| Schtonk! |  |
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The story of the hoax is subtitled Der Film zum Buch vom Führer, “The film accompanying the Führer’s book.”
Co-writer and director Helmut Dietl researched the scandal for years. They reportedly have left out real events out because they were too outrageous.
Premise:
The film is loosely based on the Hitler Diaries Scandal of the 1970s. Fritz Knobel (Uwe Ochesenknecht), a life-long forger of Nazi memorabilia, got his start as boy selling clothes that he claims Hitler wore. His current scam is to sell “original” portraits by Hitler of his mistress Eva Braun to connoisseurs of Nazi art.
The two men concoct scam that will garner fame for the journalist and cash for the forger.
Critical Status:
In 1993, Harald Juhnke won the Ernst Lubitsch Award for his role as Pit Kummer.
Oscar Context
Schtonk! was nominated for the “Best Foreign Language Film” Oscar, but lost to the French film Indochine.
Cast
Götz George – Hermann Willié (journalist, fictional equivalent of Gerd Heidemann)
Uwe Ochsenknecht – Fritz Knobel (forger Konrad Kujau)
Christiane Hörbiger – Freya von Hepp (Hermann Göring’s grandniece, Willié’s/Heidemann’s noble girl friend)
Dagmar Manzel – Biggi
Veronica Ferres – Martha
Ulrich Mühe – Dr. Wieland
Harald Juhnke – Pit Kummer
Hermann Lause – Kurt Glück
Martin Benrath – Uwe Esser
Rosemarie Fendel – Mrs. Lentz
