Wackersdorf
- Feature
- 2018
- 123 Minutes
- Germany
- Language: German
Based on a true story, this powerful film – always engaging and even humorous at times – brings back one of the biggest grassroots movement for policy change in the history of West Germany.
Director: Oliver Haffner
Screenwriter: Gernot Krää, Oliver Haffner
Production Company: if... Productions
Premier Status: Asian Premiere
Film Critic
Justice for everybody

Mohsen Azarm
“Wackersdorf” is like revealing films which turned to be an important part of America’s cinema in 1970s. Such films are about relationship between dominant regime and citizens as well as civil rights ignored by the regime to accomplish its five-year and ten-year programs. In these films there is usually a person who although serves the regime, suddenly or gradually joins people who often oppose some policies of the regime. Hans Schuierer in Wackersdorf is one of those people. A commander who prefers to stay by people’s side who want nothing except their primary rights and justice- what was ignored in Germany’s democracy at that time. The dominant regime claims that it knows what is good for people while they know nothing therefore they shouldn’t interfere at all. What makes Schuierer a German symbolic character in West Germany in 1980s is doubting this claim. A commander like any other official is to execute orders given by officials of higher rank without considering consequences. But if commander considers civil and moral responsibilities everything will probably change. This is when legitimacy of regime’s supervision cannot be taken for granted, exactly like when Schuierer doubts if establishing a nuclear plant can solve problems of this region’s people. Doubt is always the solution, undoubtedly.
Photos


Awards
2018: Munich Film Festival, Winner of the Audience Award, Germany2019: Bavarian Film Awards, Germany
Cast and Crew
Screenwriter: Gernot Krää, Oliver Haffner
Producer: Ingo Fliess
DOP / Camera: Kaspar Kaven
Editor: Anja Pohl
Music: Die Hochzeitskapelle
Sound: Marc Parisotto, Daniel Dietenberger, Michael Hinreiner
Production Designer: Renate Schmaderer
Cast: Johannes Zeiler, Anna Maria Sturm, Fabian Hinrichs, Johannes Herrschmann, Peter Jordan, Florian Brückner, Frederic Linkemann, August Zirner, Sigi Zimmerschied, Ines Honsel, Marlene Morreis
Director

Oliver Haffner
Oliver Haffner (April, 1974 in Germersheim) is a German film and theater director and screenwriter. He studied feature film direction at the College of Television and Film Munich. In addition to his film and theater work, he is professor for “media-specific representation” (film acting) in the course “acting” at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf in Potsdam.