Hasenjagd - Vor lauter Freiheit gibt es kein Erbarmen

original title:
Hasenjagd - Vor lauter Freiheit gibt es kein Erbarmen
other titles:
The Quality of Mercy, The Rabbit Hunt
country / year of production:
Germany , Austria / 1994
original length:
105 min. , color
premiere:
CND: 16 September 1994, Toronto Film Festival
genre:
melodrama
based on:
director:
Andreas Gruber
film script:
Andreas Gruber
producer:
Andreas Gruber
cinematographer:
Hermann Dunzendorfer
editor:
Hubert Canaval , Eva Schneider
composer:
Peter Androsch
cast (role):
Oliver Broumis (Michail) , Merab Ninidze (Nikolai) , Elfriede Irrall (Frau Karner) , Rainer Egger (Fredl Karner) , Kirsten Nehberg (Mitzi Karner) , Oliver Broumis , Merab Ninidze , Elfriede Irrall , Rainer Egger , Kirsten Nehberg
more:
plot synopsis:
In February 1945 there takes place the rabbit hunt of the Mühlviertel around the concentration camp Mauthausen. No rabbits are caught, but Sowiet officers, who were on the death row in the concentration camp and organise a flight. 150 of the 500 prisoners can escape, but the SS orderes the inhabitants of the surrounding villages to hunt these refugees "like rabbits" and a terrible hunt begins during which most of the refugees are killed.
Michail and Nicolai can escape and make their way to the farm of the family Karner. Mrs Karner convinces her husband of protecting the two young officers, although the SS threatens those with death who hide refugees.Meanwhile the young Fredl Karner experiences the brutality of this hunt during his mission as a member of the Volkssturm.
keywords:
captivity , execution , prisoners of war , based on a true story , concentration camps
war:
Second World War (1939-1945)
literature:
Herbert Friedl. "Niemand wollte es getan haben ...". Texte und Bilder zur "Mühlviertler Hasenjagd", Grünbach: Ed. Geschichte der Heimat, 1996.

Wilhelm Roth. "Hasenjagd". In: "epd-Film" 13 (1996), 4, 37.
remarks:
1st price at the film festival Schwerin.

Nominated for the German Film Award in 1995.
availability: