In one of his last roles, the late Bruno Ganz played the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. "Der Trafikant" is now running on free TV.
He was one of the most important film and theater actors in German-speaking countries: Bruno Ganz (1941-2019). Born in Switzerland, he died on February 16, 2019 at the age of 77 of complications from cancer. Ganz appeared in more than 100 productions in his career, which began in the 1960s. Including TV films, plays and cinema highlights. His appearance as Adolf Hitler in "Der Untergang" (2004) will not be forgotten.
His last appearances in front of the camera include his roles in "The House That Jack Built" (2018) by Lars von Trier (64), "A hidden life" (2019) by Terrence Malick (76) and "Der Trafikant" (2018) ) by Nikolaus Leytner (62). "Der Trafikant", the literary film adaptation based on the novel of the same name by Robert Seethaler (54), will celebrate its free TV premiere on Tuesday (August 11th, 10:45 pm) at Das Erste. Bruno Ganz can be seen in it as a psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).
This is what "Der Trafikant" is about
"Der Trafikant" is set in Austria in the late 1930s. The 17-year-old Franz Huchel (Simon Morzé, 24) comes to Vienna from the Salzkammergut to do an apprenticeship with the "tobacconist" Otto Trsnjek (Johannes Krisch, 54). In the tobacco shop of the war invalid, he got to know the middle-class circles who could even afford the famous imported cigars from Cuba, which Franz had to keep fresh with loving handwork.
Among the regular customers is the highly respected psychologist Sigmund Freud (Bruno Ganz), whom the young man soon trusts. Franz turns to him when he falls unhappily in love with the Bohemian variety dancer Anezka (Emma Drogunova, 24). That love poses insoluble riddles even for the famous psychoanalyst does not help the inexperienced Franz.
When Austria votes in favor of annexation to the National Socialist German Reich in 1938, difficult times begin for Franz and his master, who remains politically upright and continues to serve Jewish customers. First anti-Semitic thugs ravage the shop, then Otto is arrested for flimsy reasons. Now Franz has to run the business on his own and fight for Trsnjek. He seeks advice from 82-year-old Freud, who, however, is himself in danger …