When he was 13, Matthew Boger’s mother threw him out of his home because he was gay. While living on the streets of Hollywood, he was savagely beaten by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads. Boger managed to survive the attack and escape life on the streets. Twenty-five years later, Boger was working at the Museum of Tolerance and found himself in conversation with a former neo-Nazi, Tim Zaal. The two men soon realized that they had met before... Zaal was one of the attackers who beat Boger and left him for dead.
With their worlds turned upside down, the two embarked on a journey of forgiveness and reconciliation that challenged both to grapple with their own beliefs and fears. Neither could imagine that it would lead to an improbable collaboration...and friendship.
Academy Award®-nominated Facing Fear retraces the haunting accounts of the attack and the startling revelation that brought these men together again. While delving deep into their backgrounds, the roots of the ideologies that shape how they handle the reconciliation process are exposed. Self-doubt, anger and fear are just a few of the emotions they struggle through as they come to terms with their unimaginable situation.
Outfest Los Angeles - Audience Award Winner IDFA – Int'l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam DOC NYC Mill Valley Film Festival Newport Beach Film Festival Seattle Jewish Film Festival – Award Winner Atlanta Out on Film Festival – Award Winner San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Frameline San Francisco Intl LGBT Film Festival
