Scientology programmatically promises “a bridge to complete freedom”.
However, insider reports from people who have left the system describe
the exact opposite: psychological and material dependence and
social isolation are the consequences of Scientology’s re-education.
This is precisely what “Until Nothing Remains” shows in a moving, yet never
sentimental study of a young family that falls into the clutches of the
organization. In the film, the lawyer explains in court that Scientology acts
on its followers “like a euphoria machine, without which one
believes one can no longer live”. Director Niki Stein has translated the path to the threat of dependency
and the difficulty of breaking free from the Scientology
system into a fictional
plot based on true experiences. The result is a gripping, psychologically and
atmospherically dense film that draws the audience into the practices of Scientology through the story told
. A film that literally captivates
by making the subtle methods and mechanisms
of the organization tangible from the inside and consistently
thinking them through to the end: until nothing remains. However, a large part of the intensity
is due to the outstanding acting
of the entire ensemble. A film that enlightens and makes you understand –
without pointing a finger, but with great empathy
and realism.

VOLKER HERRES Program Director Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen
A dispute over custody of a child is unfortunately
an everyday occurrence in German family courts. But this dispute is
unusual. Father Frank Reiners has left Scientology,
is now fighting for his daughter by legal means,
who is still with her mother in the organization and should no longer have
contact with him. A look back at promises,
methods and the influence of Scientology on
a young family begins. There are already many ambitious documentaries about people who have left
Scientology. “Until nothing
remains” is the first fictional film about Scientology that calls the
organization by its name. Our head of television film Carl
Bergengruen has been preparing this project for a long time, and I
am delighted that he has been able to secure strong partners such as teamWorx, ARD
Degeto, NDR and of course the author and director Niki
Stein. Felix Klare, a
young actor who quickly made a name for himself with his
role as Commissioner Bootz in “Tatort” from Stuttgart
, also takes center stage and confirms his class in “Bis nichtsmehr
bleibt” in an outstanding ensemble. As the father
Frank Reiners, he himself manages to
free himself from the system. However, he lost his family to Scientology.