Martin Sellner

An analysis of the rise of the European far-right, increasingly present in both politics and everyday life: an inquisitive journey through France, Germany and Belgium.

Extreme right-wing terrorism is becoming an ever-bigger threat in Western societies. Since 2015, sixteen terror attacks have taken place in Europe. Far-right violent extremist groups are now the second most important threat after Islamic terrorism in Europe and white supremacism has become the greatest terrorism threat in the US. This risk has become even more present with the current crises that our societies are facing, such as the isolation related to COVID-19 or the war in Ukraine. This close-up investigation documentary delves into the cases of previous terrorist attacks worldwide and gives voice to present and former far-right activists, victims, militants fighting ultra-right and antiterrorism officers. This film raises awareness on a growing threat which represents a critical challenge to our democracies and tries to understand the link between these acts of terrorism and the growing political polarization and the mainstreaming of extremist beliefs in contemporary societies.

In November 2023, right-wing thought leaders, politicians from the AfD, CDU and Werteunion, as well as numerous entrepreneurs, met behind closed doors at the Landhaus Adlon in Potsdam. The topics discussed at the meeting were never intended to be made public. But weeks later, the media company Correctiv published the explosive contents of this conference, as investigative journalists were also present undercover. The revelations caused a stir and triggered the largest protest rallies against right-wing radicalism in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, with more than three million people nationwide. Suddenly, Germans were discussing a word that hardly anyone had known until then: "remigration." Award-winning documentary filmmaker Volker Heise tells the story in a fact-rich, gripping, and unpretentious way, like a political thriller, bringing together the voices of those who were part of the meeting and those who exposed it to create an illuminating overall picture.

Enthusiasm resounds at election campaign events with the right-wing extremist German AfD politician Björn Höcke. Some claim that he is his own biggest fan. Former colleagues believe that the chairman of the AfD Thuringia lives in the belief that something great is destined for him. On September 1, 2024, Björn Höcke won the state election in Thuringia for the first time, where he wants to become Prime Minister. Previously, Björn Höcke was twice fined for using a slogan from the Third Reich. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD Thuringia regional association he leads as proven right-wing extremist. In a book, he made his radical restructuring plans for Germany public. But who is Björn Höcke actually? Where does his attitude, his view of Germany, his worldview come from? Which ideological masterminds are behind the figurehead Höcke? Is he being controlled or is he controlling the AfD? And: What can we expect from him in the future?