March of Millions

March of Millions
Die Flucht
Genre World War II film
Written by Gabriela Sperl
Directed by Kai Wessel
Starring Maria Furtwängler
Jean-Yves Berteloot
Hanns Zischler
Frédéric Vonhof
Theme music composer Enjott Schneider
Country of origin Germany
Original language(s) German
No. of episodes 2
Production
Producer(s) Katrin Goetter, Nico Hofmann, Joachim Kosack, Sebastian Werninger
Running time 179 min (2 parts)
Budget €9 million
Release
Original network ARD
Original release 4 March – 5 March 2007

March of Millions is the international English title of the multi-award-winning three-hour German television film Die Flucht (The Flight). The film stars Maria Furtwängler in the role of Lena Gräfin von Mahlenberg, the leader of a small convoy of refugees from East Prussia (including French and Russian prisoners of war and forced labourers) fleeing the advancing Red Army in the winter of 1944–1945, and trying to survive uprooted in Bavaria in the aftermath of World War II. When first broadcast by ARD in two parts, on 4 and 5 March 2007, it drew 13.5 million viewers.[1]

The production was reported to have cost €9m and to have employed over 2,000 extras.[2]

The film was controversial for portraying German war-time suffering during the Evacuation of East Prussia (although a number of German atrocities were also shown or mentioned), and led to adverse comment from a foreign-policy adviser to the Polish president of the time, fearful of potential German claims to lands or property in East Prussia lost after the War.[3] There have been multiple reactions from the Polish side on occasion of other movies about the war.

Awards

  • 2007 Bambi award as "TV Event of the Year"
  • 2007 Bavarian TV Award to Holly Fink (cinematographer)
  • 2007 Romy award to Nico Hofmann (producer)
  • 2007 Deutscher Fernsehpreis to Knut Loewe and Wiebke Kratz for Best Design
  • 2007 Deutscher Fernsehpreis to Enjott Schneider for Best Music
  • 2007 Deutscher Fernsehpreis to Gabriela Maria Schmeide as Best Supporting Actress

References

  1. ↑ Meza, Ed (Oct 5, 2007). "Germany Keen on Epic Productions". Variety. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  2. ↑ Paterson, Tony (5 March 2007). "German TV Breaks Taboo with Story of Refugees". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  3. ↑ Kirschbaum, Erik (Mar 5, 2007). "Film depicting Germans as WW2 victims fires debate". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-11-19.


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