Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) is the largest heavy metal festival in the world. Since 1990 it has been held annually on the first weekend in August – this time August 2nd to 5th – in the small community of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein. In the meantime, around 85,000 fans are always celebrating. The idea came from the founders Thomas Jensen (born 1966) and Holger Hübner (born 1966).
Inspired by true events, the fictional series “Legend of Wacken” tells the unique story of the founding of the cult festival. Charly Hübner (50) as Holger Hübner and Aurel Manthei (49) as Thomas Jensen play the leading roles; the younger versions of the two characters are embodied by Sammy Scheuritzel (24) and Sebastian Doppelbauer (28). Other roles can be seen as opponents: Detlev Buck (60) as the blackmailing farmer Trede, Katharina Wackernagel (44) as the controlling home manager Wiltrud and Marc Hosemann (52) as the old-fashioned innkeeper Karl-Heinz.
All six episodes will be available on RTL from July 7th – also the 57th birthday of Wacken founder Thomas Jensen. “Legend of Wacken” celebrates its free TV premiere on July 12 and 13 on Nitro – three episodes each from 8:15 p.m.
Charly Hübner, Aurel Manthei, director Lars Jessen (54) and producer Maren Knieling from Florida Film reveal how much truth there is in “Legend of Wacken” in an interview with spot on news.
Aurel Manthei: It’s handy for bringing stories from the past back to life through flashbacks. Luckily we appear there as ghosts, otherwise the game scenes would have been limited to the hospital bed. It also creates constant tension, namely: Will Holger wake up again?
Charly Hübner: Well, that’s a very practical clothesline on which you can hang wonderfully unorganized anecdotes.
Manthei: The first W.O.A was recreated in such detail using photos and, of course, stories by Holger and Thomas that both of them nodded appreciatively: “Yes, that’s how it was back then!”. The persistent efforts for certain bands and the slight imbalance in the calculation are probably also documented. Likewise the initial rejection or skepticism in the village of Wacken, but with farmer Tredes Acker and his support, the whole thing picked up speed after various setbacks.
Hübner: As the title “Legend of Wacken” says, it’s no longer possible to tell the difference between them, since there was grain and sausage water in large quantities, not to mention the beer.
Lars Jessen and Maren Knieling (Florida Film): Basically, we re-imagined the story of Thomas and Holger based on half-sentences and anecdotes that have been handed down. Now you could say that’s not true at all. Our two heroes, the Wacken founders, would then vehemently disagree. At its core, everything is true.
Hübner: There have been several meetings in recent years to understand where the drama was, what is delicious, what is needed dramaturgically. For me it’s always important and nice to tell stories that start in the subcultural area and then go their own way. Subcultures are the humus of the future – still.
Jessen und Knieling: Our authors have conducted extensive interviews with Thomas Jensen and Holger Hübner and many people who have accompanied them for years. They rummaged through the archives and inhaled the music. That was really a huge achievement with bulging screenplays. Central to Jensen and Hübner was that the feeling was right, the whole aroma. There was only a clear no for “Dschingis Khan” in the country inn. Since the two were very meticulous.
Hübner: Florida Film and Florida Entertainment are sisters and as it is with sisters who like each other, they often visit each other. So to speak, coffee and cake.
Jessen and Knieling: In principle, we constantly exchange ideas about humor and pop culture. Klaas and Lars [Jessen] both come from the northern German provinces. They know exactly what great things can be caused by boredom if you know how to draw strength from it. In Oldenburg [Heufer-Umlauf], Meldorf [Jessen] and in Wacken there must have been about as little going on.
Manthei: A black, drunk metal horde invades a small, tranquil village with deafening devil music. The poor residents! That, or something like that, is probably what a lot of people think about the W.O.A. But whoever notices how kindly the guests thank the people of Wacken for their support and tolerance, how politely they are considerate of each other and how bright the eyes of one or the other “normal citizen” from Wacken are longing for this happening – it fully underlines this statement. And the calm after the storm is not only good for the people of Wacken, but also for all metalheads.
Hübner: It’s a village, everyone knows each other and it hasn’t harmed the village due to good communication for the most part. Watch “Full Metal Village – Heimatfilm” [Documentary, 2006]. This great film answers that question.
