The German Doctor
| The German Doctor | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Wakolda | |
| Directed by | Lucía Puenzo |
| Produced by | Lucía Puenzo |
| Written by | Lucía Puenzo |
| Based on |
Wakolda by Lucía Puenzo |
| Starring |
Àlex Brendemühl Natalia Oreiro Diego Peretti |
| Music by |
Daniel Tarrab Andrés Goldstein |
| Cinematography | Nicolás Puenzo |
| Edited by | Hugo Primero |
| Distributed by |
Distribution Company Samuel Goldwyn Films (USA) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country |
Argentina France Spain Norway |
| Language | Spanish |
The German Doctor (Spanish: Wakolda) is a 2013 Argentine historical drama film directed, produced and written by Lucía Puenzo. Based on Puenzo's novel Wakolda (2011),[1] the film stars Àlex Brendemühl as the Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele,[2] infamous for performing human experiments in the Auschwitz concentration camp. It also stars Florencia Bado, Natalia Oreiro, Diego Peretti, Elena Roger and Guillermo Pfening.[3]
Plot
Set in 1960, the film depicts Mengele during his exile in South America. Having adopted a new identity, he moves into a Patagonian hotel run by German-speaking Eva and her husband Enzo, and becomes particularly interested in their daughter Lilith. Having won the family's trust, Mengele finds a reawakened interest in human genetics research.
Cast
- Àlex Brendemühl as Josef Mengele
- Florencia Bado as Lilith
- Diego Peretti as Enzo
- Natalia Oreiro as Eva
- Elena Roger as Nora Eldoc
- Guillermo Pfening as Klaus
- Alan Daicz as Tomás
- Ana Pauls as Nurse
- Abril Braunstein as Ailín
- Juani Martínez as Otto
Screening
It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[4] The film was selected as the Argentine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards,[5][6][7] but it was not nominated.
Reception
The film received positive reviews from critics. It currently holds a 73% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 59 reviews, with an average score of 5.7/10. The site's consensus reads, "The German Doctor applies a refreshing level of restraint to its intriguing premise, and boasts solid performances from a talented cast."
Awards and nominations
| Group | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 66th Cannes Film Festival | Un Certain Regard | Nominated |
| Saint Petersburg International Film Festival | Audience Prize | Won |
| 2nd Unasur Cine International Film Festival[8] | Best New Actress | Won |
| Best Actress | Won | |
| Best Director | Won | |
| Best Feature Film | Won | |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | Horizontes | Nominated |
| Films from the South Festival | Best Feature | Nominated |
| 35th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema[9] | Best Director | Won |
| Special Jury Award | Won | |
See also
- List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Argentine submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ↑ Debruge, Peter. "Cannes Film Review: ‘Wakolda’". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ↑ ""Wakolda", the film about Mengele in Argentina, chosen as Oscar precandidate". Yahoo! News Spain (in Spanish). 27 September 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ↑ "Cast". Wakolda official website. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ↑ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ↑ "Oscars: Argentina Nominates 'Wakolda' for Foreign Language Oscar". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
- ↑ "Argentina Chooses ‘German Doctor’ (aka ‘Wakolda’) for Oscar Race". Variety. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Argentina Calls On ‘The German Doctor’ As Foreign Language Oscar Entry". Deadline. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Unasur Cine 2013 winners" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ↑ "Premios Corales-35 Festival" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2013.
External links
- Official website (English)
- The German Doctor at the Internet Movie Database
- Wakolda at AllMovie
- Wakolda at Rotten Tomatoes