NDR / BR, 2017, 45 minutes
The Marshall Plan is the spark that sets off the West German 1960s economic boom – that’s what all Germans have learned in school. When any new emergency, arises, whether it be the Greek Depression, the Middle East conflict, or hunger in Africa, politicians are always quick to insist on the necessity of a Marshall Plan. Seventy years after its invention, this legendary stimulus program appears to be the model of efficient economic aid. But is this actually true?
Seventy years later, it’s time for a critical resumé. This film looks behind the facade of the “European Recovery Program” and tells the true story of the project: why the Marshall Plan wasn’t that beneficial, economically. But also why it is a milestone, whose effect continues to shape Germany to this day.