Gesucht: Monika Ertl

The film reconstructs Monika Ertl's life by showing fragments of movies made by her father, photographs, and talks with people directly involved. Gradually, the dramatic course of her life is brought to light in this documentary.
Monika Ertl was born in 1937, daughter of film maker Hans Ertl. She emigrated to Bolivia with her father and sisters just after World War II and grew up in the German community there. After her marriage had failed she became politically committed and eventually joined the left resistance. Together with Inti Peredo, and alone after his death, she hoped to rebuild the demoralized resistance of Che Guevara. In 1971, her name was put on the police's wanted-list on account of a political murder. Prompted by a sense of guilt about the Nazi-crimes of World War II, she attempted to kidnap Klaus Barbie, a friend of her father's, two years later. This act cost her dearly. 'Victoria o muerte' (victory or death) was the slogan of the Bolivian resistance. It became 'muerte' for Monika Ertl.