Alex Gibney & Steven Spielberg Come Together for Limited Series ‘Why We Hate’

Discovery Channel
Courtesy of Discovery

Executive produced by filmmaking heavyweights Alex Gibney and Steven Spielberg and directed by Emmy winners Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard, Why We Hate explores one of humanity’s most primal and destructive emotions – hate.

At the heart of this timely series, premiering Sunday, October 13 on Discovery Channel, is the notion that if people begin to understand their own minds, they can find ways to work against hate and keep it from spreading.

The six-episode series works to contextualize the many instances of hate in everyday life: the violent rivalries that erupt at sports matches, the hateful rhetoric that runs rampant on social media, and the heated disagreements that flare up over political partisanship, race, religion, and social beliefs.

Courtesy of Discovery

The series follows brave individuals seeking to quell violent conflict and correct misperceptions, hears from former terrorists and architects of genocide, and allows viewers to consider lessons from some of the most brutal and enduring examples of hate throughout the world.

Helping to unpack these complex issues in each episode are experts including cognitive scientist Laurie Santos, evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare, journalist and author Jelani Cobb, extremism expert Sasha Havlicek, international criminal lawyer Patricia Viseur Sellers, and neuroscientist Emile Bruneau.

Why We Hate, Premiere, Sunday, October 13, 10/9c, Discovery Channel