04/10/2012 - Christophe Wagner's Luxembourg thriller Doudege Wénkel hits local screens

Though the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will not be submitting any feature for foreign-language Oscar consideration this year, because the committee charged with appointing a title agreed that the quality to compete on an international level was lacking, a first title for possible submission next year was released this week: Doudege Wénkel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christophe Wagner
film profile] (literally 'dead angle' or 'blind spot').

It is the first feature-length, Luxembourg-language policier and also the first fiction feature for director Christophe Wagner, who's mainly known for his documentaries (Luxembourg, USA, Doheem).

The film was written by the director and fellow Luxembourger Frédéric Zeimet and was partially developed at the Atelier du Grand Nord (in Québec, Canada). The script was also a finalist for the Grand Prix Sopadin for Best Screenplay.

Doudege Wénkel starts with the brutal killing of a well-loved policeman, which leads the enigmatic inspector Hastert (veteran actor André Jung) to open a case and to contact Olivier (former Luxembourg Shooting Star Jules Werner), the brother of the victim and himself a disillusioned officer.

Together with Hastert, Olivier investigates the killing and uncovers a very unsavoury affair in the dark and eternally rainy Grand Duchy.

Brigitte Urhauser, Gilles Soeder, Nicole Max, Luc Feit, Mickey Hardt and Patrick Descamps co-star.

The film was produced by Claude Waringo for Samsa Film and co-produced by their Belgian partner, Patrick Quinet at Artemis Films Ltd.. The film received backing from Film Fund Luxembourg, Media programme's Slate Funding, ALGOA Luxembourg and Belgian Tax Shelter.