MERKEL

Eva Weber / United Kingdom / 2022 / 95 min

A political epic about the female icon with the modest but determined appearance, and about the important 16 years in modern European history when she was at the helm. Based on a treasure trove of archive footage and narrated by Merkel herself.

For many years there was an unwritten rule in European politics: Never underestimate Angela Merkel. People did that anyway, and the German chancellor usually ended up with the winning card and a hint of a smile on her face. With ‘Merkel’, Eva Weber has created the ultimate film about the German politician, and not least about Europe during the 16 momentous years she was at the helm. Merkel grew up in a culture of fear and suspicion in the GDR and earned a doctorate in physics before becoming a politician. Weber has taken a thorough trip through the archives to create a major film about Merkel’s life journey and political career, narrated by herself and consisting of one cinematic discovery after another. A portrait of a woman whose modest but determined demeanour and understated sense of humour shaped the European agenda in ways that still make waves today.