| Stasi FC | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary film |
| Directed by |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer | Erik Winker |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Sky Documentaries |
| Release | November 26, 2023 |
Stasi FC is a 2023 Sky Documentary about Stasi control over association football in East Germany from the late 1970s, leading to their preferred team, football club Berliner FC Dynamo, winning ten consecutive league titles. It is directed by Daniel Gordon and Arne Birkenstock and produced by Erik Winker. Production companies on the documentary are Corso Films, Fruitmarket and Phiphen Pictures, and it is executive produced by Embankment Films.
Synopsis
The Stasi's preferred team, football club Berliner FC Dynamo, had a decade-long era of success before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The Stasi allegedly used bribery, intimidation, surveillance, forced transfers and murder. The documentary uses personal testimony from survivors of the era combined with access to the Stasi Files, 111 linear kilometres of corridors containing previously unseen Stasi paperwork and communications from the Stasi Records Agency. [1]
Cast
- Gerd Weber
- Ralf Minge
- Falko Götz
- Dirk Schlegel
- René Müller
- Alan McDougall
- Harald Wittstock
- Roland Jahn
- Bernd Stange
- Rolf Walter
- Sven Friedrich
- Bernd Heynemann
- Bodo Rudwaleit [2]
Production
The project was unveiled by Sky Documentaries in August 2022 entitled intrusion: Stasi FC. [3] It is directed by Daniel Gordon and Arne Birkenstock and produced by Erik Winker. Production companies on the documentary are Corso Films, Fruitmarket and Phiphen Pictures, and it is executive produced by Embankment Films. [1]
Broadcast
It was broadcast in the UK on Sky Documentaries on 26 November 2023. [4]
Reception
It was described by Victoria Segal in The Times as “excellent” and evidence that there is “still astonishing stories emerging from behind the Iron Curtain.” [5] Harry Guerin for RTÉ described it as “must see” for documentary fans and sports fans alike. [2] Phil Harrison in The Guardian gave it four stars out of five and said “a documentary about football becomes a documentary about pretty much everything but football.” [6]
References
- ^ a b Goldbart, Max (August 25, 2022). "Sky Unveils Documentaries On England World Cup Hero Geoff Hurst, Serial Killer Fred West & Music Producer Phil Spector – Edinburgh TV Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ a b Guerin, Harry (26 November 2023). "Stasi FC: an incredible journey back to the 'hermetically sealed society' that was East Germany". RTE. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "Sky unveils new documentary slate". BroadbandTVnews. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Richardson, Hollie (26 November 2023). "TV tonight: the wild story of the Stasi, its football team … and assassination". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Segal, Victoria (26 November 2023). "What to watch and listen to this week: Faraway Downs, Slow Horses and more". The Times. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Phil (26 November 2023). "Stasi FC review – the astonishing tale of the secret police's football team". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
