Schlöndorff returned to Germany to make his feature film debut '' Young Törless '' . Produced by Louis Malle and based on the famous novel '' The Confusions of Young Törless '' by Robert Musil , the film debuted at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival . Taking place at a semi-military Austrian boarding school , Törless witnesses the bullying of a fellow student but does nothing to prevent it despite his superior and mature intellect . He gradually begins to accept his personal responsibility for the abuse by doing nothing to stop it and runs away from the school . The comparison to pre-war Germany were obvious and the film was highly praised upon release , winning the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes
1966 Cannes Film Festival
1966 Cannes Film Festival
Volker Schlöndorff