A film by Ruth Beckermann. In German

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A lot of time has pas­sed sin­ce the scan­dal sur­roun­ding the Nazi past of for­mer UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim made head­lines world­wi­de, not least becau­se he denied it. It all star­ted during the 1986 Austrian pre­si­den­ti­al cam­paign, when Waldheim was sup­po­sed to gain vic­to­ry and thus reach the pin­na­cle of his sto­ry­book post-war poli­ti­cal care­er. Based on smart­ly cho­sen inter­na­tio­nal TV archi­ve mate­ri­al, this docu­men­ta­ry essay recon­s­tructs how this hea­ted deba­te pro­gres­sed, all the way up to the second round of voting in June 1986. The posi­ti­ons of the various stake­hol­ders – excerp­ts from the press con­fe­ren­ces of the World Jewish Congress, deba­tes in the UN General Assembly, hea­rings in the US Congress as well as state­ments by the Austrian People’s Party and its can­di­da­te – are joi­n­ed by Ruth Beckermann’s sub­jec­ti­ve, ana­ly­ti­cal com­men­ta­ry in voice­over. She’s also the­re in the video foo­ta­ge she shot hers­elf, docu­ments of an oppo­si­tio­nal move­ment that show anti-Waldheim events and ver­bal dis­pu­tes with res­entful and anti-Semitic passers­by. Rabble-rou­sing, slan­der, media-bas­hing, and deny­ing facts – they all bro­ke new ground here. Yes, a lot of time has pas­sed, but it’s not over yet. (Berlinalestext)

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Credits:
Österreich 2018, Deutsch, Englisch, Französische OmU
93 Min.
Regie, Buch: Ruth Beckermann
Schnitt: Dieter Pichler
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Termine:

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Trailer: