
Attheendofthe1960sthepost-wargenerationbegantorevoltagainsttheirparents.Thiswasagenerationdisillusionedbyanti-communistcapitalismandastateapparatusinwhichtheybelievedtheysawfascisttendencies.ThisgenerationincludedjournalistUlrikeMeinhof,lawyerHorstMahler,filmmakerHolgerMeinsaswellasstudentsGudrunEnsslinandAndreasBaader.<br/> TheirprotestagainstthestateledtothefoundingoftheRedArmyFaction(RAF).Constructedentirelyfromcopiousfilmandaudiomaterial,thefilmdescribes–withoutcommentary–theirgradualtransformationandincreasingpoliticisationuntiltheytakeuparmedresistance;italsodescribesthereactionsofthegovernmentoftheFederalRepublicofGermanyatthetime.Jean-GabrielPériot’saward-winningshortfilmsmakeelaborateuseofarchivefootageinordertocreateincisivecommentariesonviolenceandhistory.Unejeunesseallemandemarkshisfirstfeature-lengthfilm.Hisworkoffersanoutsider’sviewoftheFederalRepublicofGermanyintheRAFera;italsoprovidesalessoninradicalbehaviourandsociety’sreactionstoitthatisalarminglytopical,althoughthecircumstancesmayhavechanged.berlinale2015


