Variety has been given exclusive access to the first clip from Berlinale Special Gala film “Curveball,” which is inspired by the true story of how the work of the German secret service led to the Iraq War.
“Curveball,” which will have its world premiere at the Berlinale, was directed by Johannes Naber, and written by Naber and Oliver Keidel. ARRI Media Intl. will handle international sales on the film, which it will sell at the European Film Market.
The film centers on Wolf, a bioweapons expert working for the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND). He is obsessed with the idea that, despite UN inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Wolf is assigned as the case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan, who claims to have worked as an engineer for Saddam Hussein’s secret bioweapons program.
What is missing, though, is proof, but as Alwan’s claims serve a number of different interests, primarily those of the CIA and the German government, everyone uses his story for their own purposes. So, an unverified story becomes to be seen as reality, which sets in motion a chain of events that continues to affect the global political landscape today.
ARRI Media Intl.’s deputy head of sales and acquisitions, Moritz Hemminger, said: “When the project was pitched to us, we were blown away by the true facts ‘Curveball’ was inspired by in the making of this unique and revealing project.”
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“Curveball” is produced by Bon Voyage Films, and co-produced by ARRI Media, SWR, ARTE, NDR and BR. The production was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, DFFF German Film Fund, FFA Film Fund, Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, and MFG Media and Film Society Baden-Württemberg.
Naber made his directorial debut with “The Albanian.” His second feature, “Age of Cannibals,” won the Bronze Lola at the German Film Awards, and the German Film Critics’ Award for best film.