Australian series Troppo will travel across Europe, thanks to new deals for the crime drama starring Thomas Jane and Nicole Chamoun.
Canal+ Group’s thriller channel Polar+ snatched up pay, streaming and sell-through rights to it for French-speaking territories, and AMC Networks Central Europe acquired free, pay and streaming rights for the show, which premiered on Australia’s ABC and debuted on Amazon Freevee in the U.S. in May 2022.
RTP2 Portugal snatched up free-tv rights in the territory, while Amazon Freevee has Troppo for Germany and the U.K., and Scandinavian pay-tv group Viaplay carries the show in the Nordics.
Based on Candice Fox’s best-selling Crimson Lake novels, Troppo stars Jane as down-and-out ex-cop Ted Conkaffey, who teams up with Amanda Pharell (Chamoun), an eccentric small-town private investigator to find out who murdered a local tech pioneer. Radha Mitchell, David Lyons and Yerin Ha co-star. Yolanda Ramke created and wrote Troppo,...
Canal+ Group’s thriller channel Polar+ snatched up pay, streaming and sell-through rights to it for French-speaking territories, and AMC Networks Central Europe acquired free, pay and streaming rights for the show, which premiered on Australia’s ABC and debuted on Amazon Freevee in the U.S. in May 2022.
RTP2 Portugal snatched up free-tv rights in the territory, while Amazon Freevee has Troppo for Germany and the U.K., and Scandinavian pay-tv group Viaplay carries the show in the Nordics.
Based on Candice Fox’s best-selling Crimson Lake novels, Troppo stars Jane as down-and-out ex-cop Ted Conkaffey, who teams up with Amanda Pharell (Chamoun), an eccentric small-town private investigator to find out who murdered a local tech pioneer. Radha Mitchell, David Lyons and Yerin Ha co-star. Yolanda Ramke created and wrote Troppo,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"We make the facts." Rock Salt Releasing has already debuted this German film in cinemas in the US, but we're catching up with it now. Operation Curveball, also known as just Curveball, originally premiered at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival, but got in trouble because of the title. One of the other alternate US titles is Curveball - A True Story, Unfortunately. The film tells the grotesque, at times even surreal, true story of how the Iraq war was started based on nothing but fake intelligence and the involvement of the German government. It's a very awkward, dark comedy from Germany about how how they provided false details to the Americans that lead to the start of the Iraq War in 2003. The name "Operation Curveball" is actually the real name given to the Iraqi asylum seeker they used as a source, even though he didn't know anything and just wanted a German passport to stay.
- 10/15/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Leonine Studios will handle world sales for Odeon Fiction’s new high-end German-language spy series Bonn.
The six-part political-thriller, which follows Odeon’s AMC+ series Spy City with Dominic Cooper, recounts the rise of Germany’s Federal Republic after the terror of World War II. It focuses on a young woman who struggles to find her own place in a male-dominated society in the 1950s and the political tug-of-war between German’s two rival intelligence services.
The acting ensemble comprises Mercedes Müller (Goodbye Berlin) in the lead role of Toni, Max Riemelt (Matrix 4), Sebastian Blomberg (The People Vs. Fritz Bauer), Juergen Maurer (Perfume), Katharina Marie Schubert (A Gift From The Gods), Inga Busch (I’m Your Man), Luise von Finckh (Deutschland 89), Julius Feldmeier (Babylon Berlin) and Johanna Gastdorf (The Wave).
Based on an idea by Gerrit Hermans, the series heralds from director and head writer Claudia Garde (The Window...
The six-part political-thriller, which follows Odeon’s AMC+ series Spy City with Dominic Cooper, recounts the rise of Germany’s Federal Republic after the terror of World War II. It focuses on a young woman who struggles to find her own place in a male-dominated society in the 1950s and the political tug-of-war between German’s two rival intelligence services.
The acting ensemble comprises Mercedes Müller (Goodbye Berlin) in the lead role of Toni, Max Riemelt (Matrix 4), Sebastian Blomberg (The People Vs. Fritz Bauer), Juergen Maurer (Perfume), Katharina Marie Schubert (A Gift From The Gods), Inga Busch (I’m Your Man), Luise von Finckh (Deutschland 89), Julius Feldmeier (Babylon Berlin) and Johanna Gastdorf (The Wave).
Based on an idea by Gerrit Hermans, the series heralds from director and head writer Claudia Garde (The Window...
- 8/17/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Some 14,000 cinema-goers attended physical screenings across hybrid 10-day event.
Nearly 14,000 cinema-goers attended screenings during the 10 days of this year’s Filmfest Hamburg, which came to a close with the German premiere of Chloé Zhao’s Golden Lion winner Nomadland on Sunday October 4.
A total of 13,690 admissions were posted across the Filmfest’s five cinema venues, which corresponds to almost a third of the previous year’s attendance. Festival director Albert Wiederspiel declared himself “very pleased” with this result, since each cinema could only have a maximum seating capacity of 30% and the festival programme had been reduced by almost half of...
Nearly 14,000 cinema-goers attended screenings during the 10 days of this year’s Filmfest Hamburg, which came to a close with the German premiere of Chloé Zhao’s Golden Lion winner Nomadland on Sunday October 4.
A total of 13,690 admissions were posted across the Filmfest’s five cinema venues, which corresponds to almost a third of the previous year’s attendance. Festival director Albert Wiederspiel declared himself “very pleased” with this result, since each cinema could only have a maximum seating capacity of 30% and the festival programme had been reduced by almost half of...
- 10/5/2020
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Farce is not a genre we commonly associate with the Germans, but then, as “Curveball” reminds us at the outset, this wildly atypical Teutonic satire — which plays like a cross between “Wag the Dog” and “Dr. Strangelove” in its portrayal of incompetence at the highest levels — is “A true story. Unfortunately.” More mea culpa than comedy, assuming/assigning responsibility for the role Germany played in helping George W. Bush settle a score with Saddam Hussein, director Johannes Naber’s nutso sendup of the unreliable intelligence source whose testimony served as the justification for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003 has no trouble being outrageous. The challenge comes down to being funny in the process.
A few years back, Matthias Bittner made a very good documentary about Rafid Alwan, code name “Curveball,” called “War of Lies,” and that film takes a grim, serious-minded look at what motivated this former Iraqi...
A few years back, Matthias Bittner made a very good documentary about Rafid Alwan, code name “Curveball,” called “War of Lies,” and that film takes a grim, serious-minded look at what motivated this former Iraqi...
- 4/1/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Berlinale lineup already includes films from Jia Zhangke, Matías Piñeiro, and more, but now the competition slate has arrived and it’s an incredibly promising selection. Headed by Carlo Chatrian, it includes many of our most-anticipated films of the year with Christian Petzold’s Undine, Hong Sang-soo’s The Woman Who Ran, Tsai Ming-Liang’s Days, Philippe Garrel’s The Salt of Tears, Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, and Caetano Gotardo & Marco Dutra’s All the Dead Ones, plus recent festival favorites: Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow and Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always.
Check out the lineup below and return for our coverage.
Competition
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Germany / Netherlands
by Burhan Qurbani
with Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, Richard Fouofié Djimeli
World premiere
Dau. Natasha
Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation
by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Jekaterina Oertel
with Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo,...
Check out the lineup below and return for our coverage.
Competition
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Germany / Netherlands
by Burhan Qurbani
with Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, Richard Fouofié Djimeli
World premiere
Dau. Natasha
Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation
by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Jekaterina Oertel
with Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo,...
- 1/29/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday morning revealed the main competition lineup and gala selections for festival’s 70th edition.
The festival, which begins February 20, will screen 18 films in competition, including movies from Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, and Eliza Hittman. Six are from female directors.
Among the gala presentations is Pixar’s” Onward.” The Dan Scanlon-helmed urban fantasy includes the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, and Ali Wong.
Here is the complete list:
Competition
“Berlin Alexanderplatz” (Germany/Netherlands)
Director: Burhan Qurbani
Cast: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, and Richard Fouofié Djimeli
“Dau. Natasha” (Germany/Ukraine/United Kingdom/Russia)
Directors: Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel
Cast: Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo, Alexei Blinov, and Luc Bigé
“Domangchin yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”) (South Korea)
Director: Hong Sangsoo
Cast: Kim Minhee,...
The festival, which begins February 20, will screen 18 films in competition, including movies from Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, and Eliza Hittman. Six are from female directors.
Among the gala presentations is Pixar’s” Onward.” The Dan Scanlon-helmed urban fantasy includes the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, and Ali Wong.
Here is the complete list:
Competition
“Berlin Alexanderplatz” (Germany/Netherlands)
Director: Burhan Qurbani
Cast: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, and Richard Fouofié Djimeli
“Dau. Natasha” (Germany/Ukraine/United Kingdom/Russia)
Directors: Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel
Cast: Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo, Alexei Blinov, and Luc Bigé
“Domangchin yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”) (South Korea)
Director: Hong Sangsoo
Cast: Kim Minhee,...
- 1/29/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled its 2020 line-up, with 18 films playing in competition from directors such as Abel Ferrara, Sally Potter, Christian Petzold, Hong Sangsoo, Kelly Reichardt and Eliza Hittman.
Abel Ferrara’s Willem Dafoe starrer “Siberia” is a world premiere in competition, as is Sally Potter’s “The Roads Not Taken.”
Among the U.S. films at the Berlinale, Reichardt’s “First Cow” is an international premiere, and so too is Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
Pixar’s latest animation, “Onward”, also has its international premiere out of competition in the Special Galas section.
Previous Berlin Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold’s latest, “Undine”, world premieres, while Iranian director Mohammed Rasoulof, who is not allowed to travel outside his home country, world premieres his latest, “There is No Evil.”
Six out of the 18 films in competition are helmed by female directors.
The 70th edition of the festival...
Abel Ferrara’s Willem Dafoe starrer “Siberia” is a world premiere in competition, as is Sally Potter’s “The Roads Not Taken.”
Among the U.S. films at the Berlinale, Reichardt’s “First Cow” is an international premiere, and so too is Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
Pixar’s latest animation, “Onward”, also has its international premiere out of competition in the Special Galas section.
Previous Berlin Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold’s latest, “Undine”, world premieres, while Iranian director Mohammed Rasoulof, who is not allowed to travel outside his home country, world premieres his latest, “There is No Evil.”
Six out of the 18 films in competition are helmed by female directors.
The 70th edition of the festival...
- 1/29/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Award Winning Director Wolfgang Becker (“Good Bye Lenin!”) will open the festival at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre with “Me and Kaminski” bringing outstanding German cinema and its stars to Los Angeles from October 20 to 23rd.
Full Program Line Up Announced with a selection of the best new German, Austrian and Swiss Cinema
Celebrating its 10th year, German Currents features an expanded program including screenings of ten La premieres, conversations with prolific German directors, writers and actors, as well as the return of the free family matinee film screening for local schools.
“Me and Kaminski” starring Daniel Brühl and directed by Wolfgang Becker
2016 has been a successful year for German language cinema, not only in Europe, but across the globe. Beginning on Thursday, October 20th 2016 German Currents will open this year’s 4 day festival with the red carpet event Los Angeles premiere of Wolfgang Becker’s (“Goodbye Lenin”) five-time...
Full Program Line Up Announced with a selection of the best new German, Austrian and Swiss Cinema
Celebrating its 10th year, German Currents features an expanded program including screenings of ten La premieres, conversations with prolific German directors, writers and actors, as well as the return of the free family matinee film screening for local schools.
“Me and Kaminski” starring Daniel Brühl and directed by Wolfgang Becker
2016 has been a successful year for German language cinema, not only in Europe, but across the globe. Beginning on Thursday, October 20th 2016 German Currents will open this year’s 4 day festival with the red carpet event Los Angeles premiere of Wolfgang Becker’s (“Goodbye Lenin”) five-time...
- 10/4/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
"Do you want justice?" Cohen Media Group has debuted a trailer for the German drama The People vs. Fritz Bauer, from director Lars Kraume, which premiered at the Locarno and Toronto Film Festivals last year to some positive reviews. Burghart Klaußner stars as Fritz Bauer, an attorney general who decides to hunt down and process SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann, who is supposedly hiding out in Buenos Aires. He enlists the help of the Israeli secret service Mossad, and risks breaking the law but believes in his actions. Also starring Carolin Stähler, Sebastian Blomberg, Michael Schenk, Ronald Zehrfeld, Lilith Stangenberg. This looks like it might be an undiscovered gem worth checking out, give this a watch. Here's the official Us trailer for Lars Kraume's The People vs. Fritz Bauer, in high def from Apple: Germany, 1957. Attorney General Fritz Bauer (Klaußner) receives crucial evidence on the whereabouts of SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann. The lieutenant colonel,...
- 7/1/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Cohen Media Group has acquired all North American rights from Beta Cinema at Afm to Lars Kraume’s historical drama.
The People Vs. Fritz Bauer chronicles the efforts of West German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann to justice in postwar Germany.
Burghart Klaussner plays Bauer and the cast includes Ronald Zehrfeld, Sebastian Blomberg and Michael Schenk.
Cohen plans a spring release. Senior vice-president John Kochman brokered the deal with Beta Cinema CEO Dirk Schuerhoff.
Bauer is a key character in Germany’s foreign-language Oscar submission Labyrinth Of Lies, which Spc ditributes in the Us.
The People Vs. Fritz Bauer chronicles the efforts of West German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann to justice in postwar Germany.
Burghart Klaussner plays Bauer and the cast includes Ronald Zehrfeld, Sebastian Blomberg and Michael Schenk.
Cohen plans a spring release. Senior vice-president John Kochman brokered the deal with Beta Cinema CEO Dirk Schuerhoff.
Bauer is a key character in Germany’s foreign-language Oscar submission Labyrinth Of Lies, which Spc ditributes in the Us.
- 11/7/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Now in its 9th year German Currents Festival of German Film is a fixture on the cultural calendar of Hollywood. Over the past years, thousands of audience members enjoyed Oscar-nominated German cinema, engaged in Q&As with top German talent, tasted German cuisine during the opening night gala and experienced contemporary German culture in the historical setting of the Egyptian Theater.
This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.
German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.
The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028
Tickets can be purchased Here.
Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm
“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org
Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.
Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here
Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.
Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd
Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)
“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.
August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.
Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)
“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles
20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"
International Sales: Beta No. America is available.
At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature
“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles
Tiff 2015.
International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.
Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles
Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am
“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association
Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.
Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.
Following the panel:
“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss
Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)
“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.
Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm
“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Edel
An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm
DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard
Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)
“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles
Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature
“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Wide
Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles
John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.
This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.
German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.
The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028
Tickets can be purchased Here.
Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm
“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org
Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.
Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here
Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.
Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd
Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)
“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.
August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.
Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)
“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles
20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"
International Sales: Beta No. America is available.
At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature
“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles
Tiff 2015.
International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.
Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles
Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am
“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association
Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.
Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.
Following the panel:
“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss
Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)
“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.
Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm
“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Edel
An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm
DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard
Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)
“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles
Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature
“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Wide
Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles
John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.
- 9/26/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov has been sentenced to 20 years in a verdict passed today (Aug 25) by a military court in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don.
His co-defendant, the activist and anti-fascist Alexander Kolchenko, was sentenced to 10 years.
The judge found Sentsov guilty of setting up a terrorist organisation and committing two terrorist acts.
When asked by the presiding judge Sergei Mikhailyuk whether they understood the verdicts, Sentsov and Kolchenko responded by defiantly singing the Ukrainian national anthem Ukraine Has Not Yet Died.
Sentsov, best known for his 2011 film Gamer, was arrested in May 2014 during a protest against Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula two months earlier.
The 39-year-old director was accused of plotting to blow up a monument to Lenin in Crimea and set fire to the Crimean offices of pro-Moscow political organisations.
The Ukrainian government said he is being punished for being a Crimea-based pro-Ukrainian activist. Russia denies claims he is a political prisoner.
Sentsov denies...
His co-defendant, the activist and anti-fascist Alexander Kolchenko, was sentenced to 10 years.
The judge found Sentsov guilty of setting up a terrorist organisation and committing two terrorist acts.
When asked by the presiding judge Sergei Mikhailyuk whether they understood the verdicts, Sentsov and Kolchenko responded by defiantly singing the Ukrainian national anthem Ukraine Has Not Yet Died.
Sentsov, best known for his 2011 film Gamer, was arrested in May 2014 during a protest against Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula two months earlier.
The 39-year-old director was accused of plotting to blow up a monument to Lenin in Crimea and set fire to the Crimean offices of pro-Moscow political organisations.
The Ukrainian government said he is being punished for being a Crimea-based pro-Ukrainian activist. Russia denies claims he is a political prisoner.
Sentsov denies...
- 8/25/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Verfehlung is the German sales agent’s first acquisition at the Efm.
Fledgling German sales agent Pluto Film has made its first acquisition at the Efm by acquiring Gerd Schneider’s highly topically feature debut Verfehlung (The Culpable) which premiered at last month’s Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken.
Schneider’s screenplay centres on the Catholic prison chaplain Jakob Völz (played by Sebastian Blomberg) faced with a painful dilemma - an acid test for his faith and understanding of his calling as a priest - when his best friend and colleague Dominik Bertram (Kai Schumann) is remanded in custody under suspicion of sexual abuse.
The choice of subject matter for Schneider’s debut is particularly apposite given that he had originally studied Catholic Theology and was then preparing to enter the priesthood before he changed track to study at the Film Academy in Ludwigsburg.
In 2006, Schneider received the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award at the Sarajevo...
Fledgling German sales agent Pluto Film has made its first acquisition at the Efm by acquiring Gerd Schneider’s highly topically feature debut Verfehlung (The Culpable) which premiered at last month’s Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken.
Schneider’s screenplay centres on the Catholic prison chaplain Jakob Völz (played by Sebastian Blomberg) faced with a painful dilemma - an acid test for his faith and understanding of his calling as a priest - when his best friend and colleague Dominik Bertram (Kai Schumann) is remanded in custody under suspicion of sexual abuse.
The choice of subject matter for Schneider’s debut is particularly apposite given that he had originally studied Catholic Theology and was then preparing to enter the priesthood before he changed track to study at the Film Academy in Ludwigsburg.
In 2006, Schneider received the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award at the Sarajevo...
- 2/7/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Verfehlung [pictured] is the German sales agent’s first acquisition at the Efm.
Fledgling German sales agent Pluto Film has made its first acquisition at the Efm by acquiring Gerd Schneider’s highly topically feature debut Verfehlung (in English: Transgression) which premiered at last month’s Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken.
Schneider’s screenplay centres on the Catholic prison chaplain Jakob Völz (played by Sebastian Blomberg) faced with a painful dilemma - an acid test for his faith and understanding of his calling as a priest - when his best friend and colleague Dominik Bertram (Kai Schumann) is remanded in custody under suspicion of sexual abuse.
The choice of subject matter for Schneider’s debut is particularly apposite given that he had originally studied Catholic Theology and was then preparing to enter the priesthood before he changed track to study at the Film Academy in Ludwigsburg.
In 2006, Schneider received the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award at the...
Fledgling German sales agent Pluto Film has made its first acquisition at the Efm by acquiring Gerd Schneider’s highly topically feature debut Verfehlung (in English: Transgression) which premiered at last month’s Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken.
Schneider’s screenplay centres on the Catholic prison chaplain Jakob Völz (played by Sebastian Blomberg) faced with a painful dilemma - an acid test for his faith and understanding of his calling as a priest - when his best friend and colleague Dominik Bertram (Kai Schumann) is remanded in custody under suspicion of sexual abuse.
The choice of subject matter for Schneider’s debut is particularly apposite given that he had originally studied Catholic Theology and was then preparing to enter the priesthood before he changed track to study at the Film Academy in Ludwigsburg.
In 2006, Schneider received the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award at the...
- 2/7/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – Reminiscent of “The Vanishing” and “Memories of Murder,” Baran bo Odar’s “The Silence” is one of the most acclaimed international thrillers of the year. This excellent work focuses more on the people wrapped up in grief and sin than the mystery itself, and heralds the arrival of a great new talent. What I love so much about the Music Box Films Blu-ray release of the film is the way it highlights the talent of the man who made it, including two short films he produced before this full-length debut in their entirety.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Not only is it a Great film on its own (running nearly an hour), what’s so interesting about watching “Unter der Sonne” (which is about the ’80s summer in which a poor kid fell in lust with his cousin) in relation to “The Silence” is the visual commonalities the two films share. As a...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Not only is it a Great film on its own (running nearly an hour), what’s so interesting about watching “Unter der Sonne” (which is about the ’80s summer in which a poor kid fell in lust with his cousin) in relation to “The Silence” is the visual commonalities the two films share. As a...
- 7/30/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – With echoes of “The Vanishing” and “Memories of Murder,” Baran bo Odar’s dread-filled “The Silence” is a character-based thriller that focuses more on the people wrapped up in its web of perversion and murder than the crimes themselves. It’s an accomplished debut with a notable German cast that falters only a bit in terms of plotting and pacing but still heralds the arrival of a confident director who works well with both actors and visual composition. “The Silence” can be punishingly bleak and even depressing but it’s undeniably well-made and performed at the same time.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Two men – Peer (Ulrich Thomsen) and Timo (Wotan Wilke Mohring) – sit and watch a film in a darkened room. Timo’s stunned, ashamed reaction makes it clear that the film is not a happy one. They get in a car and drive off, passing a young girl named Pia on a bike.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Two men – Peer (Ulrich Thomsen) and Timo (Wotan Wilke Mohring) – sit and watch a film in a darkened room. Timo’s stunned, ashamed reaction makes it clear that the film is not a happy one. They get in a car and drive off, passing a young girl named Pia on a bike.
- 3/14/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the icy German thriller “The Silence” at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre!
“The Silence,” which you’ll love if you like “The Killing,” stars Ulrich Thomsen, Claudia Michelsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Katrin Saß, Sebastian Blomberg, Burghart Klaußner and Karoline Eichhorn from writer and director Baran bo Odar based on the novel by Jan Costin Wagner.
To win your free “The Silence” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!
Before entering, make sure you allow pop-ups.
“The Silence,” which you’ll love if you like “The Killing,” stars Ulrich Thomsen, Claudia Michelsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Katrin Saß, Sebastian Blomberg, Burghart Klaußner and Karoline Eichhorn from writer and director Baran bo Odar based on the novel by Jan Costin Wagner.
To win your free “The Silence” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!
Before entering, make sure you allow pop-ups.
- 3/11/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
History of Violence: Odar’s Debut a Sweaty, Slow Burn
Swiss director Baran Bo Odar adapts Jan Costin Wagner’s novel The Silence for his film debut, a murder mystery thriller filmed in 2010, finally getting a much deserved theatrical release. Filmed in Germany and featuring a multitude of notable European names, including the presence of Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, whose presence lends an odd twist to the proceedings, Odar’s film feels akin to a number of Scandinavian genre exercises that have been produced over the last several years. But whereas most thrillers focus on unraveling culprits, Odar’s film is an examination of ‘why’ terrible deeds happen, exposing a host of characters that are expertly developed, sometimes at a detriment to the pacing.
In the sweltering July sun in 1986, an 11 year-old girl named Pia is raped and murdered by Peer Sommer (Thomsen) as she crosses through a field on her bicycle.
Swiss director Baran Bo Odar adapts Jan Costin Wagner’s novel The Silence for his film debut, a murder mystery thriller filmed in 2010, finally getting a much deserved theatrical release. Filmed in Germany and featuring a multitude of notable European names, including the presence of Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, whose presence lends an odd twist to the proceedings, Odar’s film feels akin to a number of Scandinavian genre exercises that have been produced over the last several years. But whereas most thrillers focus on unraveling culprits, Odar’s film is an examination of ‘why’ terrible deeds happen, exposing a host of characters that are expertly developed, sometimes at a detriment to the pacing.
In the sweltering July sun in 1986, an 11 year-old girl named Pia is raped and murdered by Peer Sommer (Thomsen) as she crosses through a field on her bicycle.
- 3/7/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
We've got your first look at a new clip from crime-thriller The Silence , starring Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass and Burghart Klaussner. Written and directed by Baran bo Odar the March 8 release begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka.s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty. Meanwhile, their daughter.s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia.s mother, who...
- 3/1/2013
- Comingsoon.net
The first trailer for Baran bo Odar's The Silence has been released. This beautifully shot clip is almost devoid of dialogue. Highlighting the cinematography, The Silence promises mystery and suspense in this first clip. This film is a German language adaptation of Jan Costin's book. In the book and the film, two girls are abducted on the same date. The kidnappings take place over the course of 23 years, but there are similarities in the abductions. Investigators will have to track down a hidden suspect before he can strike again! Have a look at the first trailer for The Silence below. Release Date: March 8, 2013 (Theatrical). Director: Baran bo Odar. Cast: Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner. A trailer for The Silence is here: *runtime is 118 minutes. **shot in Germany. | | Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28Dla Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis.
- 2/19/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Music Box Films just sent us over the first official trailer for its upcoming flick The Silence, and it looks to be riddled with mystery. We're talking the sinister stuff involving death and bodies. You know... the good stuff! Check it out!
The flick is directed by Baran bo Odar and stars Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner.
Look for it in limited release on March 8, 2013.
Synopsis
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty.
The flick is directed by Baran bo Odar and stars Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner.
Look for it in limited release on March 8, 2013.
Synopsis
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty.
- 2/19/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The Berlin International Film Festival is celebrating its opening today, on February 7, 2013 at 7.30 pm. After a few words of greeting from Minister of State for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, the Festival will be officially opened by Jury President Wong Kar Wai (Hong Kong, China) and Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. The International Jury – whose other members are Susanne Bier (Denmark), Andreas Dresen (Germany), Ellen Kuras (USA), Shirin Neshat (Iran), Tim Robbins (USA) and Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece) – will also be introduced during the gala. Anke Engelke will again host the evening. This year’s music will be provided by Ulrich Tukur & Die Rhythmus Boys. 3sat will be broadcasting the opening live. Ziyi Zhang in Yi dai zong shi (The Grandmaster) by Wong Kar Wai Following the gala, Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial-arts drama The Grandmaster will have its international premiere. The director and his leading actors,...
- 2/7/2013
- by hnblog@hollywoodnews.com (Hollywood News Team)
- Hollywoodnews.com
By David Harkness, MoreHorror.com
A creepy poster for the upcoming murder thriller The Silence has released. Take a look at a larger version of the poster under the synopsis.
The Silence opens in theaters March 8, 2013.
Synopsis:
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty. Meanwhile, their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia’s mother, who is visited by an unexpected guest with an eerie connection to her daughter. The unrelenting...
A creepy poster for the upcoming murder thriller The Silence has released. Take a look at a larger version of the poster under the synopsis.
The Silence opens in theaters March 8, 2013.
Synopsis:
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty. Meanwhile, their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia’s mother, who is visited by an unexpected guest with an eerie connection to her daughter. The unrelenting...
- 2/7/2013
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Silence is a kidnap thriller set for release March 8th. This is Swedish director Baran bo Odar's first film and the story for the film is intriguing. Silence involves the murder of one girl and the kidnapping of a second. Both girls are taken on a similar date in the calendar, leading investigators to believe that one perpetrator is behind both acts of violence. The first poster for the film is here, which shows one girl being left for dead. Release Date: March 8, 2013 (Theatrical). Director: Baran bo Odar. Cast: Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner. *this film has not been rated. **a trailer is coming soon. | | Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28Dla Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis Email Subscription
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- 2/6/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Music Box Films just sent us over the first official stills and one-sheet for its upcoming flick The Silence, and it looks to be riddled with mystery. We're talking the sinister stuff involving death and bodies. You know... the good stuff!
The flick is directed by Baran bo Odar and stars Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner.
Look for it in limited release on March 8, 2013.
Synopsis
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty.
The flick is directed by Baran bo Odar and stars Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, and Burghart Klaussner.
Look for it in limited release on March 8, 2013.
Synopsis
The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty.
- 2/5/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Check out the poster as well as images from Music Box Films' The Silence crime thriller, starring Ulrich Thomsen, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass and Burghart Klaussner. The film opens in U.S. theaters on March 8th and is scripted and helmed by Baran bo Odar, based on the bestselling novel by Jan Costin. The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty. Meanwhile, their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia’s mother,...
- 2/5/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out the poster as well as images from Music Box Films' The Silence crime thriller, starring Ulrich Thomsen, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass and Burghart Klaussner. The film opens in U.S. theaters on March 8th and is scripted and helmed by Baran bo Odar, based on the bestselling novel by Jan Costin. The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat. Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot. As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty. Meanwhile, their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia’s mother,...
- 2/5/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
If you can handle the word "drama" in with your horror, I think you might get behind Julie Delpy's period piece The Countess, which tells the true story of the legendary Elizabeth Bathory, who inspired many a vampire myth with sadistic rituals that included bathing in the blood of virgins. Beyond the break you can check out the first trailer that looks pretty interesting as it goes from romantic to haunting (I think the shot of her at the fireplace at the end says it all), along with a long synopsis. Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Daniel Bruhl, Radha Mitchell, Vincent Gallo, William Hurt, Maria Simon, Andre Hennicke, Anna Maria Muhe, Adriana Altaras, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Pollitt, Nikolai Kinski all star.
- 4/12/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
MONTREAL -- One of two German films in the official competition, with an awards-worthy lead male performance, "I'm the Father" (Vater) is an intimate drama from X Filme Creative Pool about a family's seemingly unstoppable breakup, with the title showing where the emphasis is placed.
While it frequently, distractingly bathes the screen in yellow light, Dani Levy's direction (with a decent digital video-to-widescreen transfer) is just savvy enough to make shopworn material less about final outcomes and more about creating endearing characters. Thankfully not too intense when these characters lose control, with the crucial participant of an adaptable small boy caught between two parents, "Father" starts with what should be a moment of triumph.
An architect who doesn't follow suggestions and by his brashness helps his firm win a major project, Marco Krieger (Sebastian Blomberg) wants to share the good news with his wife, Melanie (Maria Schrader), but she's not a happy camper. A drama teacher who is seeing her ambitions thwarted by responsibilities like picking up their son Benny (Ezra Valentin Lenz) from school, Melanie sends out such negative vibes that Marco knows to try to stop the relationship's downward spiral.
Unfortunately, one missed afternoon pickup of Benny and a testy exchange at a party, and Melanie lowers the boom. A little smashed, Marco lashes out at her, and she prudently leaves, then returns with two cops to collect Benny. From there, it's downhill for Marco as his shock and anger derail early peace offerings, while even his sympathetic father (Rolf Zacher) can't unwind him.
Drinking heavily, smoking, letting his house turn into a pit, Marco tries to understand what has happened and how to fix it, but Melanie decides that it's over and wants a divorce. She also wants to limit his time with Benny. It is this condition that Marco can't compute, but his increasingly desperate attempts to have contact with his son only exacerbate the situation.
There's still a glimmer of hope Mom and Dad will get back together. But in one of the film's best scenes -- which has Marco perhaps starting something serious with a co-worker (Christiane Paul) who is thoroughly enamored of him, just as Melanie comes by on a peacekeeping mission -- it becomes clear that this marriage is kaput. Starting to live up to his reputation as a drunk and danger to his family, Marco snaps when he learns that Melanie is trying to deny him any contact with Benny.
With his career triumph also teetering on ruin, Marco snatches Benny and they drive out of town. With no plan but for an open-ended spree that includes a call or two to let Melanie know they are OK, the kidnapping ends messily with Marco hitting rock bottom. A basically decent guy who does stupid things, Marco has made an impression on Benny, paving the way for the far from hopeless conclusion.
With Schrader's character doing very little explaining of her actions and coming off as less dimensional than the father and son, the film encourages us to get under the skin of Blomberg's character, and the actor is onscreen nearly the entire movie. "Father" is also helped considerably by one's being able to laugh and cringe at the reactions of Benny, thanks to Lenz's excellent performance.
I'M THE FATHER
X Filme Creative Pool
Credits:
Director: Dani Levy
Screenwriters: Rona Munro, Dani Levy
Based on an idea by: Matthias Matussek, Gunter Rohrbach
Producer: Manuela Stehr
Director of photography: Carsten Thiele
Production designer: Christian Eiselle
Editor: Elena Bromund
Costume designer: Ingrida Bendzuk
Music: Niki Reiser
Cast:
Marco Krieger: Sebastian Blomberg
Melanie Krieger: Maria Schrader
Benny: Ezra Valentin Lenz
Ilona: Christiane Paul
Nico: Ulrich Noethen
Peter Krieger: Rolf Zacher
Christa: Marion Kracht
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While it frequently, distractingly bathes the screen in yellow light, Dani Levy's direction (with a decent digital video-to-widescreen transfer) is just savvy enough to make shopworn material less about final outcomes and more about creating endearing characters. Thankfully not too intense when these characters lose control, with the crucial participant of an adaptable small boy caught between two parents, "Father" starts with what should be a moment of triumph.
An architect who doesn't follow suggestions and by his brashness helps his firm win a major project, Marco Krieger (Sebastian Blomberg) wants to share the good news with his wife, Melanie (Maria Schrader), but she's not a happy camper. A drama teacher who is seeing her ambitions thwarted by responsibilities like picking up their son Benny (Ezra Valentin Lenz) from school, Melanie sends out such negative vibes that Marco knows to try to stop the relationship's downward spiral.
Unfortunately, one missed afternoon pickup of Benny and a testy exchange at a party, and Melanie lowers the boom. A little smashed, Marco lashes out at her, and she prudently leaves, then returns with two cops to collect Benny. From there, it's downhill for Marco as his shock and anger derail early peace offerings, while even his sympathetic father (Rolf Zacher) can't unwind him.
Drinking heavily, smoking, letting his house turn into a pit, Marco tries to understand what has happened and how to fix it, but Melanie decides that it's over and wants a divorce. She also wants to limit his time with Benny. It is this condition that Marco can't compute, but his increasingly desperate attempts to have contact with his son only exacerbate the situation.
There's still a glimmer of hope Mom and Dad will get back together. But in one of the film's best scenes -- which has Marco perhaps starting something serious with a co-worker (Christiane Paul) who is thoroughly enamored of him, just as Melanie comes by on a peacekeeping mission -- it becomes clear that this marriage is kaput. Starting to live up to his reputation as a drunk and danger to his family, Marco snaps when he learns that Melanie is trying to deny him any contact with Benny.
With his career triumph also teetering on ruin, Marco snatches Benny and they drive out of town. With no plan but for an open-ended spree that includes a call or two to let Melanie know they are OK, the kidnapping ends messily with Marco hitting rock bottom. A basically decent guy who does stupid things, Marco has made an impression on Benny, paving the way for the far from hopeless conclusion.
With Schrader's character doing very little explaining of her actions and coming off as less dimensional than the father and son, the film encourages us to get under the skin of Blomberg's character, and the actor is onscreen nearly the entire movie. "Father" is also helped considerably by one's being able to laugh and cringe at the reactions of Benny, thanks to Lenz's excellent performance.
I'M THE FATHER
X Filme Creative Pool
Credits:
Director: Dani Levy
Screenwriters: Rona Munro, Dani Levy
Based on an idea by: Matthias Matussek, Gunter Rohrbach
Producer: Manuela Stehr
Director of photography: Carsten Thiele
Production designer: Christian Eiselle
Editor: Elena Bromund
Costume designer: Ingrida Bendzuk
Music: Niki Reiser
Cast:
Marco Krieger: Sebastian Blomberg
Melanie Krieger: Maria Schrader
Benny: Ezra Valentin Lenz
Ilona: Christiane Paul
Nico: Ulrich Noethen
Peter Krieger: Rolf Zacher
Christa: Marion Kracht
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/3/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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