(Die Lage)

Content: Thomas Heise’s film reframes Pope Benedict XVI’s September 2011 visit to Erfurt not as a triumphal “Pope-mania” spectacle but as a meticulously orchestrated state ritual. In austere black-and-white, the omnipresent pontiff yields to police, snipers, security guards and a nervous premier, all in rigid protocol amidst Thuringia’s Catholic enclave. Under the cathedral’s slogan, “We are all together in our beliefs,” Heise quietly asks whether such choreographed faith still holds meaning.

Countries:

Germany

Genres:

Documentary

Runtime:

74 minutes

Year:

2012

Directors:

Thomas Heise

Actors:

Himself

Crews:

Director

Writer