(Une Jeunesse Allemande – A German youth)
Director: Jean-Gabriel Périot, 2015, France, Switzerland, Germany, 93 min. With Ulrike Meinhof, Andreas Baader, Horst Mahler, Holger Meins, Gudrun Ensslin.
In German with French subtitles.
In West Germany in the 1970s, the Red Army Faction (RAF) became a growing source of domestic terror as its violent attacks multiplied. While official history has frequently revisited the spectacular events leading to the arrest of the extreme-left group’s core members, Jean-Gabriel Périot opts to examine the RAF’s origins. How did educated young intellectuals like Meinhof and Baader become, in just a few years, radicalized to the point of taking up armed struggle? Relying exclusively on archival footage, A German Youth is a fascinating counter-history of German socio- political movements in the 1960s and 70s, and it’s as relevant as ever.
“
Essential for anyone interested in cinema and politics.” -The Hollywood Reporter
“
The Baader-Meinhof group is observed through expertly edited found footage that’s bound to prod audiences into making parallels with today.” -Variety
Cinéma du Réel Paris, Scam International Award, 2015
Visions du Réel Nyon, Prix du Jury SSA, 2015
César for Best Documentary, 2016
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