Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Mar 03, 2011

The fast-paced action thriller "Unknown Identity" begins showing in German cinemas today with a star-studded international cast and a fleet of cars bearing the Mercedes star into the bargain. Six Mercedes-Benz models feature alongside leading actors Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger, in some instances taking on major roles in the breakneck race against time: four E-Class taxis from three decades, a gull-winged SLS AMG and a fuel cell car in the guise of the B-Class F-Cell. The film was made by director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Joel Silver in Berlin, Brandenburg, Leipzig and the Babelsberg studios in Potsdam.


"End of the 19th century the automobile and the cinema have been invented. Thanks to their fascination, Mercedes-Benz vehicles have a long tradition as heroes of the silver screen. They have written cinematic history above all in the role of taxis and attractive sports cars," says Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communication Mercedes-Benz Cars. "We are delighted that our 125th anniversary is being marked with no less than six Mercedes-Benz models appearing in an international blockbuster.”

About the film "Unknown Identity"

Co-produced by Dark Castle Entertainment and Studio Babelsberg, the film opened in the USA back on 18 February, going straight to no. 1 in the cinema charts. In Germany, the hit thriller is being distributed on the cinema circuit by Kinowelt. The story: a nightmare begins when biologist Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakes from a coma following a serious car accident in Berlin.

His wife (January Jones) does not recognise him and another man has taken on his identity. To compound matters, a killer (Stipe Erceg) is also on Harris's heels. In order to win back his wife and his former life, he seeks out taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger), who rescued him in the accident. Together with her and former Stasi agent Jürgen (Bruno Ganz) he takes up the fight for his identity and the truth against an all-powerful adversary – including high-speed chases in Mercedes taxis. Background reports on the film and behind-the-scenes footage can also be viewed at www.mercedes-benz.tv.

Featured Mercedes-Benz vehicles

- E-Class taxis
W 124 (built from 1984 to 1997), W 210 (built from 1995 to 2002),
W 211 (built from 2002 to 2009), W 212 (built since 2009)
- SLS AMG super sports car (built since 2009)
- B-Class F-CELL (built in 2010)