Carlo Ljubek Movies
- 2008
A search for both family and cultural identity takes place on a tandem bicycle in this emotional drama from Bulgarian filmmaker Stefan Komandarev. Alexander was born in 1975, when Bulgaria was being ruled by an oppressive political regime that encouraged distrust among its people. Alexander (Carlo Ljubek) was raised in an extended family, with his parents Vasko (Hristo Mutafchiev) and Yana (Ana Papadopulu) sharing their home with Yana's folks Bai Dan (Miki Manojlovic) and Sladka (Lyudmila Cheshmedzhieva). Free-spirited Bai Dan shows little respect for Bulgaria's leadership, and Vasko is approached by authorities who want him to file intelligence reports on his father-in-law. Afraid of where this could lead, Vasko brings together the family and flees the country, making their way to Germany after a stay in a refugee camp. When Alexander, now in his early thirties, is involved in an auto accident with his parents in the car, he survives but they perish. Alexander's memory of his past has been shattered by his injuries, so Bai Dan proposes a journey to lift his spirits and refresh his mind. Bai Dan gets a two-seater bicycle and together they set out to travel from Germany to Bulgaria strictly by pedal power. Adapted from a novel by Ilija Trojanov, Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakde (aka The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner) was voted best Bulgarian feature presentation at the 2008 Sofia Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miki Manojlovic, Carlo Ljubek, (more)
A battle for gay rights is fought on a small-time football field in this comedy drama from Germany. Ecki (Maximilian Brückner) is a talented soccer goalie who plays with a semi-pro team in a small German town, but he finds himself on the outs with his teammates when he fails to block a kick that costs the team the league championship. Ecki's relationship with the team goes from bad to worse when they discover he's gay, and they give him his walking papers. Furious, Ecki challenges his former team to a special match in which they'll face off against an all-gay team he'll assemble for the occasion. The homophobic team agrees to the match, but Ecki soon discovers finding ten capable gay footballers is no easy task, and making them into a competitive team is even harder. Making matters a bit easier for Ecki is his sister Susanne (Lisa Maria Potthoff), who introduces him to one of her co-workers, Sven (David Rott), a good-looking male nurse who can play soccer...and happens to find Ecki attractive. Männer Wie Wir (aka Guys and Balls) was written for the screen by Benedikt Gollhardt; it was his first theatrical film after establishing himself in television. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maximilian Brückner, Lisa Maria Potthoff, (more)
