“Wackersdorf” is a thrilling political Drama about the protests against the nuclear reprocessing plant in Bavaria. Director Oliver Haffner in the DW-talking about brutal police operations and the vulnerability of democracy.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Dedicated Youth
Norwegian sweaters and Parkas, colorful scarves and long hair – no doubt: It is in the 1980s. At the time, many people, especially young people, protested against the planned nuclear reprocessing plant in the Bavarian upper Palatinate. Director Oliver Haffner has done to the historic fabric of a gripping feature film, which now starts in German cinemas.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
A brave local politician
In the center of the film action of the district administrator Hans Landtechnik (Johannes Zeiler), who promises the planned nuclear plant of jobs in its economically beleaguered Region. But with time, doubts as to whether the promises of the Bavarian state governments are serious to come to him…
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Discussions about the energy policy
Local citizens gather and be suspicious. The promises of the state government that a new industry will emerge investment without any risk and with many new jobs, hardly seems credible. From the mistrust of the Protest is: In the forest, the tree houses are built, citizens and environmental activists to organize resistance against the plans of the nuclear industry.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Martial appearance of the police
In particular, the appearance of the police, acting with all force against the citizens protest, makes for Trouble – not only for the many young anti-nuclear campaigners. Also, large parts of the population are surprised that the Bavarian government wants to stomp the plant apparently, under all circumstances, from the earth, and not only legally operated clean agent.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
A district on sought-after
Also, the district administrator Landtechnik – the movie character in order to is based in large part on the authentic historical model – pivots. From the beginning, for the project open-minded local politician, a committed citizen who is the leader of the opponents of the reprocessing plant. With success: The construction in Wackersdorf were set in 1989, the project was not pursued further.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Opponents of nuclear power in all layers of the population
“Wackersdorf” by Oliver Haffner traces the history of the protest movement – in the Form of an exciting movie. Very carefully, he looks at the people in the Region, the conflicts within the local policy and its dispute with the state government. “Wackersdorf” is a good example of how German history can be implemented for a larger audience entertaining.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Dedicated Youth
Norwegian sweaters and Parkas, colorful scarves and long hair – no doubt: It is in the 1980s. At the time, many people, especially young people, protested against the planned nuclear reprocessing plant in the Bavarian upper Palatinate. Director Oliver Haffner has done to the historic fabric of a gripping feature film, which now starts in German cinemas.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
A brave local politician
In the center of the film action of the district administrator Hans Landtechnik (Johannes Zeiler), who promises the planned nuclear plant of jobs in its economically beleaguered Region. But with time, doubts as to whether the promises of the Bavarian state governments are serious to come to him…
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Discussions about the energy policy
Local citizens gather and be suspicious. The promises of the state government that a new industry will emerge investment without any risk and with many new jobs, hardly seems credible. From the mistrust of the Protest is: In the forest, the tree houses are built, citizens and environmental activists to organize resistance against the plans of the nuclear industry.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Martial appearance of the police
In particular, the appearance of the police, acting with all force against the citizens protest, makes for Trouble – not only for the many young anti-nuclear campaigners. Also, large parts of the population are surprised that the Bavarian government wants to stomp the plant apparently, under all circumstances, from the earth, and not only legally operated clean agent.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
A district on sought-after
Also, the district administrator Landtechnik – the movie character in order to is based in large part on the authentic historical model – pivots. From the beginning, for the project open-minded local politician, a committed citizen who is the leader of the opponents of the reprocessing plant. With success: The construction in Wackersdorf were set in 1989, the project was not pursued further.
-
Citizens protest in the cinema: “Wackersdorf”
Opponents of nuclear power in all layers of the population
“Wackersdorf” by Oliver Haffner traces the history of the protest movement – in the Form of an exciting movie. Very carefully, he looks at the people in the Region, the conflicts within the local policy and its dispute with the state government. “Wackersdorf” is a good example of how German history can be implemented for a larger audience entertaining.
The Director, the producers and the film distributors are sure to have not thought that your movie “Wackersdorf” now starts at the right time, in the German cinemas. This is something you can’t plan a Film that tells a story from the Federal Republic of the 1980s, just at a time in the movie theatre, in the West of Germany just a very similar scenario takes place: in the hambach forest to be cut down to there in the future, coal could be extracted.
Even if the historical events that have happened around 30 years ago, in the Bavarian upper Palatinate, not one-to-one with those in the North-Rhine-Westphalia, Hambach transfer – amazingly, the Parallels are: the Young people, who with their Protest against the plans of industry and politics, environmentalists in opposing the destruction of nature and the clashes with the police – all this against the Background of the debate about the future of energy supply in Germany. At least one thing is for sure: the actuality is likely to get the audience interest in the Film, “Wackersdorf” now.
Otto Schily, former German MEP of the Greens, talks of 1985, in the upper Palatinate, to the participants of a Demonstration against the planned reprocessing plant.
Director Oliver Haffner presented his Film to a wider audience for the first time in the summer at the film festival in Munich. Now he’s coming nationwide in the cinemas. Hans-Christoph von Bock spoke with Haffner after the Premiere in Munich, Germany.
Deutsche Welle: Mr. Haffner, as the events in Wacker village took place, they were eleven years old. Why did you want to make one now about a movie?
Oliver Haffner: I’m in Munich and I must have an eight-year-older sister, who always drove to the Demonstrate to Wackersdorf. Even if we had a very liberal upbringing, it always led to discussions, because of the great Fears were that my sister could make something happen. This period of my late Childhood and early adolescence was strongly influenced by feelings of fear, of ‘….it can happen!’.
With the topic of Atom, one of which was at the time. Books such as “The cloud” was part of the basic equipment. Also, these images of Violence from Wacker village, which you saw back then, on television, in combination with the family conflict, have influenced me greatly. The initiation-the Moment was seven years ago, the nuclear accident in Fukushima and the nuclear phase-out in Germany. Since I remembered this time and thought: ‘Yes, Wackersdorf was a huge issue for the post-war Bavaria.
Two main actors after the Premiere: Johannes Zeiler and Anna Maria Sturm
A local politicians (district administrator Hans Landtechnik plays in the Film, the main role, and on whose story the Film is based, is no good note. the Red.) to cinema-hero?
Yes, just because he is such a seemingly calm character, a “simpleton”, which is not outside of society, but in the middle of it. He is also someone who converts From the initial advocates due to the economically parlous Situation in the Region and the hoped-for jobs, for the opponent, because he realizes how strong of the Law-state is undermined, this project enforce. This was someone who has really risking something, namely his professional career to financial Ruin. As for me, he is a reluctant Hero. He could not do otherwise, because he has believed strongly in law and democracy. That doesn’t count anymore, has made him simply furious. I think the anger has been the biggest drive in Hans Landtechnik. You felt in the 87-year-old today.
Demonstrations in Wackersdorf would not be in the new police law, as we have it now in Bavaria. The people would, even before you pack all your bags and travel to the Demonstrate, is already in jail. It is no longer the violence with the stick, which is brought to us through the screen into the living room. It takes place a lot more subtle, but also much more massive.
The importance of the regional was voice coloring?
I still believe in the power of film and the cinema, not transports us to worlds we know. The worlds will then have to vote but. I always thought that we need to look at the upper Palatinate and the Region, to really capture what it represents. As a Region in South America, we have no idea. The barren beauty of the landscape, especially this Wide. Only if you capture the Region, one can also find access to the inner life of the people living there.
Oliver Haffner (right) in conversation with film editor Hans Christoph von Bock
We love it in the American Film, when we see characters who speak in their Slang. In Germany, we sometimes are afraid of it, then everything is unified. We are a Federal country, in which the identity of the Region. That was very important to me that the beats language.
How do you explain that at the time, a protest movement was possible at all?
It is a good 30 years were back in the 1980s, passed away in the awareness that democracy, or democratic achievements and rights are not “God-given”. The temporal proximity to the national socialism was for many people in the Region. The beginning of the protests was very much carried by the Church resistance, of older people from the population and engaged, with Sunday walks, from experience, to have a dictatorship experienced.
I think sometimes, we are today a lot to ensure that a democracy simply does not exist. We don’t even notice how – in relation to the Right-to-state, the gradual dismantling takes place. Add to that the temptations of consumerism and the digital media and Social Media worlds. There you can Like the appearance, the “like-Button” or many “Likes”, the political concerns plenty of expression. Of course this is a big mistake.
Documents of protest: musically, with rock concerts against Wackersdorf
Also, the ideological trench battles are deeper. For me, this is the big inspiration Moment from Wackersdorf for today. Anyone who has found themselves together in Protest of everything! The wide variety of groups, churches, ordinary people, Left-wing groups, Eco-groups: All have found themselves in a protest movement
Why do you work in your Film with documentary Material?
We have bid on the documentary Material in the violence and the police at the construction fence and on the occupied terrain. I can’t find the re-enactment of violence, of real violence that has actually occurred, it is often very difficult, because it appears often in their monstrosity as it was in reality.
You need (for a film) with a massive material and financial use – we are not a Mega-Blockbuster production. But also the content of these images still speak strongly for themselves, in their historical context. If something is left of Wackersdorf, in the media’s perception, and then there are the images of the violence. These are not the icons that has remained in the background. To shed light on these backgrounds, the political Drama, the political Thriller that is hidden behind it, that was us.
The conversation with Director Oliver Haffner Hans Christoph von Bock after the Premiere of the film at the Festival in Munich. “Wackersdorf” come on 20.9.2018 nationwide to the cinema.