Mollath

The case of Gustl Mollath -- a man who was kept in a mental institution for seven years in Bavaria -- is undoubtedly a very complex one. Unfortunately this documentary doesn't even try to bring some light into the case. It follows Gustl Mollath around after his release from the mental mental ward, and showcases some people along the way -- some of his proponents, and some of his opponents -- without ever asking them a single question. The author remains invisible. This is very stylish, but also painfully unhelpful. Mollath himself comes across as jovial, but also as not being the full shilling, either, and as a talented self-promoter. What was very revealing to me was actually seeing the infamous complaints he initially filed against the employer of his wife. Apparently, he spent weeks sitting in a darkened house writing paranoid letters full of vague allegations to every notable figure he could think of, including the president of Germany. This convinced me that he did at least experience an episode of mental instability, and that there wasn't a large-scale cover-up by the authorities.