The presentation of Diplomatie, the new film by the grand master Volker Schlöndorff, was one of the delights at Berlinale this year. As expected, the film garnered the veteran director excellent reviews. Indeed, little is left to prove for the founder of the Neuer Deutscher Film founder and author of the film Die Blechtrommel (1979) with which he won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
In his new film the renowned filmmaker adapts Cyril Gely’s play (Diplomatie), a historical drama based on real events. The night of 24th to 25th August 1944, the fate of Paris is in the hands of General Dietrich Von Choltitz, who awaits Hitler’s order to blow up the most important monuments of the capital. Fortunately, it does not happen. The person to thank for this might have been –as the work theorizes– the Swedish consul in Paris, Raoul Nordling, a diplomat who could have met with the military leader to convince him using words as his only weapon.
The intense face-off between the characters is brilliantly performed by two actors accustomed to the theater and experienced in all fields. The Danish Niels Arestup (A prophet) plays the role of General von Choltizt, while André Dussollier (Amelie) plays his counterpart Nordling. Rounding out the cast are the ever-efficient Burghart Klaußner (Good bye, Lenin!), the charismatic Robert Stadlober (Summer Storm) and the young Paula Beer (Poll).
Release date in Spain: November 14th
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