 "Das Wunder von Lengede"
Sat.1 films the story of a dramatic rescue
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A dozen stars, a 110-person staff, 1,600 extras and 300,000 liters of
water:
Sat.1's biggest production of the year shoots at the original locations
in Lower Saxony
Goslar, February 2003. On the giant sound stage at ultramodern Waterfall
Studios, director Kaspar Heidelbach gives the signal, and within 60 seconds
the technicians are blasting 300,000 liters of water through a perfect replica
of a mine tunnel. The waves sweep up the stunt men in the tunnel - who
float like straws in the 300 tons of water. Their nerves have to be as sturdy
as the net that catches them at the tunnel's end.
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It's something special the Zeitsprung production company is filming for Sat.1
these days, at original locations in Lower Saxony: a story with all the elements
of a Greek tragedy, combined with the most nerve-wracking moments of such
theatrical blockbusters as "Das Boot" and "Titanic." Plus, it really happened.
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On the morning of October 24, 1963, Settling Pond 12 collapsed into the iron
mine at Lengede. For 21 miners who took shelter from the flood in a minedout
tunnel, it was the start of an unimaginable ordeal. Fourteen days of darkness
and hunger, wetness and pain. Fourteen days of being afraid the ceiling
would fall in on them in their sleep. Fourteen days of uncertainty, but also
fourteen days of hope. After 2 weeks, 11 survivors were retrieved from the
depths. Television carried images of their rescue around the world.
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Sat.1 is filming the story of this amazing rescue as a two-parter, with a cast
that includes a dozen of Germany's best actors: Heino Ferch, Jan Josef
Liefers, Heike Makatsch, Nadja Uhl, Jürgen Schornagel, Axel Prahl, Uwe and
Armin Rohde, Benjamin Sadler, Christian Kahrmann, Thomas Heinze,
Sylvester Groth and Günther Maria Halmer.
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Producer Michael Souvignier is appropriately enthusiastic: "Yes, the film
has a large action component, but we're really focusing on the drama. The
way we're playing it, the connection between up top and down below builds
up incredible suspense and emotion. And unlike the live TV broadcast in 1963,
this time we can show both worlds in parallel - the miners' frightened wives
above ground, and the desperate miners below."
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Despite the elaborate logistics - a 110-person team behind the cameras, more
than 1,600 extras and 73 speaking roles in front of them, plus masses of
equipment and technology to produce a convincing replay of the catastrophe
- everything has been going according to plan. A miracle? No, just topnotch
professionalism at work. Sat.1 will show "Das Wunder von Lengede" in time
for the event's 40th anniversary in the fall of 2003.
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