Die Fälschung
Encyclopedia
Die Fälschung is an anti-war film directed by Volker Schlöndorff
and internationally released in 1981. An international co-production
, it was an adaptation of Nicolas Born
's novel of the same name, which had appeared in 1979. The film follows a German journalist sent to Beirut
to report on the Lebanese Civil War
, which had begun in 1975.
) is sent to Beirut, where he is supposed to report on the local civil war
. His feelings about this mission are influenced by the fact that his marriage to his wife Greta (Gila von Weitershausen
) back home is dysfunctional, and the conflict in Lebanon
remains incomprehensible to him.
He feels that his comments and his own problems to understand the situation don't really count because violence sells anyway. Subsequently he feels that his reports aren't real journalism and by pretending to be that they can downright be considered deceit (or in German: Fälschung).
After a fling with a local lady named Arianna (Hanna Schygulla
) he happens to kill a man. He realises how relatively easily somebody can get lose decency in a war and even commit murder if there is so much deadly violence all over the place, and how hard or even impossible it is to remain unbiased as a journalist.
. The Lebanese Civil War
, which began in 1975, would continue until 1990. The New York Times remarked that it was "filmed in 1980 under remarkable conditions: with its crew confined to "safe" portions of Beirut while the fighting went on elsewhere, but with ubiquitous evidence of real warfare everywhere."
in 1981. Jerzy Skolimowski
won the Best Supporting Actor Deutscher Filmpreis
in 1982, for his role as the war photographer Hoffmann.
Volker Schlöndorff
Volker Schlöndorff is a Berlin-based German filmmaker who has worked in Germany, France and the United States...
and internationally released in 1981. An international co-production
International co-production
An international co-production is a production where two or more different production companies are working together, for example in a film production...
, it was an adaptation of Nicolas Born
Nicolas Born
Nicolas Born was a German writer.Nicolas Born was - together with Rolf Dieter Brinkmann - one of the most important and most innovative German poets of his generation...
's novel of the same name, which had appeared in 1979. The film follows a German journalist sent to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
to report on the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
, which had begun in 1975.
Story
Journalist Georg Laschen (Bruno GanzBruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
) is sent to Beirut, where he is supposed to report on the local civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. His feelings about this mission are influenced by the fact that his marriage to his wife Greta (Gila von Weitershausen
Gila von Weitershausen
Baroness Gila von Weitershausen is a German actress. Born in Trebnitz, , Lower Silesia, Germany into an aristocratic family, she has three brothers and two sister and is the great-granddaughter of Georg Graf von Hertling....
) back home is dysfunctional, and the conflict in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
remains incomprehensible to him.
He feels that his comments and his own problems to understand the situation don't really count because violence sells anyway. Subsequently he feels that his reports aren't real journalism and by pretending to be that they can downright be considered deceit (or in German: Fälschung).
After a fling with a local lady named Arianna (Hanna Schygulla
Hanna Schygulla
Hanna Schygulla is a German actress and chanson singer. She is generally considered the most prominent German actress of the New German Cinema.-Life and career:Schygulla was born in Königshütte, Upper Silesia,...
) he happens to kill a man. He realises how relatively easily somebody can get lose decency in a war and even commit murder if there is so much deadly violence all over the place, and how hard or even impossible it is to remain unbiased as a journalist.
Production
The film was shot on location in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. The Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
, which began in 1975, would continue until 1990. The New York Times remarked that it was "filmed in 1980 under remarkable conditions: with its crew confined to "safe" portions of Beirut while the fighting went on elsewhere, but with ubiquitous evidence of real warfare everywhere."
Reception
The New York Times described it as "a balanced, thoughtful, extremely moving vision of wartime tragedy."Awards
The film was nominated for the César Award for Best Foreign FilmCésar Award for Best Foreign Film
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
in 1981. Jerzy Skolimowski
Jerzy Skolimowski
Jerzy Skolimowski is a Polish film director, screenwriter, dramatist and actor. A graduate of the prestigious National Film School in Łódź, Skolimowski has directed more than twenty films since his 1960 début Oko wykol...
won the Best Supporting Actor Deutscher Filmpreis
Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
in 1982, for his role as the war photographer Hoffmann.