Die Trommel
Original scripted drama
Project Overview
Die Trommel follows a German actor who returns to Chile—the country of his childhood—after the death of his father. What begins as a personal reckoning gradually draws him into unresolved histories and present-day political conflict, forcing him to confront questions of responsibility, belonging, and the limits of artistic engagement within lived political reality.
Status: In active development
Context & Approach
The narrative is grounded in autobiographical material and extensive historical research into German presence in Chile, the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship, and ongoing struggles around land, memory, and indigenous rights.
Rather than framing these tensions didactically, Die Trommel approaches them through lived experience—allowing political meaning to emerge through character action, observation, and consequence, rather than explicit commentary or thesis.
Structurally, the project works with fragmented time, shifting perspectives, and the gradual erosion of narrative distance between observation and participation.
Format
The project is conceived with an intentionally open format and may take shape as either a feature-length film or a limited series, depending on development and production context.
Development Notes
Development is informed by long-term research, location work, and engagement with historical and contemporary sources in both Germany and Chile.