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Das schweigende Klassenzimmer

The Silent Revolution
Berlinale Special Gala 2018
© Studiocanal GmbH / Julia Terjung
1956. During a visit to a cinema in West Berlin, East German high school pupils Theo and Kurt see disturbing newsreel footage of the uprising in Budapest. Back in Stalinstadt, one of the GDR’s flagship workers’ settlements, they have the idea of holding a minute’s silence in class for the victims of the Hungarian struggle for freedom. Neither the boys, nor their parents, nor the school’s administration are prepared for the minor and major reactions that their expression of solidarity unleashes. The school principal tries to dismiss the incident as juvenile mischief and deal with it internally, but the pupils find themselves snared in the political machinery of a state determined to make an example of them. Condemning their act as counter-revolutionary, the education minister demands that the pupils name their ringleader. They are faced with a decision that has dramatic consequences for their future.
Director and screenwriter Lars Kraume has cast up-and-coming actors in the leading roles and established actors in supporting roles for his adaptation of Dietrich Garstka’s eponymous book in which Garstka recounts his own personal experiences and those of his 18 classmates. A moving chapter in German post-war history.
by Lars Kraume
with Leonard Scheicher, Tom Gramenz, Lena Klenke, Isaiah Michalski, Jonas Dassler, Ronald Zehrfeld, Florian Lukas, Jördis Triebel, Michael Gwisdek, Burghart Klaußner Germany 2017 German 111’ Colour World premiere Rating R12

With

  • Leonard Scheicher (Theo Lemke)
  • Tom Gramenz (Kurt Wächter)
  • Lena Klenke (Lena)
  • Isaiah Michalski (Paul)
  • Jonas Dassler (Erik Babinski)
  • Ronald Zehrfeld (Hermann Lemke)
  • Florian Lukas (Principal Schwarz)
  • Jördis Triebel (Frau Kessler)
  • Michael Gwisdek (Edgar)
  • Burghart Klaußner (National Education Minister Lange)

Crew

Written and Directed by Lars Kraume based upon the book by Dietrich Garstka
Cinematography Jens Harant
Editing Barbara Gies
Music Christoph M. Kaiser, Julian Maas
Sound Design Stefan Soltau
Sound Stefan Soltau
Production Design Olaf Schiefner
Costumes Esther Walz
Make-Up Jens Bartram, Judith Müller
Casting Nessi Nesslauer
Assistant Director Christine Rogoll
Production Management Holger Härtl
Producer Miriam Düssel, Susanne Freyer
Co-Producers Thomas Kufus, Caroline von Senden, Isabel Hund, Kalle Friz
Co-Production zero one film Berlin
ZDF Mainz
Studiocanal Film Berlin

World Sales

Studiocanal

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Produced by

Akzente Film & Fernsehproduktion

Photos

Press Conference

In Focus

Lars Kraume

© Julia Terjung Studiocanal GmbH

Born in Chieri, Italy in 1973, he grew up in Frankfurt am Main in Germany. After working as an assistant to advertising and portrait photographers, he directed his first short film in 1992. In 1994 he took up a degree at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) where his graduation film, Dunckel, won the Adolf Grimme Award. A writer and director, his recent directing work includes episodes for the German TV crime series, 'Tatort' . His films No Songs of Love (2005) and Good Morning, Mr. Grothe (2007) have screened in Panorama and his political thriller The People vs. Fritz Bauer won the 2016 German Film Award.

Filmography

1993 3.21 Uhr; short film 1995 Bernie; short film 1996 Zahltag; short film 1997 Life Is Too Short To Dance With Ugly Women; short film · King Of The Elephants; short film · Einsatz Hamburg Süd; TV series, several episodes 1998 Dunckel; TV movie · Dunckel; TV film · Der Mörder meiner Mutter; TV movie 2001 Viktor Vogel – Commercial Man 2004 Tatort; TV series, one episode 2005 Tatort; TV series, one episode · Keine Lieder über Liebe (No Songs of Love) · Der Elefant; TV movie 2007 Guten Morgen, Herr Grothe (Good Morning, Mr. Grothe) · KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst; TV series, several episodes 2008 Der frühe Abschied 2010 Die kommenden Tage (The Coming Days) 2011 Tatort; TV series, one episode · Tatort; TV series, one episode 2012 Tatort; TV series, one episode 2013 Meine Schwestern (My Sisters) · Meine Schwestern 2015 Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer (The People vs. Fritz Bauer) · Familienfest 2016 Terror; TV movie · Terror 2017 Das schweigende Klassenzimmer (The Silent Revolution) 2019 Die neue Zeit (Bauhaus – A New Era); TV series 2023 Der vermessene Mensch

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023