WHO IS THOMAS MUELLER?

90min. or 57 min. original German version with English subtitles available.

Synopsis

The cross-media project WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER? is a humorous quest: A search for the average German. 'Thomas Müller' is the personification of the 'super-average' - a construction created by German statisticians in order to deliver a role model for advertising, politics and economy. But who is the real face behind the - statistically proven - most common name in Germany? Who is the most average 'Thomas Müller' of Germany? Or could it be that our politics and our TV programmes are aimed at people who do not exist? Is our whole country designed for a statistical average which ultimately corresponds to no one?
WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER? follows a road-movie structure. Using state-of-the-art narrative forms - such as cartoon animation, graphics, etc. - the documentary starts where all statistics end: With real individuals who are named Thomas Müller but are not at all consistent with your average German. These encounters make the film fast, funny, serious, thoughtful and give it an edge. WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER? is a cross-media project combining the worlds of cinema, television and the internet. While the movie is a search for this phantom, we bring it to life in the world wide web: By virtually creating a 'Thomas Müller', the German average person comes alive and is able to interact with his 'fans', 'friends' and 'followers'.
The combination of all these strategies creates a cross-media event which offers an ironic answer to Germany's superstar mania and at the same time questions market research in its very essence.

Festivals/Awards

Max Ophüls Preis, Zürich Film Fest,