In Gordian Maugg’s historical crime story Zeppelin! the airship casts its long shadow over three generations of a southern German family. Why did Robert Silcher, crew member of the LZ 129 Hindenburg, die in the flames at Lakehurst on May 7 1937? His son Jacob spent his life trying, unsuccessfully, to shed light on the mysterious circumstances of the accident. The investigation is continued by grandson Matthias, but to no avail. The bizarre circumstances of Robert’s death and the lives of his surviving family members doesn’t come to light until 2004 with the assistance of Karl Semmle, the only witness who knows what happened and what drove Robert to sacrifice his own life to save the airship industry. The material makes for a fascinating historical drama that’s rendered all the more effective by the way director Gordian Maugg interweaves some beautiful archive footage of the awesome airship.
Director Gordian Maugg will attend the screening.