Hard as Krupp Steel

The short film explores the themes of love, identity, and longing within the context of a violent, right-wing extremist youth group.

The title, “Hard as Krupp Steel,” is a quote from Adolf Hitler, who urged German youth during the Nazi era to be “swift as greyhounds, tough as leather, and hard as Krupp steel.”

One night, violence and innocent intimacy collide, shattering the defenses of two young men.

  • Tommy Jennings
    Director
  • Tommy Jennings
    Writer
  • BGA Media GmbH
    Producer
  • Yann Cousquer
    Key Cast
    "Rolf"
  • Arjuna Hummert
    Key Cast
    "Erich"
  • Samuel Sigg
    Key Cast
    "Opfer"
  • Simon Frädrich
    Key Cast
    "Schläger"
  • Tommy Jennings
    Director of Photography
  • Josh Jennings
    Director of Photography
  • Vincent Schulist
    Gaffer
  • Paul Eick
    Gaffer
  • Paul Eick
    Audio
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Hart wie Kruppstahl
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Coming of Age, Drama, Satire
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 5, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    600 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    BMPCC 6K Pro, BRAW 6K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Tommy Jennings

Tommy Jennings is a 21 year old filmmaker from Freiburg, Germany. His passion is film making and photography. Tommy started making films at the age of 11. After taking a 35,000 kilometer road trip through the western US and Canada, he published his first book of photography at 13. Since then, Tommy has made numerous short films. In 2020, Tommy was nearing completion of his first 45 minute film, Bohemian Rhapsody, but filming could sadly not be completed due to the COVID lockdowns.
Tommy continued making short films and in 2022 he started to work on a new project "Origins", that would become his first 45 minute film after completing it in 2025.
After graduating from school in 2024 Tommy Jennings travelled for 6 months to Nepal, Thailand, Peru, Portugal, the US and Canada.
He is currently applying to film schools in Germany like the DFFB, Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF and Ludwigsburg Film Academy.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I want to make films because this profession gives me the opportunity to do what I love: to observe people and the world closely, through my cinematic art, share my observations with people in order to foster empathy and compassion.

Since I was 11 years old, I have been passionate about telling stories through film, and since then, I have never stopped exploring this art form, constantly rediscovering and developing it. Through my passion and love for film and people, I have learned that storytelling is not just entertainment, but one of the best ways to understand one's place in the world and even in the universe. For me, directing brings these two passions together: film and storytelling.

From my first film at 14, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and my second at 17, “Origins”, to my first documentary film “Pieces for Peace” a year ago, my love for collaborating with people and the shared sense of self-efficacy has been repeatedly confirmed, be it through filming, writing the stories, acting, editing, or the self-reflection and activism that a film inspires.