Films by Marie Wilke

Germany 2026, 91 min
by Marie Wilke

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. Source of Synopsis

Germany 2018, 92 min
by Marie Wilke

A documentary about the relationship between politics and media and the challenges of modern democracy.How are new challenges to be met in political life? With cool precision, Wilke observes locations across Germany where democratic decision-making processes take place and looks behind the scenes at the Bundestag, news desks and constituency offices.68th Berlinale | 48th FORUM35th Internationales FrauenFILMfestival Dortmund|Cologne35th Kassel DokFest

Germany 2015, 81 min
by Marie Wilke

A one year observation of German police training. At a remote location high school graduates are trained to become police officers. Real-life simulations and practice at the shooting range are the preparation for the second part of their training: going out on the streets and face the real world. It’s their first year in the academy and on the beat: they are confronted with an extreme reality. For the first time this documentary gives an uncensored look into the German police.