Merkel – Power of Freedom: documentary about Angela Merkel and her rise to become one of the most powerful politicians in the world.
Plot and background
“Merkel – Power of Freedom” tells the amazing story of a triple political outsider, as a woman, a scientist and an East German, and her rise to become one of the most successful politicians in the world. Angela Merkel grew up as a pastor’s daughter in the former GDR. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, she reinvented herself and eventually became the “most powerful woman in the world” (Forbes, 2020), outwitting and outlasting many of her male opponents. The documentary portrays the politician through extensive archival footage and interviews with friends, journalists, political allies and critics, offering, from both a national and international perspective, a subtle reflection on Angela Merkel’s life and career.
“Merkel – Power of Freedom” – Cast, background, cinema release
In her new documentary, London-based German filmmaker Eva Weber focuses on the biography of the former German Chancellor. Eva Weber has already achieved great success with her multiple award-winning films such as “The Solitary Life Of Cranes”; “Black Out” and the short feature film “Field Study”. With “Merkel – Power of Freedom”, the director wanted to explore the different resonance Angela Merkel has received over the years. There were many moments in her career when she attracted positive attention internationally but was sharply criticised in Germany and vice versa. Another focus of the documentary is on Merkel’s youth in East Germany and how life under a dictatorship shaped her as a person and as a politician.
The film was made by the Oscar- and Emmy-winning producers of “Searching For Sugar Man”. The interview partners used include Sir Tony Blair, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Bernd Ulrich, Thomas De Maizière and Peer Steinbrück.
“Merkel – The Power of Freedom” can be seen in German cinemas from 24 November 2022.
