Die Fälscher (2007)

Director:

Stefan Ruzowitzky

Writers:

Adolf Burger (book)
Stefan Ruzowitzky (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 March 2007 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | War

Tagline:

It takes a clever man to make money, it takes a genius to stay alive

Plot:

The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Counterfeiter | Concentration Camp | Counterfeiting | Mauthausen

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Karl Markovics	...	Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch
August Diehl	...	Adolf Burger
Devid Striesow	...	Sturmbannführer Friedrich Herzog
Martin Brambach	...	Hauptscharführer Holst
August Zirner	...	Dr. Klinger
Veit Stübner	...	Atze
Sebastian Urzendowsky	...	Kolya Karloff
Andreas Schmidt	...	Zilinski
Tilo Prückner	...	Dr. Viktor Hahn
Lenn Kudrjawizki	...	Loszek
Norman Stoffregen	...	Abramovic
Bernd Raucamp	...	KZ-Insasse Dusche
Gode Benedix	...	1. KZ-Insasse
Oliver Kanter	...	2. KZ-Insasse
Dirk Prinz	...	SS-Wache
Hille Beseler	...	Grete Herzog
Erik Jan Rippmann	...	Bank Director
Tim Breyvogel	...	Agent
Dolores Chaplin	...	Girl in Casino
Roland Fischer-Briand	...	Concierge
Louie Austen	...	Poker Player
Michael Blohn	...	Croupier - Monte Carlo
Marie Bäumer	...	Aglaia
Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey	...	Hans
Jan Pohl	...	Sascha
Lilly Kugler	...	Dame
Matthias Luhn	...	Ganove (as Matthias Lühne)
Heinz Schubert	...	Hehler
Roswitha Straka	...	Tänzerin (as Rosi Straka)
Holger Schober	...	Unterscharführer
Steve Thiede	...	Kapo
Peter Strauß	...	SS Officer
Bernhard Linke	...	Junger Insasse
Werner Daehn	...	Rosenthal
Leander Modersohn	...	SS-Soldat Zug
Anton Maria Aigner	...	Regieassistenz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marian Kalus	...	Plappler
Hans Peter Kortenbruck	...	3 KZ Insasse
Michael Racinais	...	Direktor
Andreas Haslinger	...	Häftling (uncredited)
Dieter Hilpmann	...	Geisel Stein (uncredited)

Directed by
Stefan Ruzowitzky

Writing credits
Adolf Burger		(book "The Devil's Workshop")
Stefan Ruzowitzky		(screenplay)

Produced by
Josef Aichholzer	....	producer
Nina Bohlmann	....	producer
Christoph Fisser	....	co-producer
Henning Molfenter	....	co-producer
Babette Schröder	....	producer
Caroline von Senden	....	co-producer
Charlie Woebcken	....	co-producer
Sonja B. Zimmer	....	line producer

Original Music by
Marius Ruhland

Cinematography by
Benedict Neuenfels

Film Editing by
Britta Nahler

Casting by
Heta Mantscheff
Lisa Olah
Markus Schleinzer

Production Design by
Isidor Wimmer

Set Decoration by
Christian Krüger
Gerhard Krummeich
Johannes Slapa

Costume Design by
Nicole Fischnaller

Makeup Department
Waldemar Pokromski	....	makeup artist
Daniela Skala	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Monika Maruschko	....	production manager
Christian Springer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anton Maria Aigner	....	first assistant director
Timon Modersohn	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joshua Black	....	painter
Dierk Grahlow	....	construction manager
Isidor Wimmer	....	set designer

Sound Department
Stephan Fandrych	....	adr supervisor
Tobias Fleig	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rainer Heesch	....	sound designer
Torsten Heinemann	....	sound
Tatjana Jakob	....	supervising sound editor
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: dolby film sound
Olaf Mierau	....	post-production sound supervisor
Pierre Peters-Arnolds	....	dubbing
Peter Roik	....	foley artist
Matthias Schwab	....	foley

Visual Effects by
Joerg Bruemmer	....	digital compositor
Manfred Büttner	....	visual effects
Markus Degen	....	visual effects supervisor
Florian Gellinger	....	digital compositor
Claudia Lechen	....	digital compositor
Sven Pannicke	....	visual effects producer
Christian Pundschus	....	visual effects supervisor
Jonathan Weber	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Alexander Boboschewski	....	Steadicam operator
Petro Domenigg	....	still photographer
Jürgen Olczyk	....	still photographer
Marcus Pohlus	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Marcel Dykiert	....	extras casting assistant
Iris Müller	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Koeppl	....	wardrobe: extras
Inka Sherman	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Willi Willinger	....	colorist

Music Department
Peter Fuchs	....	music engineer
Marius Ruhland	....	music producer
Marius Ruhland	....	orchestrator
Allan Wilson	....	conductor
Marius Ruhland	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Marius Ruhland	....	music programmer (uncredited)

Other crew
Pierre Barnaud	....	location manager: France
Jorge Bosicovich	....	choreographer
Eva Cifrain	....	production coordinator
Umut Dag	....	production assistant
Katja Hoerstmann	....	co-production coordinator
Margaret Metz	....	production coordinator
Mirjam Weber	....	assistant to co-producer

Production Companies

• Magnolia Filmproduktion
• Babelsberg Film
• Beta Cinema
• Filmförderung Hamburg (funding)
• Josef Aichholzer Filmproduktion
• Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Distributors

• ABC Distribution (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Continental Film (2007) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2007) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Nordisk Film (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Europa Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Homescreen (2008) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (all media)
• Mediasoft Films (2008) (South Korea) (all media)
• Metrodome Distribution (2007) (UK) (all media)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (all media)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (2009) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• LISTO Videofilm  post-production (laboratory) (telecine dailies) (digital intermediate) (film recording)
• Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

The Counterfeiters (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA) (new title)
Der Fälscher (Austria) (working title)
The Counterfeiter (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence, brief sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Austria | Germany

Language:

German | Russian | English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:Unrated | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:MA | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:R13 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Company:

Magnolia Filmproduktion

Trivia:

First Austrian film to win an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Sorowitsch is walking up the stairs at the beach, you see pigeons flying by, but their call is that of seagulls.

Quotes:

Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch: Ich bin ich. Die anderen sind die anderen.
[I'm myself. Everyone else is everyone else]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

A Brand New Classic

I don't go to the cinema much these days. Even sitting through the previews before I saw this I was beyond bored, even though Meryl Streep was in two of them, even she's in boring rubbish these days.

But, 'The Counterfeiters' is classy stuff. The Austrians (as well as The Germans) are excellent at making period films (masters at detail) & when they handle the subject of The Holocaust, the few things I've seen, have been superb.

Everyone's good in this. The lead is hypnotic.

If the subject of The Holocaust interests you, don't hesitate seeing this. It's a very good film indeed. It's nice to see something brand new that you can confidently call a classic.