The question is, why has no one made this film before? With some forty Knickerbocker Gang stories in print, translations in six languages, and worldwide sales reaching over 14 million, Thomas Brezina's child detectives were begging to be brought to the screen.

Indeed, when The Knickerbocker Gang (Die Knickerbocker-Bande) played in Austria last summer, some 100,000 youngsters paid to see the latest adventures of Lilo, Axel, Dominik and Popp.

For those unfamiliar with the Knockerbocker oeuvre, think of a cross between Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Scooby Doo.

In the sort of plot only the mind of a child can fathom, the gang save a beautiful dancer's life, dodge buzz-saws and poisonous snakes, and return a mystical diamond to its rightful owners, the South American Indians.

Made for just over $US 1.8 million, The Knickerbocker Gang is director Marijan D Vajda's.second cinematic feature, following 1989's Otto der Ausserfrienische. Shooting starts in July for a TV series, to be shown by Bertelsmann in Germany.

Adam Minns

Prod co: Dor Film Produktionsgesellschaft mbH

Prods: Milan Dor & Danny Krausz

Dir: Marijan D Vajda

Scr: Milan Dor, Thomas Brezina, Susi Strobl

Ph: Helmut Pirnat

Ed: Ortrun Bauer

Prod des: Florian Reichmann

Cast: Rebecca Keeling, Mathias Rothammer, Aled Roberts, Olivia Hallinan

Running time: 90 mins

International sales: Dor Film

Screening: 27 June, 9.30, Lucerna

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