were off limits. At some point, I completely lost myself. I couldn't let that happen, so I stopped hiding and confronted the neo-Nazis instead.

UBTaktuell: One of the most impressive scenes in the film is when you approach neo-Nazis directly on the street during a demonstration. You also visited supporters of the Ku Klux Klan in America. How did you manage to remain calm and open in such moments?

Mo Asumang: I have observed neo-Nazis! Again and again! But I must admit, it took me a long time to learn how to do it. At first, I was simply triggered by their words, by the hateful looks they gave me, and by the thought of what else might happen to me. But from the day I gave myself permission to look... from then on, everything was different. What I could perceive in them was fear.

UBTaktuell: In the film, you travel to Iran to explore the true origins of the term "Aryan". What was it like to experience this term there in a completely different, positive context? And did this historical research change your view of cultural identity and origin?

Mo Asumang: My research into the real Aryans showed me that identity and origin can indeed be misused. The term "Aryan" is the epitome of "fake news". But back then, no one ever questioned it, not even in the 1960s, 1970s or 2000s. At first, I was very naive in my approach to the name: since the band that sang the death threat was called White Aryan Rebels, I simply wanted to know what could be learned about Aryans. For a long time, I couldn't believe that the term Aryan had nothing to do with the Germans, nothing at all, no ancient Aryan graves, no ancient stone inscriptions, nothing, all invented by the Nazis. 

The purpose of categorising people is, of course, clear. It is to place oneself above others, to invent a category, as was done with the Jews, in order to dominate them. As soon as we sense such categorisation, we must be very vigilant and act immediately, as in the cityscape debate. Fortunately, a great many people have reacted.

UBTaktuell: How safe did you feel during filming – were there any scenes or encounters that you deliberately chose not to show because they were too sensitive, either ethically or dramatically?

Mo Asumang: There were scenes, for example in Gera, where neo-Nazis came running up from the side and smashed the cameraman's camera in his face. That day, the cameraman delivered two hours of completely shaky footage that was unfit for broadcast. I have countless insults against me on camera, but how much of that do you want to show? In the end, it wasn't cameramen who made me feel safe, but tall, blonde, blue-eyed female camerawomen who didn't think in terms of muscles, as boys and men tend to do, but were more peaceful. Their calmness, inner balance and curiosity, above all, were what protected me. Genuine curiosity about a person, even if they are a racist. But if you had asked me ten years ago, I would have said: I'm scared shitless, the sight of a neon Nazi horrifies me, I cross the street. But today it's different, today I go up to them, ask lots of questions, don't judge people, but try to understand them. All of this is an energy that also leaves its mark on the other side, on the racist.

UBTaktuell: Some critics say that racists should never be given a platform. How do you respond to this objection?

Mo Asumang: I know what you mean. But racists have never been given that kind of platform with me, because I don't hold up a camera so they can vent their hatred unfiltered. Instead, I stand next to them with my dark skin, look at them, very closely, and ask simple but uncomfortable questions. Viewers can observe all of this very closely; they can sense how I feel as a person standing next to a ranting neo-Nazi. The most important thing is that they can also see how I react to the hatred. Almost everyone says: How could you stay so calm? But that's exactly the message! And it's much stronger than the hateful words; you read between the lines and see something you'd like to be able to do yourself. That's where I want to take people: to openness, moral courage and dialogue.

UBTaktuell: Since the film, have you ever been in contact with people who changed their attitude because of their encounter with you?

Mo Asumang: Yes, indeed, I did. And one wonders, how could that happen? A young man who got involved in the Nazi scene at the age of nine, was even recruited in schools, and at some point met me. We healed each other. That's a beautiful kind of healing. We told each other a lot, and it moved something inside us. And Chris left the scene – I could cry, I find that so beautiful and powerful.

UBTaktuell: Did working on "Die Arier" change you personally – perhaps also in terms of your confidence in engaging in dialogue with people who think differently?

Mo Asumang: When I was unable to deal with the issue of discrimination because it hurt too much inside, I was very unstable and easily offended. I am glad that I approached so-called dissenters, because they were training partners for me to achieve inner strength, and anyone can do that. If we want to change something in this world, there is one thing we must not forget: dialogue is the key! But I also realise that you have to practise it, because otherwise the attempt at dialogue ends in being triggered, in a red face, in trembling, in nausea, in leaving the room, and so on and so forth. During my personal transformation, I learned so much about dialogue and being triggered that I founded the MoLab e.V. association and now train dialogue ambassadors. 

UBTaktuell: If you were to shoot a sequel today, ten years later, in our current political climate, where would you start? Are there any topics you would like to pursue further?

Mo Asumang: I would try to engage in conversation with people in the middle of society, who may not be quite as aggressive, but who can reveal the full extent of the madness. After all, during the Nazi era, it was the voters who made the Holocaust possible in the first place. I know you can't say that everyone who votes for a certain party is a racist, but what you can say is that they enable racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia... I would be interested to know how each individual came to their opinion.

UBTaktuell: You are not only showing your film in Bayreuth once in the evening, but also presenting it to Bayreuth schoolchildren the next day. How important is interaction with the younger generation to you? How is the documentary generally received by young people?

Mo Asumang: The room then falls completely silent. The teachers always say that they have never experienced anything like it before. The pupils are usually very moved, but also confused, because at first they don't understand that you don't freak out when someone says to your face, "Your father is a gene kidnapper," or "I'll take you to the zoo so you can see where you come from." The kids feel vicarious embarrassment and curiosity as to whether it would be possible to learn how to react in this way. However, it must be said that in the last year or two, there has been a huge increase in the number of pupils who are right-wing and make no secret of it. Sometimes I'm even glad when little racists sit there and spill the beans, because I almost always manage to create a conciliatory atmosphere in the end. In fact, "reconciliation" is the magic word that allows you to make a second attempt, even if the first attempt to talk went wrong. Don't give up on people, give them a second chance – the kids know immediately what I mean. However, we need this throughout Germany.

UBTaktuell: And finally: What advice would you give people on dealing with racism and prejudice in everyday life? What can you do if you are exposed to racism or observe racist behaviour?

Mo Asumang: The most important thing is to protect yourself first and foremost. Paying attention to your own feelings, acknowledging them, not denying them – that's already a great start. It took me decades to learn that. The second thing is allyship, which means when a privileged person stands up for a marginalised group. Unfortunately, I have a negative example of this too. I was strangled by a man on a tram in Kassel from one stop to the next, I couldn't breathe, and no one helped me. Allyship has to be learned, but I want to talk about this and so much more at the cinema in Bayreuth.