I think this is a comedy suitable for all ages to understand what a “meaningless war” really is.
Set during World War II, the protagonist is a 10-year-old German boy. Like every boy in his country at the time, he has a grand dream: to kill all the Jews and become Hitler’s best friend! But one day, he discovers that his mother is secretly hiding a Jewish girl inside the walls of their home!?
This sparks his reflection: Is everything society has taught him really right? And if it’s not, then why do all the adults say those lies? Could it be that speaking the truth openly might get them taken away and executed by the secret police?
There is nothing new under the sun—situations like this have happened throughout history and are still happening today. That’s because people love to believe that the group they belong to is the most superior on earth. Then, almost instinctively, they start looking for problems in “other groups” around them and use those to justify their conclusions. As long as someone believes they are a noble victim under attack, they can use that to legitimize their so-called "rightful retaliation".
When we look back and wonder how others could have been so foolish in the past, it’s possible that the very same patterns—just wrapped in a different story—are still playing out in our own lives today.
If we truly want to stop foolish history from repeating itself and create a world where everyone can live in peace and happiness, then perhaps the first step is to question whether anyone or everyone around us might all be lying.
