Pre-Sales Start Taking the Stage for Berlinale Special Title ‘Brecht’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The first international buyers have begun snapping up “Brecht,” a miniseries on the influential German playwright that will play in the Berlinale Special section of the film festival. The two-part project blends drama and documentary forms to tell Bertolt Brecht’s life story. Written and directed by Heinrich Breloer, it stars both Tom Schilling (“Never Look Away”) and Burghart Klaussner (“The People vs. Fritz Bauer”) as Brecht at different ages.

The show had its world premiere Saturday, with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the president of Germany, in attendance.

Bavaria Media Intl. has sealed pre-sales with buyers in Scandinavia and Southern Europe. Danish pubcaster DR has bought the miniseries, as has its Finnish counterpart, YLE.

In Spain, it has gone to streaming service Filmin. “’Brecht’ is an important piece of work that helps us to understand the creative process of one of Europe’s brightest minds in the 20th century,” said the on-demand service’s co-founder and editor-in-chief, Jaume Ripoll.

German drama is in vogue. Corinna Eich, who exec-produced “Brecht” for Bavaria Fiction, said the show, with its drama and documentary mix, has both local and international appeal.

“Interest in Germany history from the ‘dark period’ continues unabated,” she said. “And with the help of Heinrich Breloer’s method – to depict this history by means of a creative key figure – it may also be possible to show how dangerously relevant to us the story still is, and how carelessly we behave towards the freedom of the individual today.”

“Brecht” has been formatted as two 90-minute installments. It will bow on ARD and Arte in March in Germany.