The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Baader Meinhof Complex ( ) is a 2008 German drama film directed by Uli Edel. Written and produced by Bernd Eichinger, it stars Moritz Bleibtreu, Martina Gedeck, and Johanna Wokalek. The film is based on the 1985 German best selling non-fiction book of the same name by Stefan Aust. It retells the story of the early years of the West German far-left terrorist organisation the Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Fraction, or Red Army Faction, a.k.a. RAF) from 1967 to 1977.
Plot
In 1967, a visit by the Shah of Iran to West Berlin leads to a clash between the West German student movement and German police. In the chaos, unarmed protestor Benno Ohnesorg is fatally shot by policeman Karl-Heinz Kurras, outraging the West German public, including left-wing journalist Ulrike Meinhof, who claims in a televised debate that West Germany is a fascist police state. Inspired by Meinhof's rhetoric, radical communists Gudrun Ensslin and Andreas Baader mastermind the Frankfurt department store firebombings of 1968. While covering their trial, Meinhof is moved by the radicals' commitment and befriends Ensslin during a prison interview before leaving her husband for radical-linked journalist Peter Homann. Left-wing activist Rudi Dutschke is injured in an assassination attempt by neo-nazi Josef Bachmann, further radicalizing the Left.
Cast
- Aaron Hildebrand
- Adam Jaskolka
- Adam-Victor Linkowski
- Alexander Held
- Alexandra Maria Lara
- Andreas Borcherding
- Andreas Haslinger
- Andreas Schröders
- Andreas Tobias
- Anna Thalbach
- Annika Kuhl
- Ben Braun
- Bernd Stegemann
- Bettina Lohmeyer
- Britta Hammelstein
- Bruno Ganz
- Carlo Ljubek
- Cedric Lingfeld
- Chris Wilpert
- Christian Blümel
- Christian Hoening
- Christian Kerepeszki
- Christian Näthe
- Christian Schmidt
- Cyrill Berndt
- Daniel Lommatzsch
- Dirk Hermann
- Elisabeth Schwarz
- Esther Seibt
- Farah Pahlavi
- Frank Engster
- Frank-Otto Schenk
- Goran Rakonjac
- Hannah Herzsprung
- Hannes Wegener
- Hans-Jürgen Brendel
- Hans Werner Meyer
- Hassam Ghancy
- Heino Ferch
- Helmut Schmidt
- Henrike von Kuick
- Hubert Mulzer
- Ilker Meric
- Jakob Diehl
- Jan Josef Liefers
- Jasmin Tabatabai
- Jim McKay
- Jo Brauner
- Joachim Paul Assböck
- Joachim Schweizer
- Johanna Bönninghaus
- Johanna Wokalek
- Johannes Suhm
- Jona Mues
- Julia Stenke
- Karl-Heinz Köpcke
- Katharina Wackernagel
- Katja Zinsmeister
- Kim Frank
- Kirsten Block
- Leon Palamarciuc
- Leonie Brandis
- Leopold Hornung
- Marco Fischer
- Marcus Bode
- Mario Zuber
- Martin Glade
- Martin Walch
- Martina Gedeck
- Michael Gwisdek
- Michael Schenk
- Mohammad Reza I of Iran
- Moritz Bleibtreu
- Nadja Uhl
- Nicolas Walier
- Niels Bruno Schmidt
- Nina Eichinger
- Norbert Hülm
- Oliver Walser
- Patrick von Blume
- Paul Schlase
- Peter Schneider
- Rainer Reiners
- Ralf Tempel
- Ralph Kretschmar
- René Lay
- Robert Lehmann
- Samir Fuchs
- Sandra Borgmann
- Sebastian Blomberg
- Sebastian Rüger
- Simon Licht
- Smaïl Mekki
- Stephan Meyer-Kohlhoff
- Stephan Möller-Titel
- Stipe Erceg
- Sunnyi Melles
- Susanne Bormann
- Tessie Tellmann
- Thomas Thieme
- Tom Schilling
- Toshko Savov
- Uwe Grimm
- Vanessa Wieduwilt
- Vinzenz Kiefer
- Volker Bruch
- Willy Brandt
- Wolfgang Pregler