As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (2001)
"So weit die Füße tragen" (original title)

As prisoner of war Clemens Forell, a German soldier during WW II, is sentenced to a labour camp in far east Siberia. After four years working in the mines he escapes from the camp (in 1949)... See full summary »

Director:

Hardy Martins

Writers:

Josef Martin Bauer (novel), Bastian Clevé,

Stars:

Bernhard Bettermann, Iris Böhm, Anatoliy Kotenyov

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bernhard Bettermann	...	Clemens Forell
Iris Böhm	...	Kathrin Forell
Anatoliy Kotenyov	...	Oberleutnant Kamenev (as Anatoly Kotenyov)
Michael Mendl	...	Dr. Stauffer
Irina Pantaeva	...	Irina
Hans-Uwe Bauer	...	Leibrecht (as Hans Uwe Bauer)
André Hennicke	...	Bauknecht
Antonio Wannek	...	Mattern
Johannes Hitzblech	...	Danhorn
Stephan Wolf-Schönburg	...	Klugmann
Irina Narbekova	...	Dr. Pachmutova
Pavel Lebeshev	...	Lagerkommandant
Vladimir Korpus	...	Semjon (as Wladimir Korpus)
Igor Filchenkov	...	Anastas (as Igor Filtschenkov)
Tschmid Rintshinov	...	Kolka

Storyline

As prisoner of war Clemens Forell, a German soldier during WW II, is sentenced to a labour camp in far east Siberia. After four years working in the mines he escapes from the camp (in 1949) and tries to get home to his wife and children. For three years he journeys through Siberia. An odyssey of 14,000 kilometers, set against a backdrop of desolate and inhospitable landscape, beset by danger (from both animals and humans). Constantly battling the worst nature can throw at him, Forell makes his way, step by step towards Persia and the longed-for freedom. Sometimes riding on trains, sometimes by boat, mostly on foot, he never knows if his next step won't be his last. His prosecutor Kamenev is always right behind him, and more than once it seems that Forell is captured again...

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Plot Keywords:

siberia | mine | journey | train | prisoner | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official Site [Germany]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German Russian

Release Date:

27 December 2001 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Ameddig a lábam bírja

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 15,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

B & C Filmproduktion GmbH, Cascadeur Filmproduktion GmbH, KC Medien

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name Clemens Forell is an alias. The real life version of Forell was named Cornelius Rost. He used a different name as he was afraid of potential trouble with the KGB when the book was released.

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Goofs

Anastas' dead body changes positions between shots.

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Connections

Remake of As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me (1959)

User Reviews

A wonderful forgotten WWII morality tale from the German perspective

I had the great pleasure of seeing this film at the 2001 Houston Int'l film fest and spoke briefly with the director. This is an exceptional film both in terms of subject and technical production. For far too long the German heroes of world war two, ordinary family man who's lives were destroyed by Hitler's war machine as thoroughly as those the German's invaded, have been considered guilty by association. As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me, a film version of an equally excellent book, tells the true story of one man and his struggle both during the war and in a Russian concentration camp, and his ensuing decades long struggle to rejoin his family. While the film does stray from reality, it does so to great dramatic effect (the scene on the bridge). I have been pining for four years now to get my hands on a copy of this film for my home collection. If you ever get a chance to watch this film it is one of the best war films you will ever see.