Born to Fake

Top 5 Billed Cast

Michael Born
Michael Born

himself

Roland Berger
Roland Berger

himself

Martin Lettmayer
Martin Lettmayer

himself

Dr. Gabriele Schuster
Dr. Gabriele Schuster

herself

Thomas Pritzl
Thomas Pritzl

himself

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

  • Overview

    In 1996, one of the biggest media scandals in German history shook the public: Michael Born, a self-made journalist, had faked over twenty reports for the newly established private television station between 1990 and 1996. Some seemed amateurish, others dealt with absurd topics: child labor for IKEA in India, drug addicts licking toads to get high, and the Ku Klux Klan in the Eifel region were just some of his numerous fabrications. How did it come to this? Was Michael Born an enlightened figure who subversively exposed the tabloid system, a victim of the system, or simply a bumbling fraud? Film traces Michael Born's footsteps. Put together from hundreds of hours of raw material and the memories of former companions, an incredible story of forgery emerges. A media-theoretical film about levels of reality, fake news, and the question: Why do we actually believe what we see?

  • Release Date

    2026-05-28

  • Average

    0

  • Rating:

    0.0 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    Deutsch
  • Keywords

Similar Movies

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
72%

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room(en)

2005-04-22

A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
70%

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism(en)

2004-07-14

This film examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news, and provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangerous impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person. Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society. This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."

Tabloid Workers
20%

Tabloid Workers(cs)

2014-04-16

This documentary study of the mechanisms that turn the gears of the tabloids is conducted by the unique figure Pavel Novotný. This editor-in-chief of one of the most widely read Czech media outlets of the time, providing news from the world of show business and human misfortune, gets straight to the point. Readership is a fetish, an absolute alibi for all invasions of privacy and every transgression of good ethics. Seen up close, the whole cluster of disreputable reports looks like a staged tableau. Before the eager eyes of an anxious public, celebrities willingly or unwillingly perform acts that the scrutiny of the all-powerful tabloid workers attributes racy significance to.

River of Gold
0%

River of Gold(en)

2016-03-26

Narrated by Academy Award winners Sissy Spacek and Herbie Hancock, River of Gold is the disturbing account of a clandestine journey into Peru's Amazon rainforest to uncover the savage unraveling of pristine jungle. What will be the fate of this critical region of priceless biodiversity as these extraordinarily beautiful forests are turned into a hellish wasteland?

The Yes Men Fix the World
70%

The Yes Men Fix the World(en)

2009-01-18

THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world's most outrageous pranks.

Control Room
74%

Control Room(en)

2004-01-22

A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
68%

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal(en)

2021-03-17

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged.

Seven Years-Journalism without Journalist
80%

Seven Years-Journalism without Journalist(ko)

2017-01-12

A total of 17 journalists have been fired since 2008, the beginning of LEE Myung-bak’s presidential term. They fought against the companies that they worked for succumbing to power and are now frustrated at reality where censorship of the press by authority has now become a norm. Can they continue their activities as journalists?

It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks
68%

It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks(fr)

2008-09-17

The murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic extremist in 2004, followed by the publishing of twelve satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed that was commissioned for the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, provides the incendiary framework for Daniel Leconte's provocative documentary, It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks.

Trust Me
80%

Trust Me(en)

2020-10-08

Trust Me uses stories, facts and experts to explain how our lack of media literacy is hurting us and how the media is negatively affecting our perspective of the world. True stories of how mis-information can result in real problems are meant to provoke thought and action in viewers.

Nana
62%

Nana(es)

2016-05-05

Doctors of the Dark Side
68%

Doctors of the Dark Side(en)

2011-01-01

Doctors of the Dark Side is the first feature length documentary about the pivotal role of physicians and psychologists in detainee torture. The stories of four detainees and the doctors involved in their abuse demonstrate how US Army and CIA doctors implemented the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques and covered up signs of torture at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Interviews with medical, legal and intelligence experts and evidence from declassified government memos document what has been called the greatest scandal in American medical ethics. Based on four years of research by Producer/Director Martha Davis, written by Oscar winning Mark Jonathan Harris, and filmed in HD by Emmy winning DP Lisa Rinzler, the film shows how the torture of detainees could not continue without the assistance of the doctors.

Trump's Power & the Rule of Law
85%

Trump's Power & the Rule of Law(en)

2025-07-15

FRONTLINE goes inside the high-stakes showdown between President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power. Trump allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power; the legal pushback; and the impact on the rule of law.

Relatively Free
90%

Relatively Free(en)

2016-12-21

A short film following the release of journalist and activist Barrett Brown from prison, and his drive across Texas to a halfway house. 'Relatively Free' is an examination of Brown's return to a very different world, post the election.

Princess Diana: The Mourning After
66%

Princess Diana: The Mourning After(en)

1998-08-01

In "Diana: The Mourning After" Christopher Hitchens sets out to examine the bogusness of "a nation's grief", tries to uncover the few voices of sanity that cut against the grain of contrived hysteria. His findings suggested that the collective hordes of emotive Dianaphiles sobbing in the streets were not only encouraged but emulated by the media. In the aftermath of Diana's death a three-line whip was enforced on newspapers and on TV, selling the sainthood line wholesale. The suspicion was that journalists, like the public, greeted the death as a chance to wax emotional in print, as a change from the customary knowing cynicism, to wheel out all those portentous phrases they'd been saving up for the big occasion. Sadly, they just seemed to be showboating; the eulogies, laments and tear-soaked platitudes ringing risibly hollow.

Fahrenheit 9/11
71%

Fahrenheit 9/11(en)

2004-06-25

Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 60 Minutes Deception
100%

The 60 Minutes Deception(en)

1997-06-20

Should we believe everything we hear on the news? Can we trust the national media? Are we being fed the truth or an agenda? The 60 Minutes Deception takes you behind the scenes of one of America's most popular and longest running news magazine shows and reveals a shocking web of deceit! In The 60 Minutes Deception you will witness firsthand: How a dedicated and courageous journalist was viciously smeared by "60 Minutes" at the request of the White House. How Mike Wallace, the host of "60 Minutes," deliberately omitted crucial evidence and distorted interview responses through manipulative editing. Why the major news media refuses to report the truth about certain political scandals and the abuse of power. The 60 Minutes Deception is one of the most important and damaging expos�s ever produces, clearly showing the dishonest tactics used by the mainstream press in providing misinformation to the American people. Must viewing for all concerned Americans!

Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat
53%

Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat(en)

2002-08-02

The controversial bad-boy of comedy delivers a piercing look at his life, lifting the metaphorical smokescreen that he feels has clouded the public view, commenting on everything from the dangers of smoking to the trials of relationships, and unleashing a nonstop litany of raucous anecdotes, stinging social commentary and very personal reflections about life.

The Money Masters
75%

The Money Masters(en)

1996-01-01

A documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money.

Recommendations Movies

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
70%

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism(en)

2004-07-14

This film examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news, and provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangerous impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person. Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society. This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
61%

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story(en)

2025-12-30

Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

Catfish
68%

Catfish(en)

2010-09-17

Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, has no idea what he's in for when Abby, an eight-year-old girl from rural Michigan, contacts him on Facebook, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs. When he receives her remarkable painting, Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with Abby's family. But things really get interesting when he develops a cyber-romance with Abby's attractive older sister, Megan, a musician and model. Prompted by some startling revelations about Megan, Nev and his buddies embark on a road trip in search of the truth.

Voyeur
59%

Voyeur(en)

2017-10-04

Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.

Cover-Up
70%

Cover-Up(en)

2025-12-19

He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau
67%

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau(en)

2014-08-24

The story of the insane scandals related to the remake of “Island of Dr. Moreau” —originally a novel by H. G. Wells—, which was brought to the big screen in 1996. How director Richard Stanley spent four years developing the project just to find an abrupt end to his work while leading actor Marlon Brando pulled the strings in the shadows. Now for the first time, the living key players recount what really happened and why it all went so spectacularly wrong.

Room 237
61%

Room 237(en)

2012-10-26

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Risk
66%

Risk(en)

2017-05-05

Capturing the story of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with unprecedented access, director Laura Poitras finds herself caught between the motives and contradictions of Assange and his inner circle in a documentary portrait of power, betrayal, truth and sacrifice.

Bitter Lake
76%

Bitter Lake(en)

2015-01-24

An experimental documentary that explores Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. and the role this has played in the war in Afghanistan.

Leaving Neverland: ProSieben Spezial
60%

Leaving Neverland: ProSieben Spezial(de)

2019-04-06

The world is talking about 'Leaving Neverland. In our ProSieben special, we ask questions that the documentary doesn't, and look at the most important moments in the life of the superstar. In addition, we explore the question of how the new allegations change the view of Michael Jackson's overall work. This helps to classify the special documentary 'Leaving Neverland'.

Fyre
69%

Fyre(en)

2019-01-18

He promised supermodels and yachts, but delivered tents and cheese sandwiches. How one man engineered a music festival disaster.

The Armstrong Lie
70%

The Armstrong Lie(en)

2013-09-08

In 2009, Alex Gibney was hired to make a film about Lance Armstrong's comeback to cycling. The project was shelved when the doping scandal erupted, and re-opened after Armstrong's confession. The Armstrong Lie picks up in 2013 and presents a riveting, insider's view of the unraveling of one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of sports. As Lance Armstrong says himself, "I didn't live a lot of lies, but I lived one big one."

HyperNormalisation
75%

HyperNormalisation(en)

2016-10-25

We live in a world where the powerful deceive us. We know they lie. They know we know they lie. They do not care. We say we care, but we do nothing, and nothing ever changes. It is normal. Welcome to the post-truth world. How we got to where we are now…

Fuck
64%

Fuck(en)

2006-11-10

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th
79%

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th(en)

2013-09-13

Taking inspiration from Peter M. Bracke's definitive book of the same name, this seven-hour documentary dives into the making of all twelve Friday the 13th films, with all-new interviews from the cast and the crew.

Citizenfour
77%

Citizenfour(en)

2014-10-10

In June 2013, Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her.

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne
78%

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne(en)

2011-04-24

Featuring never before seen footage uncovered from the archives and interviews with Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is the first documentary to take viewers inside the complex mind of rock's great icon.

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
70%

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button(en)

2009-05-05

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case
66%

Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case(en)

2020-01-23

In 2016, a young Austrialian filmmaker began documenting amateur inventor Peter Madsen. One year in, Madsen brutally murdered Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine. An unprecedented revelation of a killer and the journey his young helpers take as they reckon with their own complicity and prepare to testify.

Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard
74%

Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard(en)

2022-09-15

Upstart payment firm Wirecard wowed the financial industry with its runaway success — until a tenacious team of journalists exposed massive fraud.