The Hunt for Gaddafi's Billions

  • Rockie

This investigative documentary takes us inside the dark and mysterious world of spies, special forces and political insiders as they race to find Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s billions in a dangerous treasure hunt.

Year

2021

Length

90 min

Director

Misha Wessel & Thomas Blom

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Synopsis

In life, the Libyan leader ruled with an iron fist for 42 years and treated Libya’s wealth as his own. He died the richest man on the planet with a fortune of $150billion. A mercurial leader in life, the spell of Gaddafi’s money continued after his death, triggering a ruthless race to find his missing billions.

Two journalists pick up the trail of a mysterious $12.5 billion in cash moved out of Libya and flown to South Africa in the dead of night, just months before Gaddafi’s demise. In South Africa they discover an eye-witness who seems to know all about the money and his testimony changes everything. But before he can provide them with proof, the story takes a sinister twist, the first of many.

The journalists gain access to two rival teams hunting the money and chasing a huge pay day. They criss-cross the world, following the rival hunters and seeking out the truth about the Gaddafi’s billions. There are deaths, a kidnapping and a major falling-out, not only between the teams, but within the teams. The stakes are high for all the players in this secretive world.

As they gather more evidence, the two journalists realise that by delving into the ANC’s recent history, they may find a crucial lead to Gaddafi’s money. Will anyone get their hands on the cash and will it ever be returned to its rightful owners – the Libyan people? Or will they all destroy each other and themselves along the way?

Directed by
Misha Wessel & Thomas Blom

Camera
Lars Skree

Sound
Tim Van Peppen
Bouwe Mulder

Editing
Matthieu Hes
Kate Spankie
Rinze Schuurman

Music
Rob Manning

Sound mix
Jaim Sahuleka
Pierre Brandt

Postproduction
Feverfilm
Malte Hadeler

Production Management
Alex Nicholson (Brook Lapping)
Brigit Dopheide (VPRO)
Sandra Zentgraf (gebrueder beetz)

Production Manager
Rita Ribas (Brook Lapping)
Emma Scott (Brook Lapping)
Katharina Krohmann (ZDF)
Rebecca Zaubel (gebrueder beetz)

Producer
Nicoline Tania (VPRO)
Jessica Van Beek (VPRO)
Nadine Neumann (gebrueder beetz)
Juliane Hribar (gebrueder beetz)

Executive Producer
Barbara Truyen (VPRO)
Karen Edwards (BROOK LAPPING)
Greg Sanderson (BROOK LAPPING)
Reinhardt Beetz (gebrueder beetz)

Commissioning Editor
Martin Pieper und Miriam Carbe (ZDF ARTE)
Mandy Chang und Hailey Reynolds (BBC Storyville)
Axel Arno (SVT)
Anders Bruus (DR)
Barbara Truyen (VPRO)

A production by gebrüder beetz filmproduktion
On behalf of ZDF
In cooperation with ARTE

Directed by
John Kantara

Camera
Chris Caliman
Gerald Gareis
Felix Greif
Dino von Wintersdorff

Sound
Lukas Röhrdanz
Sebastian Stemper
Nicolas Winkelhahn

Editing
Jens Greuner

Music
Nils Kacirek
Paul Timmich

Voiceover
Susanne Grawe

Graphics
Ezra Sefaye

Color correction
Bernie Greiner

Sound mix
Pierre Brand

Postproduction
Malte Hadeler

Archive
Pond 5
ZDF
Heike Kruse/DOP

Production Manager
Juliane Hribar (Gebrüder Beetz)
Katharina Krohmann (ZDF)

Producer
Nadine Neumann

Executive Producer
Reinhardt Beetz 

Editorial
Ann-Christin Hornberger
Katharina Finger

A production by gebrüder beetz filmproduktion
On behalf of ZDF
In cooperation with ARTE

Ein Film von
Misha Wessel & Thomas Blom

Ton
Tim Van Peppen
Bouwe Mulder

Postproduktion
Feverfilm
Malte Hadeler

Mischung
Jaim Sahuleka
Pierre Brandt

Herstellungsleitung
Alex Nicholson (Brook Lapping)
Brigit Dopheide (VPRO)
Sandra Zentgraf (gebrueder beetz)

Produktionsleitung
Rita Ribas (Brook Lapping)
Emma Scott (Brook Lapping)
Katharina Krohmann (ZDF)
Rebecca Zaubel (gebrueder beetz)

Producer
Nicoline Tania (VPRO)
Jessica Van Beek (VPRO)
Nadine Neumann (gebrueder beetz)
Juliane Hribar (gebrueder beetz)

Musik
Rob Manning

Kamera
Lars Skree

Schnitt
Matthieu Hes
Kate Spankie
Rinze Schuurman

Produzenten
Barbara Truyen (VPRO)
Karen Edwards (BROOK LAPPING)
Greg Sanderson (BROOK LAPPING)
Reinhardt Beetz (gebrueder beetz)

Redaktion
Martin Pieper und Miriam Carbe (ZDF ARTE)
Mandy Chang und Hailey Reynolds (BBC Storyville)
Axel Arno (SVT)
Anders Bruus (DR)
Barbara Truyen (VPRO)

Sales & distribution
The Hunt for Gaddafi’s Billions
Trailer
  • „Just in diesem Moment überraschen uns die aus dem Theaterbereich stammenden jungen Regisseure Hans Block und Moritz Riesewieck mit einem erstaunlichen Dokumentarfilm, der seit Monaten Publikum und Kritik auf den wichtigsten Festivals der Welt elektrisiert. Völlig zu Recht: Es ist, als würden einem die Scheuklappen weggerissen, als sähe man das, was sich seit Jahren direkt vor unseren Augen abspielt, zum ersten Mal unverschleiert... eine fesselnde ,Doku noir' mit höchstem Anspruch...Dieser Film müsste an allen Schulen gezeigt werden.“
    Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
    17.05.2018

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