On the night of February 9, 2020, a racially motivated attack in Hanau cut nine young people’s
lives short. An ordinary evening ended in a nightmare for their families, friends and an entire city.
DAS DEUTSCHE VOLK (“THE GERMAN PEOPLE”) recounts the story of the crime from the
perspective of bereaved friends and family and those who survived the attack. It shows the
pain and rage a crime of this nature causes and the long shadow that it casts. What immediate
and long-term consequences did the attack have on these people and Hanau? And what
does it say about Germany?
Director Marcin Wierzchowski accompanies the victims’ loved ones as they navigate grief
and loss, documenting their struggle for justice, their calls for acknowledgement and their
determination not to be treated as second-class citizens. They expose the structural racism
expressed not only in the crime itself but also how they are treated by the authorities.
As politicians search for the right words and many questions regarding the crime go unanswered,
those left behind set out to find answers themselves. Together, they reconstruct the
events of the night of the attack, endeavor to ensure it is not forgotten and demand consequences.
As time passes public awareness wanes, yet the families continue their fight: a fight
for justice, a fight to remember those who were murdered.
DAS DEUTSCHE VOLK poses the pressing question once again: Who belongs to Germany
and who doesn’t?