the extremist and me
a conversation
52 min · 4:3 · english · uk · 2026
Synopsis
A former neo-Nazi and a former Muslim extremist sit down, talk and uncover the surprising and uncomfortable commonalities between them.
In an unprecedented dialogue, a former Polish neo-Nazi who converted to Christianity and a British former radical Islamist who found a way out of extremism through science sit down for a hard-hitting and brave conversation. The film traces their parallel journeys into radical ideologies, uncovering a shared landscape of childhood trauma and search for identity as well as pivotal moments that led to their transformation.
produced by london metropolitan university
funded by the esrc · consulted by faith matters
A line from the film
My hatred was real. But it's gone — someone took that hatred out of me.
mirek
Mirek
Mirek is a born-again Christian who left the white supremacist movement. He met the film's researchers during two years of ethnographic work inside far-right groups in Britain, and agreed to share his story. His surname and location are withheld to protect his privacy.
A line from the film
Bad information can make good people do bad things.
sohail
Sohail
Sohail is a British former radical Islamist who found a way out of extremism through science. Today he works with victims of terrorism and advocates for LGBT+ rights.
Trailer
This is not a simple story of redemption, but a portrait of two men confronting the harm they caused.
a film by Adam Janisch
A German-Polish filmmaker based in Berlin whose work explores the intersection of personal identity and larger social forces. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and the Andrzej Wajda School of Film Directing, his background in media art shapes his distinct visual and narrative style. His artistic work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Award. The Extremist and Me is his latest film.
produced by
Anna Jochymek
Postdoctoral Research Associate at London Metropolitan University and artist with expertise in far-right extremism, online subcultures, and counter-radicalisation in the UK. Her work combines ethnographic and participatory research methods with a practice-led background in the visual arts.
Michał P. Garapich
An anthropologist and Professor at London Metropolitan University, he has researched and published extensively on migration processes, social remittances, transnationalism, resistance, the far right, Roma, migration from Poland and intimate ethnography. He is the author of three books: London Polish Borders, Dzieci Kazimierza and All Kazimierz's Children.
Rafał Soborski
Professor of International Politics at Richmond American University London and Senior Research Fellow at London Metropolitan University, Centre for Global Diversities and Inequalities. His research revolves around globalisation, ideology, social movements, and the far right. He is the author of two monographs, including Ideology in a Global Age.
stills
host a screening
As an impact project, the film translates academic research into a public medium fostering dialogue on extremism, migration, and social cohesion.
london metropolitan university
economic and social research council
faith matters
credits
- director & editor
- Adam Janisch
- concept and production
- Anna Jochymek, Michał P. Garapich, Rafał Soborski
- conversation facilitator
- Fiyaz Mughal
- producer
- Anna Jochymek
- executive producers
- Michał P. Garapich, Rafał Soborski
- camera operators
- Emily Sommerfeld, Ginevra Sesti, Lou Paquier, Aaditya Hirachan
- original music
- Oscar Jockel
- sound design & mix
- Florian von Keyserlingk
- colorist
- Lennart Fränkel
- primary funding
- Economic and Social Research Council
Produced as part of the research project “Everyday transnationalism of the far right” at London Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Faith Matters.
press, screenings & enquiries — contact@extremistandme.com