Operation Curveball

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Operation Curveball

Released Oct 8, 2021

1h 48m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

71%

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7 Reviews

100%

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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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Peter Debruge

Variety

History is written by the victors, whereas satires really ought to be written by cleverer wits than these.

Apr 1, 2020

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Screen International

It's a slick and frequently very amusing film about a profoundly dispiriting period of history.

Feb 27, 2020

Full Review

Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

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]

Jul 18, 2023

Full Review

Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

An unbelievable story becomes reality here.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 7, 2021

Full Review

Stephen Silver

Splice Today

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

Rated: 3/5

Oct 14, 2021

Full Review

Jonathan W. Hickman

The Newnan Times-Herald

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."

Rated: 7/10

Oct 9, 2021

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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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: Trailer 1

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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

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