Bearing Witness in Color: Matt’s Mission to Teach the World About the Holocaust
- Ron Krit
- Sep 3
- 4 min read
When I sat down with Matt Mason, CEO of Spaceship Earth Charity, in the UK, I expected a conversation about film restoration. What I got was a masterclass in empathy, courage, and a very personal calling to repair the world.
Matt isn’t Jewish. But he understands hate—and refuses to look away. Years ago, while working on public-health projects (including efforts to end yaws, a neglected tropical disease), he was met with conspiracy theories: don’t use antibiotics, vaccines are a Jewish plot to control the world. The noise didn’t push him out; it pushed him in. He created Spaceship Earth for one reason: make the world better. As Matt told me, “We are one planet and one people. We should work together.”
“For the survivor who chooses to testify… To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive.” — Elie Wiesel
Why color?
Project Empathy restores and colorizes Holocaust footage in 4K not as a gimmick, but as a bridge. We live in color. Decades of cognitive research show that natural color improves memory and emotional connection. Color removes the distance black-and-white can create and makes reality harder to dismiss.
Spaceship Earth presents original and restored reels side-by-side, with the original Nuremberg narration. Accuracy first. Transparency always.
One detail that snaps into focus: Black American soldiers standing alongside white troops in 1945, when the U.S. Army was still segregated. You can hunt for that in black-and-white. In color, you can’t miss it.
Graphic Content Warning
Some scenes show the dead. Not everyone will choose to watch. As Matt said, “Witnessing what happened is graphic and powerful, you can see the terror and understand this atrocity is not made up.” As survivors pass, the burden of memory shifts to all of us.
What denial looks like now
Denial rarely shouts it never happened. Increasingly, it whispers, it wasn’t that bad. Matt sees it daily, comment sections, DMs, even polite conversations that drift into dangerous minimization. He doesn’t argue online; he shows evidence. Film lets us confront what words can only describe.
And yes, the pushback is real. “I post more on LinkedIn because Facebook has removed historically accurate links I’ve shared,” he told me. “It’s sad they don’t fight for truth. LinkedIn keeps those posts up.” The point isn’t platform drama; it’s that telling the truth about the Holocaust in 2025 still invites hostility and that makes this work even more urgent.
The plan—and the price tag
Spaceship Earth has completed the first of six reels (the 6,000 feet shown at the Nuremberg Trials). Five remain.
Cost per reel: ~£31,000 (≈ £11k restoration + £20k colorization) (around $42,000)
Total needed: £186,000 ($251,351) to finish the six-reel set
Beyond these reels, the Western Allies shot roughly 80,000 feet (14 hours) of liberation footage. There is far more truth still to surface.
Matt is working to screen the reels at the UK Parliament and the United Nations, and to make the finished work free for educators and museums, with public broadcasts on remembrance dates. This isn’t about ownership. It’s about access.
The sacrifice behind the mission
This is not a side project. Matt and his wife rearranged their lives to keep going. They rent out their flat and moved in with family so he can stay at this full-time. It matters to him, to his wife, and to their extended family. That commitment and sacrifice is incredible and during this time, with the rise in antisemitism, it’s crucial.
Not his first impact
A younger Matt helped bring £135,000 to Rotary’s End Polio Now via a gaming fundraiser—matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation to £405,000. He knows how to turn ideas into momentum. I have no doubt he will colorize all six reels of history the impact will be tremendous.
More than film: teach people to think
Project Empathy also builds critical-thinking resources (biases, logical fallacies). Denial thrives where reasoning fails. The project pairs evidence with tools so truth can stand when conspiracies swirl. Matt remarked, “Conspiracy theories and theorist are dangerous. People believe false narratives and I want to make sure people have the skill to research and separate fact from fiction.”
What your gift makes possible (immediately)
Finish Reel Two: move from raw scan to full restoration with historically accurate color.
Education Packs: teacher guides and discussion prompts so the footage lands with care.
Open Access: free licensing for schools/museums; screenings for Parliament/UN.
Naming opportunities available for completed reels, education packs, and screenings.
How you can help—right now
Watch the reel (graphic content advisory).
—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suNlaoubkDo
Share it with an educator or museum.
Fund a reel—or part of one.
— £31,000 ($42,000) completes a reel; any amount moves this forward. [Donate: https://www.spaceshipearth.org.uk/
Open a door.
— Parliament, UN, school districts, broadcasters, introductions matter.
Final word
Matt said something simple that stuck with me: one planet, one people. You don’t have to be Jewish to feel the urgency of this work (Matt isn’t). You just have to be human, and willing to look.
Because history doesn’t guard itself. We do. And right now, that means finishing these reels so the world can see in full color and remember.
If you would like to learn more, reach out to Matt: matt.mason@spaceshipearth.org.uk
Comments