Hans Fallada tells in his published after the war novel "The drinker" the story of the agricultural wholesaler Erwin Sommer, who flees from his narrow bourgeois relations under the burdens of the new times in the kingdom of the king alcohol, whose liberty and independence promises prove a lie - the only truth of the alcohol. On behalf of the WDR television play Ulrich Plenzdorf has adapted Fallada's 1944/45 novel for a film adaptation by Tom Toelle with Harald Juhnke in the main role of Erwin Sommer.
| Directing | Tom Toelle | Director |
| Writing | Hans Fallada | Novel |
| Production | Martin Wiebel | Producer |
| Writing | Ulrich Plenzdorf | Writer |
| Writing | Tom Toelle | Writer |
| Sound | Jürgen Knieper | Original Music Composer |
| Camera | Achim Poulheim | Director of Photography |
| Editing | Karin Nowarra | Editor |
| Production | An Dorthe Braker | Casting |
| Art | Götz Heymann | Production Design |
| Costume & Make-Up | Ingrid Zoré | Costume Designer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Karin Otto | Makeup Artist |
| Costume & Make-Up | Ingrid Bendzuk | Makeup Artist |
| Costume & Make-Up | Hasso von Hugo | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Production | Thomas Hund | Production Manager |
| Production | Norbert Haake | Production Manager |
| Production | Hans-Dieter Tafelski | Production Manager |
| Directing | Sabine Wehofsky | Assistant Director |
| Art | Klaus-Dieter Ernst | Property Master |
| Art | Dario Friso | Painter |
| Art | Anna Heymann | Assistant Production Design |
| Art | Lothar Karbe | Property Master |
| Crew | Oke Wilke | Carpenter |
| Sound | Helmut Röttgen | Sound |
| Sound | Christian Moldt | Sound |
| Sound | Max Rammler-Rogall | Sound Mixer |
| Crew | Hasso von Hugo | Special Effects |
| Lighting | Martin Fischer | Additional Lighting Technician |
| Lighting | Dietmar Haupt | Gaffer |
| Lighting | Ronald Schwarz | Electrician |
| Lighting | Peter Schöllhorn | Best Boy Electric |
| Lighting | Marco Teuchert | Electrician |
| Camera | Peter Uhlig | Assistant Camera |
| Camera | Trevor Watkins | Key Grip |
| Costume & Make-Up | Hanna Eickhoff | Dresser |
| Costume & Make-Up | Bettina Nesselrath | Assistant Costume Designer |
| Editing | Hubertus Siegert | Assistant Editor |
| Directing | Bea Reese | Continuity |
