Directed by Kai Wessel Country of origin Germany | Written by Gabriela Sperl | |
Starring Maria FurtwänglerJean-Yves BertelootHanns ZischlerFrédéric Vonhof | ||
March of Millions is the international English title of the multi-award-winning three-hour German television film Die Flucht (The Flight). The film stars Maria Furtwängler in the role of Lena Gräfin von Mahlenberg, the leader of a small convoy of refugees from East Prussia (including French and Russian prisoners of war and forced labourers) fleeing the advancing Red Army in the winter of 1944–1945, and trying to survive uprooted in Bavaria in the aftermath of World War II. When first broadcast by ARD in two parts, on 4 and 5 March 2007, it drew 13.5 million viewers.
The production was reported to have cost €9m and to have employed over 2,000 extras.
The film was controversial for portraying German war-time suffering during the Evacuation of East Prussia (although a number of German atrocities were also shown or mentioned), and led to adverse comment from a foreign-policy adviser to the Polish president of the time, fearful of potential German claims to lands or property in East Prussia lost after the War. There have been multiple reactions from the Polish side on occassion of other movies about the war.