Kundschafter des Friedens 2
Germany 2024

Opening 23 Jan 2025

Directed by: Robert Thalheim
Writing credits: Peer Klehmet, Robert Thalheim
Principal actors: Henry Hübchen, Katharina Thalbach, Thomas Thieme, Winfried Glatzeder, Corinna Harfouch

Jochen Falk (Henry Kübchen) and Locke (Thomas Thieme) are secret agents from former East Germany. Tamara (Katharina Thalbach) is a genius in technology. Helene (Corinna Harfouch) is the daughter of their advisor, whose death has brought all four to Cuba for his funeral. Although retired, they decide to work together on one more plan: saving Cuba’s socialistic government. This turns out to be more difficult than imagined. Part of the advisor’s inheritance is an island which he has left to his girlfriend. They plan to switch the last will and testament to keep the island. This takes them through activities such as stealing a motorcycle, participating in a quiz, being shaved in a hair salon, landing in the trunk of a car, and finding various last wills and testaments.

Who would think that we would laugh about politics, but here we have a wonderful comedy with two of the greatest hindrances to solving the problems: full-time retirement and Cuba Libre, a drink made of rum, cola, and limes. This is a sequel to the film with the same title which director Robert Thalheim brought out in 2017. The first ten minutes are in black and white, showing previous action. Filmed mostly in Germany, i.e. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Berlin, and the Altenburg Castle in Thüringen which, here, stands in for a revolutionary museum in Havanna, Cuba, as well as the Canary Islands. A Kundschafter is a scout, and the title could translate to Scouts of Peace. Spying is a game of contact just like chess. (“Spionage ist ein kontakes Spiel wie Schach.”) This is a fun film with excellent German actors. (Becky Tan)