Das Deutsche Volk

Summary

The film tells the story of the 2020 racist attack in the city of Hanau in the German state of Hesse from the perspective of the bereaved relatives and the survivors. Within the space of just a few minutes, the perpetrator shot nine young people dead because he did not consider them to be German. What are the direct and long-term consequences of such an attack on people and their city? Director Marcin Wierzchowski accompanied the protagonists for four years as they faced their grief and strived to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. But the film also reveals their struggle for recognition and a sense of belonging in the country they call home. The relatives feel abandoned by the authorities and politicians alike because, despite many words of sympathy, they themselves are left to uncover the circumstances of the crime. In the process, they encounter the cold bureaucracy of a system that is woefully unprepared for such an attack – even though right-wing terror is a tragically commonplace part of German history.

Source: 75. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)