Sansibar oder Der letzte Grund

1987 2h 43m DE

🙌

7.5

BANGER

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 2★6.6IMDB · 73

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the paths of three people on the run cross by chance in the small Baltic Sea port of Rerig: Gregor, a member of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD); Judith, a Jewish woman; and a pastor who wants to save an Ernst Barlach sculpture classified as degenerate art. All those involved share a common fate and the dream of a fisherman's boy from Zanzibar, which is less a real goal than a utopia of a better future. Adaptation of Alfred Andersch's novel.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Peter Kremer
Gregor
Cornelia Schmaus
Judith
Gisela Stein
Gisela Stein
Judiths Mutter
Michael Gwisdek
Heinrich Knudsen
Elisabeth Endriss
Bertha Knudsen
Peter Sodann
Pastor Helander
Frank Hessenland
Schiffsjunge bei Knudsen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bernhard Wicki
Writers: Wolfgang Kirchner, Bernhard Wicki, Karin Hagen
Languages: German
Countries: Germany, Switzerland, East Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Germany, Switzerland, East Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Jürgen Lenz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Günther Fischer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eva Schlensag shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter Kremer and Cornelia Schmaus and Gisela Stein carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bernhard Wicki directs. Jürgen Lenz behind the camera. Günther Fischer scores. Eva Schlensag cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Germany, Switzerland, East Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 3 countries: Germany, Switzerland, East Germany.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Jürgen Lenz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Günther Fischer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Eva Schlensag shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Peter Kremer and Cornelia Schmaus and Gisela Stein carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0093915 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.