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Operation Curveball

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Operation Curveball 2021 1h 48m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 100% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Bioweapons expert Wolf of the German Federal Intelligence Service BND is obsessed with the idea that, despite the UN inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Back home in Germany, his superior Schatz assigns him as case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan -- because Alwan claims to have worked as an engineer for Saddam Hussein's secret bioweapons program. It's a rare triumph for a secret service not exactly spoiled by success: finally, they have a piece of intelligence that would put them one step ahead of the CIA. What they are missing, though, is proof. The search for which proves difficult, as 'Curveball' is well aware of his value to the agency. His claims, meanwhile, end up serving a number of decidedly different interests -- the CIA, the German government, everyone is trying to use his incredible story for their own purposes. Thus, bit by bit, a construed story becomes reality and a lie becomes the truth. A truth, which sets in motion a chain of events that forever changes the global political landscape.
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Operation Curveball

Critics Reviews

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Peter Debruge Variety 04/01/2020
History is written by the victors, whereas satires really ought to be written by cleverer wits than these. Go to Full Review Wendy Ide Screen International 02/27/2020
It's a slick and frequently very amusing film about a profoundly dispiriting period of history. Go to Full Review Erick Estrada Cinegarage 07/18/2023
Well-acted and with a tone that's very hard to achieve... Johannes Naber does a great job delivering this true story to the screen. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Carey-Ann Pawsey Orca Sound 11/07/2021
3/5
An unbelievable story becomes reality here. Go to Full Review Stephen Silver Splice Today 10/14/2021
3/5
It's a mostly compelling and often infuriating telling of the tale, although it makes a strange choice in centering not on Curveball himself but a group of German officials Go to Full Review Jonathan W. Hickman The Newnan Times-Herald 10/09/2021
7/10
An entertaining, eclectic mix of fact and educated speculation, "Operation Curveball" is an unusual, scathing political comedy that owes a lot to the success of Kubrick's 1964 classic "Strangelove." Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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10/13/2021 Operation CurveBall is an amazing satire about the first big lie the republican party told us... That ther=re were weapons of mass destruciton in Iraq. remember those days? Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld at the UN....lying their asses off. Well it turns out these were all based on a lie from German intelligence, and this is that story. The CIA knew it was a debunked iraqi spy but the US went ahead with the invasion of Iraq anyway! great acting, a terrific date film. See more Read all reviews
Operation Curveball

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Cast & Crew

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Johannes Naber

Director

Dar Salim

Rafid Alwan

Virginia Kull

Leslie

Sebastian Blomberg

Wolf

Thorsten Merten

Schatz

Franziska Brandmeier

Meg

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Operation Curveball

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Operation Curveball

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Movie Info

Synopsis Bioweapons expert Wolf of the German Federal Intelligence Service BND is obsessed with the idea that, despite the UN inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Back home in Germany, his superior Schatz assigns him as case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan -- because Alwan claims to have worked as an engineer for Saddam Hussein's secret bioweapons program. It's a rare triumph for a secret service not exactly spoiled by success: finally, they have a piece of intelligence that would put them one step ahead of the CIA. What they are missing, though, is proof. The search for which proves difficult, as 'Curveball' is well aware of his value to the agency. His claims, meanwhile, end up serving a number of decidedly different interests -- the CIA, the German government, everyone is trying to use his incredible story for their own purposes. Thus, bit by bit, a construed story becomes reality and a lie becomes the truth. A truth, which sets in motion a chain of events that forever changes the global political landscape.
Director
Johannes Naber
Producer
Amir Hamz, Christian Springer, Fahri Ögün Yardim
Screenwriter
Oliver Keidel, Johannes Naber
Distributor
Rock Salt Releasing
Production Co
ARRI Media Productions, Bon Voyage Films
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 8, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 12, 2021
Runtime
1h 48m