Das ist der kino
Hard
on the heels of the French Film Festival comes the latest crop
of quality German films in their own festival under the auspices
of the Goethe-Institut. They’re celebrating the seventh
year of the German Film Festival, with an excellent selection
of features and shorts including the Academy Award winning The
Counterfeiters (Best foreign film). The festival commences
in Sydney with Melbourne, Perth, with Brisbane to quickly follow.
Over 110 screenings showcasing 22 new films with critically acclaimed
Cherry Blossoms Hanami by director Doris Dorrie, The
Wave a story of fascism gone wrong in a high school experiment,
Nothing But Ghosts and Rabbit without Ears.
Jurgen Vogel, Germany’s answer to Gerard Depardieu
appears in no less than six movies in this festival, Duel
in the Night, Where is Fred, The Wave,
Rabbit without Ears, Naked, and Shattered
Glass. Vogel will be a guest of the festival in Australia.
The
Counterfeiters
Based on a true story concerning the use of Jewish prisoners to
forge British and later American banknotes for the Third Reich
during the Second World War. Powerfully acted with often brutally
realistic scenes in the concentration camps, it begs the question
of complicity with the Nazis when a counterfeiting unit staffed
by Jews from the death camps is set up giving them a moderately
better lifestyle not enjoyed by the other unfortunate inmates.
Lead by expert bank note forger Salomon Sorowitsch
(Karl Markovics) accepting the challenge of making huge quantities
of dud notes, in opposition to Adolf Burger (August Diehl) who
prefers death to supporting Hitler’s horror regime. The
harrowing conditions are spelt out clearly, Markavics looks the
part with hollow cheeks and haggard face. Having overtones from
an older film of death camp survival Triumph of the Spirit it’s
directed in documentary realism by Stefan Ruzowitzky. Certainly
up there with The Lives Of Others. Not to be missed.
Border of Despair
Also
based on a true story this film is in the same territory as The
Lives of Others. In the early 1980's a desperate young mother
Sara Bender (Veronica Ferres) tries to escape from repressive
East Germany with Silvia (Maria Ehrich) and Sabine (Elisa Schlott)
her two daughters. Sara nearly does escape, but is caught at the
last minute due to her fiancee’s disloyalty and the bugging
of her house by the notorious Stasi. Imprisoned, with her children
taken into state care, she after two years is finally allowed
to leave for West Berlin.
Sara expects her daughters will soon follow but
that’s not to be. They’re in a foster home now, unable
to leave the country. However with the aid of a friendly journalist
she sets up a long running one woman protest at Check Point Charlie
which causes considerable consternation in the GDR. It certainly
is triumph of the spirit. The film gradually builds unease and
increasing suspense, with impressive performances from Veronica
Ferres and the children Maria Ehrich and Elisa Schlott. Actually
a two part TV series which makes it a long cinema film, but the
production values are excellent, and with its unsettling atmosphere
it should keep you enthralled.
Where is Fred?
Now
for something entirely different, this irreverent slapstick farce
about how far a man will go to win the love of his life. It’s
so politically incorrect you could weep, but like Borat you can’t
help laughing at the nonsense. Fred (Til Schweiger) a construction
worker falls in a big way for Mara (Anja Kling) despite her objectionable
son Linus (Ramon Julia Konig). The horrible Linus inveigles Fred
to try and obtain him a basket ball signed by the top German player
actually presented during the game. Otherwise Fred’s romance
will be seriously threatened. Problem - only disabled people in
a special section of the grandstand have a chance at catching
the ball. Fred pretending to be disabled with the help of his
mate Alex (Jurgen Vogel) arrives on the scene pushed in a wheelchair
and captures the ball.
However things get extremely complicated when attractive
film maker Denise (Alexandra Maria Lara - Downfall) decides to
star him in a promotional film for the team. While being dumb
and disabled for the filming, problems arise in a conflict with
Ronnie (Christoph Maria Herbst) another wheelchair bound extremely
unpleasant character. Things really get out of hand when Fred
finds himself in a restaurant with both his lady love Mara (unaware
of his deception) and Denise in different parts of the diningroom.
Til Schweiger a sort of young Paul Newman has the right screwball
facial expressions as the desperate Fred. While the movie is a
little uneven slapstick scenes like the quick wheelchair decent
down a spiral staircase or the appalling dinner party at Mara’s
bring good laughs.
Special Escort
A
gentler comedy about five men all losers in various ways who decide
to set up a business to partner lonely women. The venture struggles
initially to get off the ground, and when it does they find they
may have bitten off more than they can chew. It all ends in some
complicated relationships, and embarrassing moments on the way.
A light comedy having a touch of pathos, and pleasant work from
the leads, Florian Lukas, Sebastian Bezzel, the delicatessen owner
Gustav Peter Wohler bearing a passing resemblance to the character
in the French movie Delicatessen.
And Along Came The Tourists
A drama set in the Polish town of Oswiecim virtually in the shadow
of the ruins of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Now a tourist location
with the Auschwitz museum and also home for an International Youth
Meeting Centre. Young Sven (Alexander Fehling) avoiding his compulsory
German military training, opts instead for a year of community
service is sent to help in the Youth Centre.
He encounters elderly cantankerous Stanislaw (Ryszard
Ronczewski) a former Jewish political prisoner of Auschwitz, now
a tour guide and also restorer of suitcases from the victims of
the camp which are on display in the museum. Their initially cool
relationship gradually changes as Sven comes to understand much
about the older man and the horrors endured under the Nazis. A
moving performance by Ronczewski as the film explores the themes
of guilt, reparation, and while accepting the past, moving forward.
Competent direction by Robert Thalheim.
Duel in the Night
This modest crime thriller has more twists than Chubby Checker.
Suggest you brush up your German as much of the film is long interrogations
which requires a surfeit of subtitles; and that may prove soporific.
However a stylish film it is, with some splendid chopper shots
of Berlin, and a concentration on the modern aspect of the city.
It sports that glossy look of an American production.
The ubiquitous Jurgen Vogel plays Jonus Birke a
sharp minded detective able to pierce through the web of deceit
and police corruption which has a man framed for murder. Isabel
Wellingsen (Iris Berben) exudes a sultry sexiness in the lengthy
scene as a witness being interrogated by Jonus Birke, seemingly
the only honest cop in the force. Actually made for television
and directed by Matti Geschonneck its not my pick of the festival,
but if you understand German that would help.
For details of screenings and other information
go to www.goethe.de/australia
John Bale
