"Auslandseinsatz"
 

That was the title of a German TV-movie that got broadcasted yesterday - and which I actually found surprisngly good. It tells of a group of German soldiers coming to Afghanistan, filled from top to bottom with well-meant idealism, who soon get consumed by the complex realities at location that finally destroys all illusions, beliefs, even friendships and lives. And no, there is no happy-end.

You can watch it in the ARD Mediathek here:

http://www.ardmediathek.de/das-erste...entId=12149816

The film has an age limit, therefore can be accessed only between 20:00 and 06:00 German time. German time is GMT+1

I recall that when linking to the Mediathek, some people from overseas reported they cannot access it. I do not know for which countries this is true. Try yourself. I know that the Mediathek has been accessed from people in France, Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland for sure. Britain, Poland and Italy I have no info on. America seems to be an issue, and if so, probably Canada as well (other continent).

Nope, I can watch it just fine. Sadly my German is a bit rusty... fascinating subject, though! And given that it's a German film production about war, I know to expect no patriotic glory going on here. If there's one things Germans excel at, it's making the most anti-war films about war possible :D

Works here in the States, just checked it out for a bit. Will watch the whole thing if I can later. From what I saw, tropps arriving in a bus in Afghanistan seems a bit dangerous, armored troop carriers of some sort would be better I would think.
Movie comes in nice and clear, can't wait to see the whole thing. Needs more english sub titles though.:oops:

Has there ever been a German movie with a happy ending? :hmmm:

For this we have HOLYWOOD.

The plan and idea for the production started some years ago and bases on information they gathered from even earlier times. The German ROE probably always were schizophrenic, but in the earlier years, security was seen slightly more relaxed.

Movie was shot in Marocco, btw.

Yes. But a war movie being realistic should be uncomfortable and anti-happy ending. There never has been a war with a happy ending, and there never will be. Victory, maybe. But always at a high cost, and plenty of injustice done. Seen that way, a war movie without happy ending is almost a compliment for the screenplay writer.

The intention of the producing people - by their own commenting - was to make the film semi-documentary in style, so: sober, distanced a bit. So not to offer happy endings and easy solutions is even more logical, considering it is about the Afghan maze.

@Sky & the other Germans: hasn't there been a movie about German soldiers in Afghanistan that sparked the discussion about people coming home with PTSD, some 2 years ago? Or was it a documentary? I remember that our talk shows and media outlets suddenly put a focus on this topic after a film.

The ARD Mediathek is usually accessible without country restrictions - it's their policy, they normally have their stuff licensed worldwide. The cheapos from the commercial stations do have country restrictions though, not sure about the ZDF.

There was an epsiode of "Tatort", early 2011, that was about four veterans suffering from PTSD, but I cannot remember it anymore, though I saw it. Some time before, there was movie about the German mission in Congo. But again I do not remember it anymore, I seem to recall that it was not bad, but I am not certain.

Yes, thanks, Tatort is was, indeed: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatort:_Heimatfront
I saw the discussion as something important, as it was for the first time that this topic was put into the public spotlight. It was something people talked not about after our last war experience in '45 - they were just "Kriegszitterer" :-?

PTSD is a serious injury and should be recognized as that. It can downgrade and destroy lives - the veteran's, his social environment's, both mentally and physically as well. It's like a never-ending war.

The official number of wounded Allied troops in Iraq from 03 to today is close to 40.000 now, I think I read somewhere. If PTSD would be counted and recognized as a WIA as well, I am absolutely sure the number would spike clearly beyond the mark of 100,000 wounded. Numerically, I expect soldiers in hot warzone scenarios being effected by PTSD in the range from one in six to as many as one in four.

If the PTSD does not get diagnosed/recognized, it could become chronic and then leads to lasting personality changes and can lead to personality disorders and even serious psychosis. Different to the American DSM, the WHO's ICD has different diagnostic keys for the entry phase of a PTSD and a later chronification of it.

I can see why you Germans might see it that way but that really depends on the scope and subject of the war movie in question.

For example, the story of a Soldier who does his duty to his country serving honorably in a war, then afterward returns safely to his home and the loving arms of his family before going on to live a happy and full life is, by any realistic measure, a war movie with a happy ending.

Just ask some of the millions of our veterans from any of our wars throughout our history whether it was won, lost or tied, who did exactly that. Sure you'll find some who didn't have it work out that way but the overwhelming majority of them did and therefore their tales are far more "realistic" than any negative exception you may care to mention.

Of course there are German movies with happy endings, August.

Just think of the closing scene in the movie "Downfall", which is German comedy at its best with a happy ending:

"the young boy rides together with the pretty girl on her bicycle into the sunrise" :sunny::haha:?

Well said Skybird-I think so for every war. This happens sometimes in fiction too, contrast the ending of the Lord of the Rings films with Star Wars, no I'm serious. Both against really evil enemies (thouigh both with nuances, even Sauron in Tolkien's writings started out wanting to do good) but LOTR had a very bittersweet ending with a lot of loss and changes from the conflict. You see a little of that in US films outside of Vietnam films, notably Thin Red Line and Band of Brothers.