Die Wannseekonferenz, international title The Conference, is a German TV docudrama, first aired January 24, 2022 by the ZDF broadcaster, about the Wannsee Conference held in Berlin-Wannsee in 1942 to organise the extermination of the Jews.
Contents
Background
Director Matti Geschonneck shows a reenactment of the real Wannsee Conference held January 20, 1942, based on a script by Magnus Vattrodt. German Nazi officials meet amidst the Second World War to determine the so-called “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”. It is not the beginning of the Shoah but it is a meeting to coordinate various government branches for carrying out the destruction of Jews.
Cast
Philipp Hochmair as Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA)
Johannes Allmayer as Adolf Eichmann, Head of RSHA IV B4
Sascha Nathan as Dr. Josef Bühler
Arnd Klawitter as Dr. Roland Freisler, for the Reich Ministry of Justice
Markus Schleinzer as Otto Hofmann
Fabian Busch as Dr. Gerhard Klopfer
Thomas Loibl as Friedrich Wilhelm Kritzinger
Frederic Linkemann as Dr. Rudolf Lange
Rafael Stachowiak as Georg Leibbrandt
Simon Schwarz as Martin Luther
Peter Jordan as Dr. Alfred Meyer
Jakob Diehl as Heinrich Müller, Chief of RSHA Department IV (the Gestapo)
Matthias Bundschuh as Erich Neumann
Maximilian Brückner as Dr. Eberhard Schöngarth
Godehard Giese as Wilhelm Stuckart, for the Reich Ministry for the Interior
Lilli Fichtner as Ingeburg Werlemann
Frederik Schmid as Eichmann's adjutant
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.
Awards and nominations
German Television Award
2022: Best Film Made for Television
2022: Best Writing Fiction – Paul Mommertz and Magnus Vattrodt
2022: Best Actor – Philipp Hochmair (Nominee)
2022: Best Directing Fiction – Matti Geschonneck (Nominee)
Grimme Award
2023: Fiction
Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival
2022: Best Film
Civis Media Prize
2022: Entertainment (Civis Video Award)
New York Festivals TV & Film Awards
2022: Feature Films (Gold Award)
Romy
2022: Favorite Actor – Philipp Hochmair (Reinhard Heydrich)
2022: Best Film TV/Stream – Friederich Oetker and Reinhold Elschot
2022: Best Writing TV/Stream – Magnus Vattrodt and Paul Mommertz
Prix Europa
2022: Best European TV Film
Günter-Rohrbach-Filmpreis
2022: Best Film
Fernsehfilmfestival Baden-Baden