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Merry Christmas

  • Fröhliche Weihnacht - Merry Christmas (Working title)
All titles (3)
Feature Film | 2004-2005 | Drama, War | Belgium, France, Germany, Romania, United Kingdom

Shooting data

Start of shooting22/08/2004
End of shooting20/11/2004
Number of shooting days68
LocationsFrance, Romania, Germany

Project data

Budget18 M€

Brief synopsis

This film is inspired by a true story that took place during WWI, on Christmas Eve 1914, at many places along the front lines.
When the war broke out during the summer of 1914, millions of men were taken by surprise and caught up in the ensuing maelstrom. And then Christmas arrived, with its snow and its stream of gifts from back home and from the army brass. But the surprise wasn’t to be found in the generous parcels that littered the trenches.
On this particular evening, a major event was to have a lasting effect on the destiny of four characters: a Scottish minister, a French lieutenant, a German tenor, and a Danish soprano. These stars of the era find themselves at the heart of an unprecedented fraternizing between soldiers from the German, French and British trenches. All will put down their guns and leave their trenches behind as they go to meet the enemy, shake his hand and exchange cigarettes or chocolates, and wish him Merry Christmas.

Cast

ActorRole nameVoice actor / SpeakerVoice actor
Dany BoonPonchel [L]
Daniel BrühlLieutenant Horstmayer [L]
Guillaume CanetLieutenant Audebert [L]
Benno FürmannNikolaus Sprink [L]
Diane KrugerAnna Sörensen [L]
Gary LewisPalmer [L]
Michael A. GrimmFranz [SR]
Frank Witter
Jörg [SR]
Otto BeckmannOtto [SR]
Louis Friedemann ThieleKarl [SR]
Johannes Richard VoelkelGunther [SR]
Gilbert von SohlernOfficier allemand dŽacceuil [SR]
Steffen BieligMarkus [SR]
Steven DuffyBrancardier [SR]
Alex FernsGordon [SR]
Steven RobertsonJonathan [SR]
Mathias HerrmannGerman Officer [BP]
Markus FriedmannOfficer allemand salle d`etat major

Crew

ActivityNameComment
Production accountantKaty Steinfeld
Deutscher Teil
Deutscher Teil
Title designerMartin Bauernfeind
Director of photographyWalther Van Den Ende
Casting directorSabine Schroth
Casting Deutschland
Casting Deutschland
Casting directorAna Dávila
Casting Kids
Casting Kids
Costume designerAlison Forber-Meyler
Assistant costume designerBunny Stokes
Assistant costume designerMariana Bujoi
Costumer / wardrobeClaudia Sarbu
historisch
historisch
Costumer / wardrobePetra Langer
historisch-1914,/ German Unit / Costumer
historisch-1914,/ German Unit / Costumer
Costume interpreterRadu Mada
DirectorChristian Carion
1st AD (local system)Peter Geidel
AD Soundrecording Germany
AD Soundrecording Germany
3rd AD crowd (local system)Christoph Brosius
Germany
Germany
Script continuityAnnette Drees
Key gripDominique Degand
Key gripJulien Covens
GripDan Jung
GafferBjörn Susen
Gaffer-Germany
Gaffer-Germany
Best boy electricBeda Mulzer
& Pult, Rigging deutscher Teil
& Pult, Rigging deutscher Teil
Lighting technician / electricianFlow Jean-Louis
dt. Teil
dt. Teil
Lighting technician / electricianSascha Vogel
deutscher teil
deutscher teil
Lighting technician / electricianWim Temmerman
Lighting technician / electricianJannot Borowski
Lighting technician / electricianHeiko Rother
Key makeup artist/hair stylistGabi Cretan
Makeup artist / hair stylistCaitlin Tanner
Makeup artist / hair stylistAmber Sibley
Makeup artist / hair stylistMichael Faralewski
Makeup artist / hair stylistAndreea Dardea
Additional make up artistUlla Röling
ComposerPhilippe Rombi
ProducerChristophe Rossignon
Nord-Ouest
Nord-Ouest
Supervising producerÈve François-Machuel
Production designerJean-Michel Simonet
Art directorVraciu Eduard Daniel
Art directorAnina Diener
Set decoratorJulian Bostanaru
Prop masterAndreas Horstmann
historisch 1914
historisch 1914
Prop masterMarcus Wellendorf
Prop masterGuillaume Watrinet
Location scoutRaidar Huber
Scenic painterArnold Müller
und Bühnenplastiker
und Bühnenplastiker
Prop makerPeter Wolf [1]
Prop makerLiviu Marcu
Graphic artistRick Baxstar
Schullandkarten etc.
Schullandkarten etc.
Property driverHenri Grund
Line producerMichael Frenschkowski
Production managerNorbert Kneißl
Deutschlanddreh
Deutschlanddreh
Assistant location managerLaurent Coucelle
partie Roumanie
partie Roumanie
Assistant unit managerPeter Wilms
Production driverFlorian Haeger
cast driver berlin
cast driver berlin
Personal driverDaniel Huhn
Germany
Germany
ScreenwriterChristian Carion
Supervising dialog editorSandy Notarianni
Special effects supervisorOlivier de Laveleye
ArmorerAnton Petrache

Distribution / Sales companies

CompanyComment
Senator Film Verleih [de]

Facilities

DepartmentCompanyComment
Extras/Bit PlayerAgentur Iris Müller OHG
Germany
Germany
Production ServicesCine-Food Berlin
Germany
Germany

Awards

Award winnerYearAwardCategory 
Christian Carion2006The Academy Awards 2006
Foreign Language Film
Foreign Language FilmNominated
Christophe Rossignon2006The Academy Awards 2006
Foreign Language Film
Foreign Language FilmNominated

TV-broadcast

TypeCountryStationDate / TimeComment
RepeatFrancearteSunday, 05/11/2023, 9.00 PM
RepeatFranceTF1 [fr]Monday, 14/12/2020, 9.00 PMTF1 Séries Films
RepeatFranceTF1 [fr]Sunday, 01/12/2019, 9.00 PMTF1 Séries Films

Cinema releases and premieres

TypeCountryDateComment
Theatre releaseGermanyThursday, 24/11/2005
Theatre releaseFranceWednesday, 09/11/2005