When does the event take place?

The screening takes place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 12:45 PM.

Where will the documentary be shown?

The venue is the Schauburg Film Palace at Horster Straße 6 in Gelsenkirchen.

Who presents the film?

Filmmaker Claus Bredenbrock will personally present the screening.

How long is the film?

The runtime of the film is about 60 minutes.

What is the documentary about?

The film deals with Enrico Mattei, the founder of the Italian energy company ENI, his political influence, and the open questions regarding his death in a plane crash in 1962.

Is the film suitable for children?

The age rating is not specified for this Gelsenkirchen screening.

Enrico Mattei: A Mysterious Crash Becomes a Captivating Cinematic Experience

Name: Trial Against Silence – The Case of Enrico Mattei
Start: 2026-11-15T12:45:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-15T13:45:00+01:00
Location: Schauburg Filmpalast

When History Becomes a Criminal Case: Enrico Mattei on the Big Screen

A plane crash, a political turning point, and a secret that has lasted for decades: On Sunday, November 15, 2026, filmmaker Claus Bredenbrock will present the documentary Trial Against Silence – The Case of Enrico Mattei at the Schauburg Film Palace Gelsenkirchen. The event is part of the municipal film series Current Historical Stories and combines historical storytelling with exciting investigative research.

A Man Between Energy Policy and the Cold War

Enrico Mattei founded and led the Italian energy company ENI. The film portrays a powerful individual who aimed to strengthen Italy's economic independence and challenged the Anglo-American oil cartels. Mattei supplied resource-poor Italy with cheap crude oil and natural gas, contributing to the country's economic development in the 1960s.

The Crash That Left Questions

In October 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Mattei's company jet crashed near Milan. Besides the ENI boss, the pilot and an American journalist died. The documentary follows how the official accident report became fragile over the decades and what clues pointed to a possible assassination in the investigations.

Documentary Film as a Search for Historical Traces

Claus Bredenbrock and Bernhard Pfletschinger base their research on official investigations by the court in Pavia. The narrative leads through energy policy, international power interests, and the political tensions of the Cold War. Archival material, historical contexts, and precise research transform the cinema into a space of political memory.

A Unique Stage Experience in the Cinema

Claus Bredenbrock presents the film personally. This gives the screening an additional dialogical layer: The audience experiences not only a historical documentary but also an accompanied engagement with the open questions surrounding Mattei's death. The concentrated theater atmosphere of the Schauburg Film Palace, the large screen, and the acoustic presence of the cinema give immediate impact to contemporary history.

Conclusion: History That Does Not Remain Silent

Trial Against Silence focuses on a little-known case of European post-war history and shows how closely energy, politics, and international power are interconnected. Visitors can expect an intense documentary film experience with a personal presentation by filmmaker Claus Bredenbrock. Those who want to experience political history not from a safe distance but as an exciting stage experience of thought should attend this performance live at the Schauburg Film Palace.