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GUENTER GRASS - THE AWKWARD ONE

DER UNBEQUEME - DER DICHTER GUENTER GRASS

By Sigrun MATTHIESEN, Nadja FRENZ

WAVELENGTH PICTURES - as SALES All rights, World

Documentary - Completed 2007

A documentary whereby the filmmakers camera follows Guenter Grass as he meets his translators, attends conferences and book signings, and pays a visit to his old home in Gdansk (formerly Danzig), in the run-up to the publication of his controversial novel "Peeling The Onion".

- Year of production
- 2007
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- GERMANY
- Languages
- GERMAN
- Duration
- 90 mn
- Director(s)
- Sigrun MATTHIESEN, Nadja FRENZ
- Producer(s)
- Regina ZIEGLER (Ziegler Film)
- Synopsis
- Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 2005, Gunter Grass is one of the literary giants of modern times. The filmmakers take the simple but highly effective approach of accompanying Gunter Grass in the run-up to the publication of his controversial novel “Peeling The Onion”, and in the process they build up an intimate highly insightful portrait of the man, his life and work. For instance an apparently routine round table meeting with translators from many countries turns into a very revealing insight into his literary style and uniquely expressive use of the German language, and the challenges faced in adapting into other languages.
  During this time, he travels to readings, awards ceremonies and meetings, pays a visit to his birthplace in Gdansk (then Danzig) and together with his daughter Helene Grass he gives a stage performance in Paris – while the whole time working on his novel. The filmmakers are present during the revelations that he was in the Waffen SS as a young conscript as the war was nearing its end. The documentary also includes interviews with colleagues and friends such as Amos Oz, Salman Rushdie and as a lifelong Social Democratic Party supporter, with the German ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.