"Ein stummer Hund will ich nicht sein" –  A film by Walter Steffen about courage, humanity and the power of life

Walter Steffen's new feature film is dedicated to the extraordinary life of the priest Korbinian Aigner, who set a silent but powerful example of hope in times of horror. As an outspoken opponent of the Nazi regime, Aigner was arrested and deported to Dachau concentration camp. There he was deployed as a forced laborer in the so-called “herb garden” - a place that became the scene of an unprecedented botanical deed.
Despite the inhumane conditions, Aigner cultivated new apple varieties between the barracks of the camp. One of these varieties - originally known as “KZ3” - has survived to this day as the Korbinians apple. Today, this tree is planted all over the world as a living symbol of remembrance and resistance.

The film tells Aigner's story with great depth and human closeness. It is impressively carried by the emotional film music of renowned composer Rüdiger Gleisberg, who brings the emotional facets of the story to life with great sensitivity. The soundtrack is complemented by the track “Prolog Garude Apsa” by the internationally acclaimed gypsy jazz guitarist Harri Stojka. Stojka, who is now a committed advocate of Sinti and Roma culture, has a personal connection to the story: his grandfather was maltreated to death in the “herb garden”.

"Ein stummer Hund will ich nicht sein" is a deeply moving film about civil courage, the culture of remembrance and the unbroken power of human dignity - a cinematic monument to a silent hero.