Into the Circle (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

2017 · 86 mins · German

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Directed by

Claudia Morar, Hannes Obens

Starring

Jan Reinecke, Martin Heiming, Christiane Schneider, Andreas Blechschmidt, Gerhart Baum, Kay Nehm

This documentary explores the experiences of undercover agents infiltrating the radical leftist scene in Germany. It focuses on Iris P., who spent nearly six years embedded in the Hamburg left-wing movement under the assumed identity of Iris Schneider. Her work involved close friendships and intimate relationships while secretly gathering intelligence. The film examines the psychological and political fallout when Iris P. and two other agents were exposed in 2014, and also considers the impact of surveillance on those targeted, such as Simon B., who infiltrated student groups.