Hidden Hatred: Film Explores World of Female Neo-Nazis
An award-winning new German film takes an unexpected look at the problem of far-right extremism, following the fictional story of a young woman lost in a world of violence and hatred. The film, which has parallels to a recent neo-Nazi case in Germany, also serves as a wake-up call for some — women are more prevalent in the radical scene than many believe.
This January, as Germany was still debating the aftermath of a recently uncovered murderous neo-Nazi terror cell, a timely new film was released about the country’s far-right scene. It featured an unlikely protagonist — a woman neo-Nazi.
Although not based on the story of Beate Zschäpe, who was arrested last year as the sole surviving suspected member of the neo-Nazi terror cell, “Kriegerin,” which translates loosely as “female fighter” and is on wide release here, still has many parallels. Zschäpe and two male members of the underground neo-Nazi group are believed to have murdered at least 10 people, including small business owners of foreign origin and a policewoman, over the course of a decade.
Zschäpe’s apparent role in the group — and the fact that she is a woman — has fascinated Germans. But it came as no shock to the new film’s screenwriter and director, who spent two years researching women in the neo-Nazi scene in Germany for the film.
“I was totally surprised and shocked that for so long they weren’t caught,” director David Wnendt told SPIEGEL ONLINE. “But I wasn’t surprised that such a terror cell existed. In my research I saw that many in the scene were armed and prepared to use violence. It’s a big leap to venture into killing people, but when one considers how many people are in this scene it’s reasonable to assume that the possibility would arise.”
Though the timing of Wnendt’s debut film, released in late January, is coincidental, the movie portrays just the kind of people who might become involved in such crimes, exploring their backgrounds with unflinching detail. Wnendt shot the film in the fall of 2010, after having spent months visiting far-right demonstrations and youth clubs across eastern Germany to experience neo-Nazis firsthand.
The film’s main character, 20-year-old Marisa, is modeled after the women he observed and interviewed during that time. Young, aggressive and deeply rooted in the neo-Nazi scene, her character represents a real and growing number of women taking a more active role in related organizations, and even committing violent crimes for their cause.