back

Szenario

Scenario
Forum 2026
© Salzgeber & Co. Medien
The Bundeswehr has arrived at a decisive “turning point” (“Zeitenwende”): in Schnöggersburg, Europe’s biggest military model city, defending the nation and the alliance is not just rehearsed, but also directly taught. Marie Wilke’s sober, focused observational documentary puts together a 360-degree view of its subject, which captures the current state of the German army from different perspectives. Between press appointments, swearing-in ceremonies, visitor tours, roleplays and an artificial underground train tunnel, the process of adapting to the present becomes visible. With a sound grasp of representative situations and communication nodes, Wilke gets close enough to her subject to illustrate its complexity – while retaining exactly the necessary distance for open, critical engagement. The shots are mostly static and impartial, bearing witness to a Bundeswehr searching for its self-image while in the midst of grappling with the past, state-of-the-art war simulations and an uncertain future. Szenario is a portrait of an institution that just as equally depicts the society and politics that produce it.
by Marie Wilke (Director, Screenplay) Germany 2026 German 91' Colour World premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Director Marie Wilke
Screenplay Marie Wilke
Cinematography Alexander Gheorghiu
Editing Jan Soldat, Marie Wilke
Sound Design Uwe Bossenz
Producer Heino Deckert

Produced by

Ma.ja.de. Filmproduktions GmbH

Leipzig, Germany

World Sales

Film Harbour

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photos

Marie Wilke

© Klaus Lüber

Marie Wilke was born in Berlin, studied at the ZeLIG School for Documentary, Television and New Media in Bolzano (Italy) and completed a degree in experimental media design at the University of the Arts Berlin. Since 2000 she has worked as a writer, director and editor of documentaries. She has screened her films at international film festivals and won prizes including the German Film Critic’s Award and the Carte Blanche prize of North Rhine-Westphalia. She also lectures on directing and content development at various film schools and institutes.

Filmography

2000 Con anima e corpo (Life and Limb); documentary 2015 Staatsdiener (Civil Servants); documentary 2018 Aggregat (Aggregate); documentary, Berlinale Forum 2018 2021 Höllental; documentary series, 6 episodes 2026 Szenario (Scenario); documentary

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026