Vitagraph Films has picked up Oscar and Golden Globe nominee “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” for theatrical distribution in the United States. Directed by Uli Edel and based on the book by Stefan Aust, “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” tells the true story of militant revolutionary group The Red Army Faction (RAF), which terrorized Germany with bombings and assassinations in the 1960s and ’70s. Starring Martina Gedeck (“The Lives of Others”), Moritz Bleibtreu (“Run Lola Run”), and Bruno Ganz (“Downfall”), “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” became a huge box-office success and stirred much controversy in Germany, where the RAF remains a politically volatile subject.
Vitagraph plans to release the film in the top 20 markets in August. “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” will be the last of the five Academy Award nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film from last year to be released in the U.S. Sony Pictures Classics released “Waltz With Bashir” (Israel) and “The Class” (France) earlier this year. “Departures” (Japan) and “Revanche” (Austria) start opening in major cities this month, from Regent Releasing and Janus Films, respectively. Recent Vitagraph releases include “Valentino the Last Emperor,” “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” and “Tokyo!”