Sommer vorm Balkon (2005)

Director:

Andreas Dresen

Writer:

Wolfgang Kohlhaase (writer)

Release Date:

5 January 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Andreas Dresen's tragicomic movie focuses on two women and their daily struggle for survival during a summer in Berlin...

Plot Keywords:

Breathalyzer | Love | Washing | Envy | Disco

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Inka Friedrich	...	Katrin Engel
Nadja Uhl	...	Nicole 'Nike' Pawelsky
Andreas Schmidt	...	Ronald
Stephanie Schönfeld	...	Tina
Vincent Redetzki	...	Max
Christel Peters	...	Helene
Kurt Radeke	...	Oskar
Hannes Stelzer	...	Herr Neumann
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Bachmann	...	Helenes Tochter
Traute Höss	...	Chefin Agentur (as Traute Hoess)
Hans-Ulrich Laux	...	Trucker
Maximilian Moritz	...	Rico
Lil Oggesen	...	Charly
Axel Prahl
Fritz Roth	...	Chef Puppenfirma
Veit Schubert	...	Apotheker

Also Known As:

Summer in Berlin (International: English title)

Runtime:

Canada:105 min | Argentina:105 min | Canada:105 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:107 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Peter Rommel Productions

Trivia:

Nadja Uhl kept a small, red chest of drawers from her character's bedroom set.

Soundtrack:

Er gehört zu mir

solid, yet average

Although this was hailed by the critics in Berlin as yet another masterpiece of German film-making I can't really see anything special here. Solid acting, solid script, solid camera; but at no stage does this film become more than the sum of its parts. Its set in the trendy part of former east Berlin and revolves around the friendship between unemployed shop window decorator Katrin and the stereotyped blonde Nike, an old people's nurse. At first glance they have nothing much in common apart from living in the same house, both being single and both having taken an unhealthy liking towards vodka. The plot itself is rather trite; we just fade in on their everyday problems and yup, you've guessed it, there are men involved. Then, after the usual complications that come with love, friendship and too much drink we fade out again. To give the whole thing a little more depth, a kid is thrown in for good measure. Still, after the credits rolled in I asked myself, whats the point? Three days later I couldn't remember much of it anymore. True, there are some good lines and a few mildly amusing scenarios, but the story stays rather predictable all the way through. I reckon this film is supposed to depict life as it is but if life is that dull, I don't really see any reason to make a film about it. My summers in Berlin are usually a bit more entertaining, that much I know.