The German Defence Ministry is backing away from reports that it would oppose the shooting of the film starring Tom Cruise, on German military sites. News reports earlier this week said the German military objected to Cruise playing Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, who led a plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944, because of Cruise's belief in Scientology.
The ministry now says it would "look agreeably" upon any application to film in Germany. The German film industry is also putting in a good word for the project, which could begin filming as soon as next month. The heads of Studio Babelsberg, Christoph Fisser and Carl Woebcken, are in negotiations with producers United Artists to join the project.
On Thursday they praised Valkyrie as one of the "too few examples of military opposition to Hitler's regime." Operation Valkyrie was the name of the secret assassination plot. "The assassination attempt against Hitler is hardly known outside Germany," Fisser said, quoted by Reuters.
"We should therefore be delighted and welcome this wonderful opportunity to improve the image of our country." Von Stauffenberg led a group of military officers who planned to kill Hitler using a bomb in a briefcase. When the plot failed, they were executed.
One of the spots the film might be shot is the Bendlerblock memorial in Berlin, the actual location where Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators hatched the plot and the place they were executed. The Bendlerblock houses part of the Defence Ministry, but the ministry says it is not responsible for approving film shoots there because it is only a tenant. The misunderstanding over whether military officials would approve filming appears to have begun with a posting on the website of conservative German member of parliament Antje Blumenthal.
On Friday, Blumenthal posted a statement claiming that Defence Minister Franz-Josef Jung thinks Cruise poses a danger because of his connection to Scientology and that filming would not be approved. Blumenthal is a longtime opponent of Scientology which has been denied status as a religion in Germany. Von Stauffenberg's son Berthold also has objected to the casting of Cruise as his father.
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