Mel's Block

“Mel returns to Rostock to finally leave her past behind. What is special about this story is that it is told on two time levels. On the one hand, there is Mel the aloof, who rides into her old neighborhood in her golden Lamborghini to assert strength, power, and control. On the other hand, there is Melanie, her younger self, who goes through the agony of bullying in vivid and authentic flashbacks. We see how Melanie gradually transforms into Mel, how she becomes tougher and how she shoulders guilt. For only those who have been victims can truly become perpetrators, and both roles have their advantages and disadvantages.

This ambivalence of the main character is, for me, the unique appeal of this production. We did not want to tell a story of suffered intimidation, but rather create a powerful character from a position of strength who believes she can control her past and ultimately fails, indeed must fail.

Capturing these contradictions in a credible and lively manner, conveying them excitingly and understandably, telling them in powerful and cliché-free dialogues while being a film straight from the heart of Rostock – all of this is what Mel's Block aims to achieve.”

Mark Sternkiker