In groups or educational settings, these facts will provide a firm platform for discussion: for instance, testimony reveals that the “skinhead” criminals had intended to attack “an Arab,” when coming across the homosexual Chenu. In the same way, details of the crime unfold in interviews with the prosecuting attorney and in the voice-overs provided by the testimony of the accused (due to their youth, the perpetrators are not shown). The Chenu family’s anger, confusion and ambivalence are shown to evolve to an understanding of the crime and a plea for universal tolerance. The essential power of the film resides in its documentary style. The documentary narrative also interviews the prominent figures involved in the trial, including prosecution and defense lawyers as well as relatives of the accused.
Beginning 730 days after the crime, the film follows the family of the victim, Francois Chenu, deeply examining their thoughts and emotions as they travel through the French legal system until the verdict and punishment are decided. Beyond Hatred documents the progression of a French “gay bashing” murder and subsequent trial, focusing primarily on the victim’s family and the unraveling of the events of the crime itself.
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