Directed by: Dennis Gansel Script: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth, Todd Strasser Producer: Nina Maag Production company: Rat Pack Filmproduktion Cinematography: Torsten Breuer Editing: Ueli Christen Music: Heiko Maile Cast: Jürgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul
Format: boja, color, 35mm Running time: 101 min
Synopsis Germany today. During project week, high school teacher Rainer Wenger (Jürgen Vogel) comes up with an experiment in order to explain to his students how totalitarian governments work. A role-playing game with tragic results begins. Within a few days, what began with harmless notions like discipline and community builds into a real movement: The Wave. By the third day, the students start ostracizing and threatening others. When the conflict finally erupts into violence at an intramural water polo game, the teacher decides to break off the experiment. But it's too late. The Wave is out of control... Morton Rhue's The Wave has been a classic youth novel for over 20 years, and is required reading material in many German schools. A work of fiction, but one based in fact: The original experiment was conducted by history teacher Ron Jones at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, CA in 1967. Jones served as consultant to the film production.
Awards 2008 German Film Awards Outstanding Feature Film, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Frederick Lau)
Directors Biography Dennis Gansel was born 1973 in Hanover. After graduating from Munich Film School, Gansel shot his debut film, The Phantom (1999) a political thriller about the Red Army Faction. 2001 saw his theatrical debut with teen sex comedy Girls on Top, which was a breakout commercial success.Dennis went on to pen the script for Napola (Before the Fall) together with Maggie Peren. In 2003, their script about an elite Nazi boarding academy won a Federal Film Prize as Best Unproduced Script. Film won the audience award at the Hamptons Film Festival in New York, Best Film at Viareggio European Film Festival, and a Bavarian Film Prize 2005 for Best Direction. The Wave is his recent film success.
Location and screening schedule: EUROPA cinema, Monday, October 20th at 19.00
