World on a Wire(1973)

Original title: Welt am Draht

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- Not Rated
- 1h 43m
- October 14, 1973(West Germany)
- TV Mini Series
- 7.7/10 (7.3K)

Crime Mystery Sci-Fi

Seasons
- 1
Years
- 1973
In the future, Simulacron, a computer project simulating reality, encounters strange occurrences after its leader's death. Dr. Stiller questions the sudden disappearance of a friend and wond... Read allIn the future, Simulacron, a computer project simulating reality, encounters strange occurrences after its leader's death. Dr. Stiller questions the sudden disappearance of a friend and wonders if Simulacron holds the answers.In the future, Simulacron, a computer project simulating reality, encounters strange occurrences after its leader's death. Dr. Stiller questions the sudden disappearance of a friend and wonders if Simulacron holds the answers.
Stars
Awards
- 1 win total
Reviews
- 51 User reviews
- 83 Critic reviews
Photos & videos
- 116 Photos
- 2 Videos

Cast

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verified as complete

Klaus Löwitsch
Klaus Löwitsch
Fred Stiller
• 1973
Barbara Valentin
Barbara Valentin
Gloria Fromm
• 1973
Mascha Rabben
Mascha Rabben
Eva Vollmer
• 1973
Karl Heinz Vosgerau
Karl Heinz Vosgerau
Herbert Siskins
(as Karl-Heinz Vosgerau)
• 1973
Wolfgang Schenck
Wolfgang Schenck
Franz Hahn
• 1973
Günter Lamprecht
Günter Lamprecht
Fritz Walfang
• 1973
Ulli Lommel
Ulli Lommel
Rupp, Journalist
• 1973
Adrian Hoven
Adrian Hoven
Professor Henri Vollmer
(as Adrian Hooven)
• 1973
Ivan Desny
Ivan Desny
Günther Lause
• 1973
Joachim Hansen
Joachim Hansen
Hans Edelkern
• 1973
Kurt Raab
Kurt Raab
Mark Holm
• 1973
Margit Carstensen
Margit Carstensen
Maya Schmidt-Gentner
• 1973
Ingrid Caven
Ingrid Caven
Uschi, secretary
• 1973
Gottfried John
Gottfried John
Einstein
• 1973
Rudolf Lenz
Rudolf Lenz
Hartmann
• 1973
Lilo Pempeit
Lilo Pempeit
Data typist
(as Lieselotte Eder)
• 1973
Heinz Meier
Heinz Meier
Von Weinlaub, secretary of state
• 1973
Peter Chatel
Peter Chatel
Hirse, secretary of state
• 1973
Rainer Hauer
Rainer Hauer
Inspector Stuhlfauth
• 1973
Ernst Küsters
Ernst Küsters
Bodyguard
• 1973
El Hedi ben Salem
El Hedi ben Salem
Bodyguard
(as Elhedi Ben Salem)
• 1973
Karl Scheydt
Karl Scheydt
Inspector Lehner
• 1973
Solange Pradel
Solange Pradel
Singer
• 1973
Bruce Low
Bruce Low
Doctor
• 1973
Elma Karlowa
Elma Karlowa
Keeper of Cafeteria
• 1973
Maryse Dellanoy
Maryse Dellanoy
Waitress at cafe
(as Maryse Dellannoy)
• 1973
Werner Schroeter
Werner Schroeter
Party guest
• 1973
Magdalena Montezuma
Magdalena Montezuma
Party guest
• 1973
Christine Kaufmann
Christine Kaufmann
Party guest
• 1973
Rainer Langhans
Rainer Langhans
Rainer, waiter at party
(as Rainer Langhanns)
• 1973
Corinna Brocher
Corinna Brocher
Employee
• 1973
Dora Karras-Frank
Dora Karras-Frank
Victim of assault on Stiller
• 1973
Katrin Schaake
Katrin Schaake
Computer lab assistant
• 1973
Peter Gauhe
Peter Gauhe
Informer
• 1973
Christiane Maybach
Christiane Maybach
Lady at the bar
• 1973
Walter Sedlmayr
Walter Sedlmayr
Janitor
• 1973
Eddie Constantine
Eddie Constantine
Man in Rolls Royce
• 1973
Rudolf Waldemar Brem
Rudolf Waldemar Brem
Hospital orderly
• 1973
Peter Kern
Peter Kern
Hospital orderly
• 1973
Karsten Peters
Karsten Peters
Guide at newspaper editors
• 1973
Peter Moland
Peter Moland
Employee
• 1973
Doris Mattes
Doris Mattes
Employee
• 1973
Wolfgang Hess
Wolfgang Hess
Bodyguard
/Man in Rolls Royce
(voice) (uncredited)
Arnold Marquis
Arnold Marquis
Günther Lause
(voice) (uncredited)

Crew believed to be complete

Full cast & crew

Distributors

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Carlotta Films
- (France, 2010)
Kinowelt Home Entertainment
- (Germany, 2010)(DVD)
Second Sight Films
- (United Kingdom, 2010)(subtitled, DVD)
Clap - Produção de Filmes
- (Portugal, 2011)
Janus Films
- (United States, 2011)(subtitled)
The Criterion Collection
- (United States, 2011)(subtitled, Blu-ray, DVD)
The Criterion Collection
- (United States, 2012)(subtitled, DVD)
StudioCanal
- (Germany, 2013)(DVD)
StudioCanal
- (Germany, 2013)(Blu-ray, DVD)
Ripley's Home Video
- (Italy, 2015)(DVD)
I.V.C.
- (Japan, 2016)(theatrical)
The Criterion Channel
- (United States, 2023)(streaming, TV)

Other Companies

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Alcazar de Paris
- (thanks)
Club St. Hilaire
- (thanks)
International Business Machines (IBM)
- (IBM, thanks)
Martini & Rossi
- (Martini, thanks)
Parly II
- (thanks)
Siemens
- (thanks)
Trianon-Hotel Versailles
- (thanks)

Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His successor Dr. Fred Stiller experiences odd phenomena. A good friend, Guenther Lause, disappears in the middle of a conversation and a week later nobody has ever heard of him. And those fits of dizzyness - Stiller cannot believe himself to be fool. There has to be an explanation for all this. Could Simulacron have something to do with it? —Oliver Heidelbach

bizarre uncertainty dystopia simulation within a simulation speculative fiction 39 more

Did you know

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Trivia
Premiered on West German television as a two-part mini-series in 1973. The film was not seen again until sometime after 2000, when a single digital version began showing up on the Internet and was passed around by Fassbinder fans through file-sharing communities.

Goofs
When Stiller leaves the cabin to go after Eva, the gun he is carrying is not the bolt action rifle he loaded earlier - it's a pump action and the front ring sight is missing. The scope has also been reversed and it barely attached as it flops around as he fires, and it falls off shortly thereafter. (But if all of this is not "real" then is is really a Goof?)

Quotes
Franz Hahn: I can imagine what Vollmer's shattering discovery was. I bet it had to do with his attitude towards the identity units we'd programmed in his computer. You remember how he called them "my children".
Fred Stiller: He was only joking.
Franz Hahn: You can't spend years feeding data into a computer that allows for the simulation of every aspect of human behavior without asking yourself if it might lead to the creation of something resembling human consciousness.