Der lachende Mann - Bekenntnisse eines Mörders

original title:
Der lachende Mann - Bekenntnisse eines Mörders
other titles:
The Laughing Man
country / year of production:
German Democratic Republic / 1966 (x)
original length:
66 min. , black/white
premiere:
9 February 1966
genre:
Documentary
based on:
director:
Walter Heynowski , Gerhard Scheumann
film script:
producer:
Jochen Stoff
cinematographer:
Horst Donth , Peter Hellmich
editor:
Traute Wischnewski
composer:
cast (role):
more:
plot synopsis:
The film contains an interview with Siegfried Friedrich Heinrich Müller, called „Kongo Müller“. Siegfried Müller was a famous mercanary in Africa in the sixties and significiantly involved in the abbolition of the Simba rebellion in the Kongo. In the interview, given in front of the camera, drunken and still drinking, Müller explanes, that he fougt for the western values in the Kongo. In the battles in the Kongo six platoons of mercanaries were deployd and Müller commanded one of them. Because of their brutal actions thex were soon known as “the horribles”.
keywords:
mercenaries , authenticity , based on a true story , volunteers , torture , war crimes
war:
Congolese Civil War (1997-1999)
literature:
Christian Bunnenberg. Der "Kongo-Müller" - Eine deutsche Söldnerkarriere. Berlin: Lit, 2007.

Otto Köhler. Kongo-Müller oder Die Freiheit, die wir verteidigen. Mit einem Stenogramm von Alexander Mitscherlich. Frankfurt/M.: Bärmeier u. Nikel, 1966.
remarks:
The film launched a big discussion about the reporaches raised by the DDR against the BRD to be “the hanchman of the US imperialism”. In "Lachenden Mann- Bekenntnisse eine Mörders" Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann were able to interview the drunken "Kongo Müller" who said, that he fought for the western values in the Kongo.

"The laughing man" was awarded with the special price of the jury on the "Internationale Dokumentarfilmfestival" in Leipzig 1966.

The film was forbidden in the BRD for some time.
availability: