Millbrook Enjoys Early Screening of Oscar-Worthy Film

Millbrook rolled out the red carpet (literally) on Monday for a special screening of the upcoming film Nuremberg in the Chelsea Morrison Theater. The movie is scheduled for theatrical release on Nov. 7, but the Millbrook community got an early look thanks to current parent William Sherak, who produced the project.

Sherak, who also visited Alex Pearson’s Introduction to Filmmaking class a couple of weeks ago, walked the red carpet at Holbrook Arts Center with his daughter, Eloise Sherak ’27. Over 200 students joined the filmmaker in the theater, drawn not only by the promise of a movie premiere but also by the classic movie theater popcorn, candy, and soda on offer.

Based on the book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the film revolves around the interactions between psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) and Nazi leader Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) during the Nuremberg trials. Despite running well over two hours long and relying heavily on dialog to carry a sobering narrative, Nuremberg kept the audience of high schoolers fully engaged with snappy writing, innovative production, and incredible performances by the star-studded cast. As the credits began to roll, the crowd burst into spontaneous applause.

When the lights went back up, Head of School Jonathan Downs ’98 invited Sherak to the stage for a brief question-and-answer session. Downs and several students asked insightful questions about the technical production and general filmmaking process, and Sherak kindly opened up about what it’s like to be behind the scenes on a major production.

Nuremberg is already generating significant Oscar buzz, and anyone who attended Monday’s premiere understands exactly why. While Sherak admitted that he and his team intentionally released the movie in early November to ensure it’s well-positioned for award season, he said his main hope is simply that people will watch.

Millbrook connections to the entertainment industry run deep, and this isn’t the first time our community has been treated to an early viewing of an upcoming release—for instance, last school year we hosted the North American premiere of French-Canadian feature film Mlle Bottine thanks to Dominic Bergeron ’97. We’re eternally grateful for the generosity of our alumni, parents, and friends who take the time to share the exciting things they’re working on with current students, inspiring them to go out and live their own lives of meaning and consequence.

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