MERKEL

Germany, 2022, 95 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Eva Weber.

The publicity synopsis for this cinema portrait of Germany’s first woman Chancellor, Angela Merkel, puts it in a nutshell: Driven by extensive archive material and interviews with those who know her, this is the astonishing story of how a triple outsider - a woman, a scientist, and an East German - became the de facto leader of the Free world, told for the first time for an international audience.

The film is described as a biography but a biography that satisfies audiences wanting to know details of the subject’s life but going into depth is not quite possible in 95 minutes cinema. It would be more accurate to call this film a portrait.

During her 16 years leading Germany and considered by many the de facto leader of the European Union, Angela Merkel made a powerful impression, in a leadership, in diplomacy, in guiding Germany and the European Union, often offering a compassionate face to the world, especially in 2015 and the vast number of refugees from the East entering Europe and allowed into Germany.

This portrait offers the opportunity to learn about Angela Merkel’s early years, her growing up in East Germany, her family, her pastor father, her studies and achievement, her science background. Yet, circumscribed by the limits of the borders, the separation of the Berlin Wall (and the film opens with some satiric perspectives, the ranting of Donald Trump about the Mexican border wall a necessity, the shouting of his adoring public, contrasting with the realities of the Berlin Wall and its consequences, Trump highly critical of Merkel).

Which means then that the portrait-building shows the humane side of Merkel. Then, it moves to the political situation, the Chancellor, controversies, Angela Merkel entering politics, the significance of her being a woman from East Germany, the PR aspects of her presence in the Bundestag. The film enters into some detail about her rise, her portfolios, her success – and her somewhat surprising ascendancy as Chancellor.

While the film has a lot of footage of Merkel being interviewed, a sympathetic interviewee, touches of humour, various speeches being made, especially at Harvard and her being honoured, the film does give some kind of insight into how she handled the politics of 2006 to 2021, a female leader on the world stage, her relationships with other world leaders (from Trump to Putin), and her achievement by the end of her Chancellor leadership.

The filmmakers are in admiration of Angela Merkel, positive but presenting critical aspects, and offer an opportunity for audiences to learn something about her and a perspective on her achievement.