People who work their way through the conventions of society, fail, but always manage to bounce back, tender and tragic stories about first love, as well as the challenges of confrontation with family and friends: these are just some of the aspects and themes of the German feature films at the 52nd Hof International Film Festival. There will be new German directing talents to discover who have cast their films with such notable actors as Katja Riemann, Peter Lohmeyer, Eva Löbau, and Florian Bartholomäi.
Here is an extended outlook on the German feature films:
ARME RITTER
by Florian Schmitz
Summer. In an old station wagon, Erik is traveling all around Germany. His goal is an appearance at a remote art festival. After a meticulously prepared performance, Erik finally lets himself just drift and meets the young couple Chiara and Peter. In the heat of the night, Erik falls in love and joins them.
With Christoph Bertram, Lilli Meinhardt, Marcus Abdel-Messih and many others
DER LETZTE MIETER / THE LAST BERLINER
by Gregor Erler
Berlin. The last unrenovated building in a posh neighborhood is being vacated. All the long-term tenants have moved out, except for Dietmar, who refuses to leave his beloved home where he has lived for the last 40 years. His son Tobias tries to persuade him to accept his fate and move into low cost housing. The situation escalates.
With Wolfgang Packhäuser, Matthias Ziesing, Pegah Ferydoni and many others
DIE ÜBRIGGEBLIEBENEN
by Eike Weinreich and Alexej Hermann
After the family patriarch passes away, his children meet in their hometown Windhausen to organize their father’s funeral with their brother and split up the inheritance: an old dilapidated building which houses an abandoned pub in a village so desolate that the only thing you can really do is to flee.
With Jürgen Sarkiss, Anja Schweitzer, Inge Mathes, Michael Gitter, Manfred Keinert and many others
FÜNF DINGE, DIE ICH NICHT VERSTEHE
by Henning Beckhoff
In a small town on the edge of the Ruhr Valley, a young farmer’s son is looking for his place in the world – torn between the city and the country, between his best friend and his older brother, between the present and tradition.
With Jerome Hirthammer, Henning Flüsloh, Peter Lohmeyer, Anna Böttcher and many others
FÜR IMMER UND DICH
by Julia von Heinz
A man and a teenager are driving through the night. Are they a couple? Father and daughter? When suddenly the laptop in their car is stolen, the man chases the young thief who ends up in a ditch with his moped.
With Eva Löbau, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Meira Durand, Steffi Kühnert and many others
GOLIATH96
by Marcus Richardt
Kristin cannot understand why her son has locked himself into his room for the past two years. All of her attempts to get through to him have failed. Life in their three-room apartment has turned into a spooky parallel existence, the routine of which is disrupted when Kristin unexpectedly loses her job.
With Katja Riemann, Nils Rovira-Munoz, David Wurawa, Jasmin Tabatabai, Elisa Schlott and many others
KAHLSCHLAG
by Max Gleschinski
Every Sunday when they were kids, Martin and Eric would go to the reservoir lake together and, even as kids, they both fell in love with the same girl: Frenni. Today, 20 years later, Martin and Frenni live in a peaceful little house on his parent’s farm. They don’t have any contact to Eric anymore, until he’s standing at their front door one day.
With Florian Bartholomäi, Bernhard Conrad, Maike Johanna Reuter and many others
LASS UNS ABHAUEN
by Isa Micklitza
Oskar is a sensitive Physics student. Based on a formula he developed himself, he has calculated that he will remain alone his whole life. Just as he is about to jump off a bridge, a bartender named Frieda, who is making off with the bar’s revenue from that night, saves him.
With Anja Thiemann, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Herman van Ulzen and many others
MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO LOOK INTO THE SUN
by Lilli Tautfest
In a solitary house in Italy, the 40-year-old Kamilla lives with her mother Gudrun. Surrounded by vineyards and forests, Kamilla farms the land and takes care of the farm – and looks after Gudrun, who uses wheelchair. Gudrun critically observes Kamilla’s every move. Then the fugitive Rocco appears.
With Katrin Bühring, Grischa Huber, Peter Marton
NOCH EINMAL / ONCE AGAIN
by Kanwal Sethi
Tara is a widowed mother and runs a small restaurant, Amar is one of her customers. A chance phone call between the two soon becomes a daily ritual. After their many telephone conversations and despite all societal conventions, they start seeing each other. A love story in Mumbai.
With Shefaki Shah, Neeraj Kabi and many others
SANDSTERN
by Yilmaz Arslan
The summer of 1980: after years of separation, 12-year-old Oktay reunites with his parents who are living in Germany. He didn’t spend his childhood with them, but rather with his grandmother in Turkey. The belated family reunion is under tension. Oktay doesn’t like his new life, he cannot seem to find a connection to his parents, nor to this country which is supposed to be his new home.
With Roland Kagan Sommer, Katharina Thalbach, Taies Farzan, Hilmi Sözer and many others
ZWEISAM GEMEINSAM EINSAM
by Lisa Ossowski, Julia Rabe, Yann Labry, Vincent Lenk
The cousins Wanda and Dora go to their grandfather’s old country estate with Dora’s boyfriend Anton and his buddy Lukas. But instead of just enjoying a relaxed weekend, a Game of Realities about love, friendship and fear ensues. Three independent narrations, which together form a greater whole.
With Mira Benser, Ali Aykar, Heiner Kock, Nina-Mercedés Rühl
