Spätwerk (2018)
A fading German writer's fatal secret becomes the dark fuel behind his unexpected literary comeback.
Spätwerk - Movie Information
- Original Title: Spätwerk
- Release Year: 2018
- Directed by: Andreas Kleinert
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 30m
- Original Language: German
- Spoken Languages: German
- Production Companies: Eikon Media, ARD
- Production Countries: Germany
Spätwerk - Plot
Paul Bacher is in crisis. If he could feel in the past as one of the most influential writers of his generation, he has long lacked ideas and impetus for a new great work. His reading tours are becoming more and more a sad affair with too much alcohol and too little public. Then Paul overflows in a drunken hitchhiker, flees first scared and later removes the body, without talking to anyone about the experience. But something is flowing in its interior. Paul starts to write again. The criticism is done, but the story about the death of a hitchhiker also arouses suspicion.
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Spätwerk - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Andreas Kleinert
Main Cast
- Henry Hübchen
- Patrycia Ziolkowska
- Jenny Schily
- Jordan Dwyer
- Michael Schenk
- Tom Sommerlatte
- Nora Hickler
- Carolin Wiedenbröker
- Hede Beck
- Ursina Lardi
Writers
- Karl-Heinz Käfer
Producers
- Ernst Ludwig Ganzert
- Dorothea Seeger
Spätwerk - FAQs
What is Spätwerk about?
Spätwerk follows Paul Bacher, a once-celebrated German writer now adrift in alcoholism and creative drought. After fatally striking a hitchhiker and concealing the crime, he finds himself compelled to write again — but his new work draws dangerous scrutiny from those who suspect the story is more than fiction.
Who are the main actors in Spätwerk?
Henry Hübchen leads the cast as the troubled writer Paul Bacher. He's joined by Patrycia Ziolkowska, Jenny Schily, Jordan Dwyer, Michael Schenk, Tom Sommerlatte, Nora Hickler, Carolin Wiedenbröker, Hede Beck, and Ursina Lardi.
Does Paul's guilt actually fuel his writing in Spätwerk?
That's the film's most unsettling tension. Paul buries the truth of the accident, yet the trauma unlocks something raw in him creatively. His new work flows directly from the experience — raising the question of whether great art can ever be truly separated from moral failure.
Who directed Spätwerk?
Spätwerk was directed by Andreas Kleinert, a German filmmaker known for his psychologically nuanced character studies. Kleinert brings a restrained, introspective style to this story of guilt, creativity, and moral compromise.
What genre is Spätwerk?
Spätwerk is a drama. It's a slow-burn, character-driven film that explores themes of artistic decline, guilt, moral ambiguity, and the complicated relationship between personal trauma and creative inspiration.
How long is Spätwerk?
Spätwerk runs for 90 minutes — a tight, focused runtime that suits its intimate, character-driven story. There's no wasted space here; every scene serves the film's quiet but relentless psychological pressure.
What language is Spätwerk in?
Spätwerk is a German-language film, produced in Germany by Eikon Media and ARD. Viewers watching outside German-speaking regions will typically need subtitles to follow the dialogue.
What are some movies similar to Spätwerk?
If Spätwerk resonates with you, consider exploring A White, White Day (2019), On My Skin (2018), Nobody Knows I'm Here (2020), Houria (2023), or My Neighbor Adolf (2022) — all thoughtful, character-focused dramas with similarly intense emotional undercurrents.
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