Great Freedom

Local title
Suur vabadus
Title in Russian
Великая свобода
Original title
Grosse Freiheit
Director
Sebastian Meise
Country
Austria, Germany
Year
2021
Programme
Current Waves, Goethe-Institut Presents: New German Cinema
Genre
historical drama
Subject
society, prison, love, LGBTQ, history

Hans (Franz Rogowski) is gay, which is still a crime in post-World War II Germany. The notorious paragraph 175 is still in force and destroys all Hans’ hopes for a life in freedom. Upon returning once more into prison after living out his desires he meets Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer.

Spanning decades, the spectre of Nazism lingers heavily throughout the film – while it may take place in the years following the downfall of Hitler, the impact of his barbaric laws still remains embedded in the fabric of German society. This genre-bending political drama dives deep into the anguish of its characters while offering a most extraordinary portrayal of queer romance at the same time.

DDA Spotlight Award laureate.

Director
Sebastian Meise
Screenwriter
Thomas Reider, Sebastian Meise
Cast
Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich, Anton von Lucke, Thomas Prenn
Producer
Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, Benny Drechsel
DoP
Crystel Fournier
Editor
Joana Scrinzi
Music
Nils Petter Molvaer, Peter Brötzmann
Production
FreibeuterFilm GmbH, Rohfilm Productions GmbH
World sales
The Match Factory
Runtime
Language
German
Subtitles
Estonian, English, Russian
Other festivals
Jerusalem, Cannes, Busan, London
Director
Sebastian Meise

Sebastian Meise (snd 1976)

Stillleben (Still Life, 2011), Outing (2012), Grosse Freiheit (Great Freedom, 2021)

Goethe Instituut

Goethe Instituut

Screenings

7th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening030503 / Suur vabadus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian, Russian
Screening duration
Hall Athena Center, Tartu
Screening052103 / Suur vabadus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian, Russian
Screening duration
8th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening150601 / Suur vabadus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian, Russian
Screening duration
Trailer