Andrea Sawatzki

Written and directed by newcomer Chris Kraus, this family drama centers around the eccentric Jesko (Jürgen Vogel), who, despite a debilitating condition, makes a visit to his father, Gebhard (Dietrich Hollinderbaumer), and brother, Ansgar (Peter Davor), on the day that Ansgar is scheduled to take over the family company. However, when Ansgar reveals that their long-estranged mother, Kathe (Margit Carstensen) has returned home, Jesko's life is thrown even further off of its already crooked axis. Though Jesko is far from normal himself, it's Kathe who is truly insane. Her lucidity is further put to the test when she turns out to be the most viable bone marrow donor for Jesko's much needed surgery. Flashbacks reveal that Kathe was, in fact, the cause of her own son's head injuries -- years of child abuse had done serious damage to his skull and brain. The deepest of family secrets, however, isn't revealed until the marrow of a little-known relative turns out to be a superior donor candidate. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

In this satire on office intrigue and middle-class status seeking, Albert (Herbert Knaup) is a ordinary middle-aged finance executive with a wife, Sabine (Andrea Sawitzki), a teenage daughter, Sandra (Alexandra Maria Lara), and a fine home in an upscale suburb of Munich. Just before Albert is about to take his family on a vacation in the South Pacific, his company is put under investigation for fraud, and suddenly a hold is put on his credit card, leaving him stranded at home. However, neither Albert nor his family want the neighbors to know what happened, so they leave their house as if going to the airport anyway, and then sneak back home to hide in the basement for the next two weeks. Able to sneak out only under cover of darkness, Albert discovers his neighbor, Helmut (Ben Becker), is after his job, which will give him plenty to think about when he's not busy trying to drain out the basement after it floods. Suedsee, Eigene Insel was the first theatrical feature from director Thomas Bahmann, who was previously noted for his televsion work. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Traveling down DePalma-like pathways, director Rainer Kaufmann made this dark comedy-thriller about 30-year-old small-town pharmacist Hella Moormann (Katja Riemann), unlucky with men. She finally beds Levin (Jürgen Vogel), who's in debt to imprisoned drug-dealer Dieter (Richy Mueller). Hella is shocked when Levin suggests that they kill his wealthy grandfather Hermann Graber (Joachim Tomaschewsky) to get his mansion and money. So when Graber dies, Hella suspects Levin. Soon Dieter joins Levin and Hella in the mansion, and the events become even more convoluted after Hella catches Levin making out with Dieter's sexy wife Margot (Isabella Parkinson). Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The political and social upheaval of the reunification of Germany provides the backdrop for this romantic comedy-drama. Jan Nebel (Jurgen Vogel), a young slaughterhouse worker who doesn't like to work much more than is necessary in order to keep his job, is walking home through Berlin one evening when he finds himself strolling into the middle of a riot. He sees a woman named Vera (Christiane Paul) trying to get away from a pair of cops; Jan trips the police officers, which earns him Vera's gratitude and a night behind bars. Jan's unexpected detainment causes him to lose his job, which doesn't bother him very much except that he'll be short on money. Jan decides to pay his father a visit only to discover that the old man has died; Jan takes over his apartment, and his friend Buddy (Ricky Tomlinson) joins him as a flatmate and pays him rent. Death pays a visit of its own to Jan when he learns that one of his former girlfriends has tested positive for the HIV virus; while Jan is understandably upset, he's too frightened of the possible results to be tested himself. While Jan is dealing with his many anxieties, he runs into Vera for the first time since the riot; they get to know each other better, and they are soon engaged in a passionate romance, though they take many twists down the bumpy road of love. Das Leben Ist Eine Baustelle was a prize winner at several major festivals in its native Germany, including a special award at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival for writer and director Wolfgang Becker "for the humorous and ironic portrayal of the changes taking place in present-day Berlin." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide