Why Axel Milberg Feared for His Life During the Shoot of the Environmental Thriller - Axel Milberg Uncovers Dark Truths in ‘Vanished’, a Gritty Climate Thriller on ARD
Award-winning actor Axel Milberg headlines 'Vanished', an environmental thriller set to premiere on ARD on November 12 at 8:15 PM. The film, directed by Daniel Harrich, explores the dark side of reforestation projects and the trade in CO₂ certificates, coinciding with the 30th World Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil.
Harrich, known for his investigative documentaries like 'Down to the Last Drop' and 'Poison', criticises the EU's Green Deal for enabling environmental destruction and injustices under the guise of climate protection. 'Vanished' delves into these issues, with Milberg portraying Klemens Stadler, an engineer searching for his son Jan, played by Jannik Schümann, who vanished while assessing a controversial reforestation project in Rio Pardo.
The film's narrative is supported by a 30-minute documentary, 'Vanished: The Doc – Dirty Deals in the Name of Climate Protection', which provides real-world context. It explores how such projects displace Indigenous communities and the questionable practices in the CO₂ certificate trade. While the character of Taís Gonçalves, a lawyer for the affected indigenous people, is fictional, the film is based on real-life events and inspired by journalist Daniel Harrich's investigations in Brazil.
Production of 'Vanished' was not without its challenges. The cast and crew faced threats and had to leave the filming location after being mistaken for a realtorcom interfering in local business.
Accompanying the film's broadcast is a documentary providing context to the real-world issues it explores. 'Vanished' serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and consequences of climate protection initiatives, as revealed by director Daniel Harrich's critical lens on the EU's Green Deal.
