Film

Westerwelle

2026 · 1h 30m · Documentary

IMDb

7.0

A documentary that offers an intimate portrait of Guido Westerwelle, Germany’s former Vice-Chancellor, balancing his political career with his groundbreaking role as a gay pioneer. Released for the 10th anniversary of his death, the film explores the sharp contrast between his polarizing public persona and his private vulnerability. The narrative anchor consists of never-before-heard audio recordings from 2014, captured in Mallorca by journalist Dominik Wichmann as Westerwelle battled acute leukemia. The movie weaves these raw archives with emotional interviews from his husband, Michael Mronz, and key political rivals. It charts his rise within the FDP, his historic 2004 public coming out, and his legacy as Germany’s first openly gay cabinet minister. The plot highlights the unique diplomatic challenges he faced visiting nations hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, his sudden fall from political grace, and his final fight against cancer alongside Mronz.

Guido Westerwelle

Self (archive footage)

• Jobst KniggeDirector · Screenplay
• Dominik WichmannScreenplay · Executive Producer
• Klaus BrinkbäumerScreenplay · Executive Producer
• Rüdiger BarthProducer
• Benedict SichenederDirector of Photography
• Jean SchablinDirector of Photography
• Sebastian SeibertDirector of Photography
• Marek WeinholdEditor

Release date

March 10, 2026

Status

Released

Original language

German

Runtime

1h 30m

Genres

Documentary