A new trailer has been unveiled for “Kreator – Hate & Hope“, the official documentary chronicling the four-decade journey of German thrash metal veterans Kreator. The 110-minute film, helmed by director Cordula Kablitz-Post, is set to make its premiere on July 2 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival. Following its festival debut, the documentary will receive a theatrical release on September 4.
The film delves into Kreator‘s storied history, tracing their path from a school band formed in the Ruhr area in 1982 to their current status as international thrash metal pioneers performing on grand stages worldwide. According to the official description, the band’s music is portrayed as “more aggressive, faster, and more uncompromising than others,” having long since reached “the pinnacle of the thrash metal scene.” The documentary asserts that Kreator consistently stands “against the hatred and the abysses of our society,” with their “shrill tones, virtuosic guitar riffs, and energetic drumbeats process[ing] the turmoil in our civilization with tremendous willpower and creativity.” The film is described as creating “a well-crafted poetry of chaos full of symbols of horror — a musical Molotov cocktail against evil with a cathartic effect,” interwoven with elements like “Hannah Arendt quotes and headless corpses.”
For this project, director Cordula Kablitz-Post, known for “Die Toten Hosen – You Only Live Once“, spent a full year on tour with the band, capturing their essence at various iconic locations. This immersive period included filming at Wacken Open Air, as well as in Tokyo, Osaka, Bangalore, and Los Angeles, culminating at the “Klash Of The Ruhrpott” event in Gelsenkirchen, a gathering of Germany’s metal greats. The documentary promises an “honest and humorous journey into the wildly beating heart of German music history,” incorporating private archive recordings and insightful interviews with notable figures. These include Scott Ian of Anthrax, Chuck Billy from Testament, Bela B. of Die Ärzte, guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of Machine Head), Maik Weichert from Heaven Shall Burn, Nergal of Behemoth, actor Lars Eidinger, and producer Andy Sneap.
Kreator fontman Mille Petrozza is also set to release his official German-language autobiography. Titled “Your Heaven, My Hell – Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte” (“Your Heaven, My Hell – My Life, Heavy Metal, And How It All Could Happen“), the book was co-written with journalist, author, and presenter Torsten Groß. It is scheduled for publication on August 28 via Ullstein Verlag and is currently available for pre-order.
