Consul Werle holds a reception in honour of the homecoming of his son Gregers. At the reception, Gregers meets his childhood friend, Hjalmar Ekdal, who is married to Gina, a former maid of the Werle family. Hjalmar is unaware that Werle had an affair with Gina and that their 14-year-old daughter Hedwig is not his child. Gregers moves in with the Ekdals with the intention of allowing unsuspecting Hjalmar and his family to share in the "happiness of truth". Hedwig is entirely devoted to a wild duck, which lives on a pond outside their house. When Hjalmar learns the truth about his daughter, he wants to leave his family. Gregers advises Hedwig to kill the wild duck so that her father, impressed by this sacrifice, will return home. On the following day, Hedwig's birthday, she doesn't shoot the duck, but shoots herself instead.
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Cast
14 people
Bruno Ganz
Gregers Werle
Known for
Downfall
The House That Jack Built
Peter Kern
Hjalmar Ekdal
Known for
World on a Wire
Wrong Move
Anne Bennent
Hedvig, seine Tochter
Known for
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance
Séraphine
Jean Seberg
Gina Ekdal, seine Frau
Known for
Breathless
Paint Your Wagon
Martin Flörchinger
Alter Ekdal
Also in
King Thrushbeard
Seilergasse 8
Heinz Moog
Konsul Werle
Known for
Senso
Ludwig
Heinz Bennent
Dr. Relling
Known for
Possession
The Last Metro
Sonja Sutter
Frau Sörby
Also in
Lissy
Destinies of Women
Robert Werner
Molvik
Also in
Herr Puntila and His Servant Matti
The Tell-Tale Heart
Guido Wieland
Pettersen
Also in
The Winds of War
Three Paths to the Lake
Uwe Falkenbach
Der Kahle
Also in
Red Zora and Her Gang
Ein idealer Kandidat
Erich Aberle
der Dicke
Also in
Frei bis zum nächsten Mal
Michael Kohlhaas - The Rebel
Hans W. Geißendörfer Director · Henrik Ibsen Author Niels Janette Walen Composer
United States release April 28, 1977 · Produced in Austria, Germany · Production Sascha-Film Produktions GmbH, WDR
Production
Solaris Film
Production
Sascha-Film Produktions GmbH
Production
WDR
Production
Austria · Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Die Wildente
Original language
German
Spoken on screen
German
Release dates
Austria · September 1, 1976
Theatrical
United States · April 28, 1977
Theatrical
Germany
September 10, 1976 · Theatrical
September 25, 1977 · TV
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