Max Valier – the Rocket Man

The documentary tells the tragic and fantastic story of South Tyrolean Max Valier, who became an international sensation in Germany by performing spectacular rocket tests during the 1920s. With a disregard for his own safety and despite strong resistance, Valier fought for the dream of reaching the vastness of space and died during a laboratory experiment at the age of 35. To mark what would have been Valier’s 125th birthday, filmmaker Thomas Hanifle embarks on a search for the marks left behind by Valier in this world. Was Max Valier an admirable visionary or a selfish fanatic who even paved the way for the Nazis to develop rocket technology?