Decoder (film)

Decoder is a 1984 West German film directed by Muscha. It is a cyberpunk and counter-cultural film roughly based on the writings of William S. Burroughs, who also acts in the film.^[2] Bill Rice plays Jaeger ("Hunter"), an agent of the government in charge of suppressing dissidents, while FM Einheit plays a musician who discovers that by changing the background music at a burger shop from pleasantly calming to industrial "noise" music, he can incite riots and a revolution against the looming power of the government.

Decoder
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Muscha
Written by	Klaus Maeck Muscha Volker Schäfer Trini Trimpop
Produced by	Klaus Maeck Muscha Volker Schäfer Trini Trimpop
Starring	Bill Rice F.M. Einheit Christiane F.
Cinematography	Johanna Heer
Edited by	Jonathon Braun Klaus Maeck Muscha Volker Schäfer Eva-Maria Will
Production company	Fett Film
Distributed by	Freunde der Deutschen Kinemathek
Release date	19 February 1984 (1984-02-19) (West Germany)[1]
Running time	87 minutes
Country	West Germany
Languages	German English Portuguese

Decoder was made on a small budget, and was written by Muscha, Klaus Maeck, Volker Schäfer, and Trini Trimpop. Nevertheless, the project was able to attract a number of notable people within the countercultural and industrial music "scenes" to perform in it. Actors included Burroughs, Genesis P-Orridge, Christiane Felscherinow, and bands included Soft Cell, Psychic TV, Einstürzende Neubauten, and The The.^[3]

The film was considered "oddly forgotten", and for numerous years was not in wide circulation.^[3] In 2019, however, the film was re-released on Blu-ray and DVD.^[4]

Cast

• F.M. Einheit as F.M.
• Bill Rice as Jaeger
• Christiane F. as Christiana
• Berthold Bell as H-Burger trainer (as Britzhold Baron De Belle)
• Matthias Fuchs as H-Burger manager
• William S. Burroughs as Old Man
• Genesis P-Orridge as High Priest
• Ralf Richter

See also

• The Electronic Revolution, by Burroughs