GER22 The Last Execution

Synopsis

East Berlin, 1981. Tempted by the offer of a prestigious professorship, ambitious scientist Franz Walter (Lars Eidinger, 25km/h GFF19, Babylon Berlin) is recruited by the GDR's foreign intelligence service and sent on foreign assignments to West Germany with his colleague Dirk (Devid Striesow).

At first, Franz's missions only seem to serve East Germany's information needs, but these soon become bigger and more monstrous. Blackmail, coercion, surveillance, wiretapping all become part of his daily routine. But Franz can no longer reconcile his actions with his conscience and he decides to get out, but the secret service will not let him go.

A gripping historical drama inspired by the life and death of Werner Teske, the last prisoner executed in the former GDR, director-screenwriter Franziska Stünkel delivers a haunting and intense film about moral dilemmas. Shot largely at original locations in Berlin, The Last Execution paints an authentic picture of the harsh realities in the GDR system and their destructive impact on the individual.

Awards

WINNER – Young German Cinema Award for Best Screenplay, Munich Film Festival 2021 

NOMINEE – New Directors Competition, Chicago International Film Festival 2021 

OFFICIAL SELECTION – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2021 

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