''Der Todestunnel'', known in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

as ''1200º: La Verità della Tunnel della Morte'', is a joint production

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

filmed in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and has both Austrian and Italian

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

s speaking in their native languages.

Plot

The film opens up as a young prosecutor is handed her toughest assignment: a

truck driver A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Australia and New Zealand; an HGV driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, a lorry driver, or driver in ...

charged with

reckless driving In United States law, reckless driving is a major moving violation related to aggressive driving that generally consists of driving a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. It is usually a more serious o ...

. She has to prove that he was negligent and kept falling asleep at the wheel. After crashing his

semi SEMI is an industry association comprising companies involved in the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. They provide equipment, materials and services for the manufacture of semiconductors, photovoltaic panels, LED and flat pan ...

into a

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

, his rig turns over, gas leaks out, and a fire ensues, shutting down the lights in the long tunnel. Unfortunately, due to the length of the tunnel it is impossible for rescue personnel to get in the tunnel to give adequate medical attention to the people seriously injured. There are several flashbacks, where survivors recall the accident, including a grieving father named Giuseppe Paoletti, portrayed by

Flavio Insinna Flavio Insinna (born 3 July 1965) is an Italian actor and television presenter. He is a former host of ''L'eredità''. He is also known for having hosted ''Affari tuoi, Affari Tuoi'', the Italian version of ''Deal or No Deal'' between 2006 and 20 ...

, an Italian family man who is driving his wife and son to Austria, who emotionally describes his account of what happened after the accident.

Two versions

There are two different versions of the film. ''Der Todestunnel'', the original title, is filmed in German with the Italian actors' voices dubbed; the Italian version, ''1200º: La Verità della Tunnel della morte'', dubs the German actors' voices.

Background

The movie is based on a true story about a catastrophic accident inside the tunnel connecting Austria and Italy. As a result, at least 50 people died of smoke inhalation.

References

External links

* 2000s German-language films 2000s Italian-language films 2005 films 2005 television films Austrian television films Films directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard German-language television shows Italian television films Sat.1 original programming ORF (broadcaster) original programming {{tv-film-stub