“Who Belongs to Germany and who does not?”
This is a central Question that Drove Director Marcin Wierzchowski in his docudrama “The German People” (The German People). The Work Prememen on the Berlinale, Marking the Fifth Anniversary of the Racialy-Motivated Shootings that Shook Germany on February 19, 2020.
That Evening, A Reactionary Extremist Killed 9 People-Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovi ć, Vili Viorel Păun, Fati çoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov-And Injured Five within the City of Hanau, Near Frankfurt, within the state of Hesse.
After his rampage, The Perpetrator Returned to his condominium, the place he killed his mom and afterwards committees.
It was found the Gunman, 43-Year-Old Tobias R.-ITITIFIED by his given title and final first in Keeping with German Privacy Laws-Had Published Aracist “Manifesto” on-line earlier than Committting his murders paperwork selling conspiracy ideas and far-right views Were so found in his dwelling.
At the second, the far-right populist social gathering various for Germany (AfD) what already contributing to the normalization of sturdy anti immigrant placements.
The Hanau Shooting Came Just A Few Months After Other Far-Right Attacks Shook Germany, Including in October 2019 in a synagogue in Hall that Killed Two People, and the Murrder of Pro-Migrant CDU Politician Walter Lübcke in June 2019 by a person with neo -nazi connections.
Director Spent Five Years Working with Survivors
Filmmaker Marcin Wierzchowski Immediately Began Documenting Thedevelopments Surrounding the Hanau Shootings He Ended up Accompanying the Victims’ Families and Survivors Fornearly Five Years Film As An person who Birthed in Poland and That Can Permany as a Youngster, Wierzchowski Says He So Experience Racism.
His docudrama, shot in Black- and-White, Follows the Families of their Grief and their Fight to Get Prepper Information Surrounding the Death of theirs’ Relative Have Denounced the Authorities for Having Failed to Critical Deal with the Circumstances that Led to The Murders – And For Having, at Times, Avoid Addressing Certain Aspects of the Investigation.
From the beginning, the affected household Were Treeted as Second-Class Citizens in some occasion, The Police Took More Than 24 Hours to Inform the Victims’parents Their Children’s Were Seized for Autopsy Without their Consent and They Were Told AWEEK Later Where the Remains could possibly be present in that initally Week, they weren’t notified of what was Simply understake by authorities and what they may anticipate – not so with with interview.
“Just Imagine that, Seven to very day trauma: their children Were Shot, Confiscated Without Their Consent. It was Later Claimed that they give their consent, which is not true, ”Marcin Wierzchowski Told DW.
The Victims’ Families Took Action
It stays on this context that the docudrama Filmmaker LearnT More About the Targets’ Families, that Deal with Bring Various Step-by-Step Failings to the General Public’s Attention.
Among Others, it was found the wrongdoer was legitimately enabled to Have a weauhh he carryerous occasions Drawn the Attention of Authorities Due to his hostile, paranoid-schizophrenic and conservative extremist
Another Question that’s Central within the Case Is That The Police Only Stormed Thesuspect’s House Five Hours After His Attack It What Found That The Emergency Dispatch Center Could not Be Reached on the Night of the Crime.
Then there’s the Issue that the wrongdoer’s daddy, that whent to dwelling along with his his youngsters Returned from his taking pictures spree, so what found to share the superior’s ideological background. After his Child’s Criminal Activity, He Minimized the Murders and Openly Disrespect the Targets. He has precise Consistently Bothered Among the Victim’s Mother, Serpil Temiz Unvar, with Letetters and Contact Breathes, Ignoring All Restraining Orders
Despite the Theater Situation, The Police Instead Called Some of the Victims’ Families to Warn Them That They Shildn’t Undertake ANYTAKE AN COULD BE SEA AN ANT ACT OF RETRIBUTION AGAST THE SOMAN “That Destroyed the Last Shred Of Trust They [the victims’ relatives] Had Left in Authorities, “The Filmmaker Points Out in his press dialogue of the docudrama.
Swat Team Police Officers Active on Far-Right Chats
A Year Later, in June 2021, A Device of Hesse’s Special Forces was exploration after it. There have been 13 Police Officers from that group at work in Hanau’s Swat Team on the Night of the Shootings.
Volker Bouffier, Hesse’s Minister-President Then, What Estimated by the Frankfurter Rundschau Newspaper As Pointing Out That Even If the Police Officers Possibility Had Conservative Extremist Sights, It Really Did not Supply Any Type Of Sign On Just Had Actuly Done Job That Eving .
Facing the State’s Limited Investigation, The Victims’ Relative Commissioned Forensic Architecture, A London Research Group That Uses Architectural Techniques and Technologies To Investigate Cases Of State Violations of Human Rights Around the World.
By Painstakingly Piecing Together Witness Statements, Police Helicopter Footage and Surveillance Cameras, The London Researchers Revealed More Details Surrounding the Special Forces’ Delayed Intervention.
They Recognized to Additional Delicate Problem – The Reality that the Fire Escape was secured on the Sector Bar, Among the Criminal Activity Scenes, which Protected Against Several Targets from Fleing. According to some witnesses, The Police – Who Often Raided the Premises, Mainly Frequented by Migrants – Had Previously Pressured the Bar Owner Into Locking That Emergency Exit So that Customers Could Escape Through it.
Five Years Later, Support for the AfD – Whose Rhetoric was found to have actualy Straight Affected the Murderer – Keeps Growing within the State of Hesse and in Germany.
For the targets’ Loved One, The Whole Ordeal and the Current Developments Just Their Pessimism: “My Children Were Born here, but we were made to feel like we’ve never belonged and that we would never Belong,” one of many movie’s contributors Told DW During the Berlinale.
“That’s the way it is. And we have to live with that. ”
Edited by: Brenda Haas
Interviews: Andrea Horakh
