Jan Tenhaven
By Jan Tenhaven
On 24, Jul 2025 | In | By Jan Tenhaven
AUTOLAND – AN OBSESSION MADE IN GERMANY
Documentary | 90 minutes | ARD | Hoferichter & Jacobs | Written & Directed by Jan Tenhaven
This essayistic documentary explores the question of why the car remains so successful. Despite the climate crisis, overcrowded cities, and inflation, the number of privately owned cars in Germany has reached an all-time high. A mobility transition? At best, in a few major cities the car is losing a tiny bit of relevance. Overall, the number of cars continues to grow—they’re getting bigger, heavier, and more powerful. It’s actually kind of insane.
For this 90-minute film, I spoke with car lovers and car haters, drove a Ferrari with Ulf Poschardt, and accompanied a paramedic on duty. We filmed deep inside VW, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, and gave voice to critics like Katja Diehl and artist Folke Köbberling. A traffic researcher explains the psychological mechanisms behind our attachment to cars, while a car influencer shows how she earns enough with her videos to afford six BMWs and a Porsche. Digital utopian Jan Kamensky envisions what our cities could look like with fewer cars. It’s truly inspiring.
Documentary | 90 minutes | ARD | Hoferichter & Jacobs | Written & Directed by Jan Tenhaven
This essayistic documentary explores the question of why the car remains so successful. Despite the climate crisis, overcrowded cities, and inflation, the number of privately owned cars in Germany has reached an all-time high. A mobility transition? At best, in a few major cities the car is losing a tiny bit of relevance. Overall, the number of cars continues to grow—they’re getting bigger, heavier, and more powerful. It’s actually kind of insane.
For this 90-minute film, I spoke with car lovers and car haters, drove a Ferrari with Ulf Poschardt, and accompanied a paramedic on duty. We filmed deep inside VW, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, and gave voice to critics like Katja Diehl and artist Folke Köbberling. A traffic researcher explains the psychological mechanisms behind our attachment to cars, while a car influencer shows how she earns enough with her videos to afford six BMWs and a Porsche. Digital utopian Jan Kamensky envisions what our cities could look like with fewer cars. It’s truly inspiring.