The Wave

Germany   d/  Daniel Gansel

Tough, realistic film taken from an incident which took place in California in 1967. A high school social studies teacher is given a week to teach about autocracy so he creates a neo-nazi structure and the kids fall  in willingly. The group gives them a strong sense of community, identity and, most importantly, superiority over non-members.

In just a few days the kids vandalize and resort to violence to deal with outsiders.

This film was very successful in Germany and rightfully so. German youth have heard enough about the Nazi period and thought it could never happen again but this episode proved that the social dynamic that made it work then could happen again...given the right spark. Powerful juju.

6