World on a Wire (TV 1973)
"Welt am Draht" (original title)

Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His ... See full summary »

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Daniel F. Galouye (novel), Fritz Müller-Scherz (teleplay),

Stars:

Klaus Löwitsch, Barbara Valentin, Mascha Rabben

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Klaus Löwitsch	...	Fred Stiller
Barbara Valentin	...	Gloria Fromm
Mascha Rabben	...	Eva Vollmer
Karl Heinz Vosgerau	...	Herbert Siskins (as Karl-Heinz Vosgerau)
Wolfgang Schenck	...	Franz Hahn
Günter Lamprecht	...	Fritz Walfang
Ulli Lommel	...	Rupp, Journalist
Adrian Hoven	...	Professor Henry Vollmer (as Adrian Hooven)
Ivan Desny	...	Günther Lause
Joachim Hansen	...	Hans Edelkern
Kurt Raab	...	Mark Holm
Margit Carstensen	...	Maya Schmidt-Gentner
Ingrid Caven	...	Uschi, secretary
Gottfried John	...	Einstein
Rudolf Lenz	...	Hartmann

Storyline

Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His successor Dr. Fred Stiller experiences odd phenomena. A good friend, Guenther Lause, disappears in the middle of a conversation and a week later nobody has ever heard of him. And those fits of dizzyness - Stiller cannot believe himself to be fool. There has to be an explanation for all this. Could Simulacron have something to do with it?

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Plot Keywords:

computer | virtual reality | cyberpunk | simulated reality | based on novel

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Genres:

Crime | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

14 October 1973 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

World on a Wire

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 950,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

212 min 205 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the beginning of Part 1 around the 7:10 mark as the camera does a long pull away from Professor Vollmer and Lause, a crewman's (possibly the camera operator) shoe can be seen reflected in the mirrored pedestal with the bust on top of it in the right hand bottom corner of the screen.

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Connections

Featured in Fassbinders Welt am Draht - Blick voraus ins Heute (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Café Mozart Waltz"
Music: Anton Karas
Courtesy Chappell & Co.

User Reviews

A predecessor to "The Matrix"?

Is it possible that the Wachowski brothers knew "Welt am Draht"? That they took the concept of a 'puppet inside a puppet' for "The Matrix" too? The end of "Matrix Reloaded" (2nd Movie, the third is still not out while I am writing this) tells us what the "real world" in Matrix will be: another Matrix :-)