Susanne Bormann Movies
- 2000
Opening with a brief glimpse of the childhood friendship between Nils and Turkish-German Tayfun, Freunde quickly cuts to the present day, when the Berlin cafe Tayfun (Erdal Yildiz owns is raided by the police. One of the cops, Nils (Benno Fuermann), does a favor for his old friend by disposing of a stash of drugs; unfortunately, his boss Schenk (Michael Gwisdek) finds out and forces Nils to go undercover and work against Tayfun. While reluctantly spying on his friend, Nils meets up with their old chum Caro (Christiane Paul), who is romantically involved with Tayfun. Sparks are soon flying between Caro and Nils, who were once lovers, and they painstakingly rekindle their old relationship. Meanwhile Tayfun, who believes Nils has been suspended from the police force, has welcomed him into his immigrant community, and tensions start to grow as Tayfun catches wind of the dynamics between Nils and Caro. Everything reaches a crisis point when Tuncay (Ehran Emre), Tayfun's younger brother, is killed after a police raid. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benno Fürmann, Erdal Yildiz, (more)
- 1998
The heroes of Andreas Dresen's metropolitan elegy become dreamers when confronted by harsh reality. A farmer dreams of romantic love in a red light district; a homeless man and woman dream of finding a room for the night; and an aging businessman dreams of a big career, unaware that it is too late. All this happens on the night when the Pope arrives in Berlin! The film was shot in 47 night shifts and countless winter outdoor shoots, yet improvisation was always part of the action, such as the scene with actor Oliver Bassler, who was not forewarned he would be entering a sleazy hotel room. The hand-held camera and grainy film stock give the film authenticity and a tragi-comic touch. An example of radical cinema which blends passion and political awareness with a sincere approach, Nachtgestalten succeeds in delivering on the promise of the director's first feature, Silent Country (1992). Michael Gwisdek received the Silver Bear for Best actor for his role as Peschke, the aging businessman, at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Myriam Abbas, Dominique Horwitz, (more)
- 1989
The time is the French Revolution; the place is the village of Travers, ensconsed in neutral Switzerland. Prussian aesthete Herman Beyer is on the verge of divorcing wife Corinna Harfouch. Radical writer Uwe Kokisch, Corinna's lover, hopes to find a way of smoothing out animosities. What follows, however, is a nonstop drinking binge. The film subliminally addresses the then-prevalent issue of a divided Germany. Whether or not it succeeds is unimportant; Treffen in Travers (Reunion in Travers) has proven to be a crowd pleaser wherever it has been shown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corinna Harfouch
