cinemadiso's - German Cinema List
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Exhilarating and astonishingly ambitious, "Victoria" is an adrenaline-fuelled heist thriller set on the streets of nighttime Berlin that features the staggering technical feat of being shot in a single, unbroken take. Victoria, a young woman from Madrid, meets four local guys outside a nightclub in the early hours of the morning. Sonne and his friends are Berliners who promise to show her the real side of the city. But when the group are suddenly forced to repay a debt to a member of the city's criminal underworld, the night quickly spirals out of control. - Director:
- Sebastian Schipper
- Cast:
- Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski
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The Lives of Others (2006)Das Leben Der Anderen
In this outstanding psychological and political thriller, we get a fascinating insight into the lengths and depths that the East European government went to in order to keep tabs on the lives of its population in 80's. When cold and brutal official Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is given the task of spying on acclaimed playwright Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend, he relishes the task, knowing that if he uncovers subversive behaviour he will gain favor with his boss. But the longer he listens in on the couple, their friendships, passions and ideas, the more he realises that his own life and the harsh political regime are lacking in color and joy in many respects. Slowly he begins to doubt morality of is job and politics. As the lines between orders and compassion become blurred, Wiesler becomes more involved with his subject, walking a dangerous path between his duty and his new found reality. - Director:
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Cast:
- Ulrich Mühe, Klaus Münster, Martina Gedeck
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Head-On (2004)Gegen Die Wand
Cahit, bedraggled and in a neck brace after driving his car into a wall, is more than a little surprised when beautiful, scarred Sibel proposes marriage - especially considering they met through their mutual desire to commit suicide. Cahit's Turkish blood is enough to satisfy Sibel's overbearing family and the two begin an unlikely marriage of convenience that has the even more unlikely consequence of making them want to live. Raw and uncompromising, director Fatih Akin's unparalleled energy and treatment of second generation Turkish families in Germany are reflected in the electrifying performances of the two leads: Birol Unel who celebrates poetic self-destruction like Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison and Sibel Kekilli who was discovered in a shopping centre. Together they create a compelling chemistry that will grip you from the first frame to the last. - Director:
- Fatih Akin
- Cast:
- Birol Ünel, Sibel Kekilli, Güven Kiraç
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When Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) hires a gourmet chef for his struggling Hamburg restaurant, it only serves to drive away his low-life regulars. Meanwhile, Zinos' girlfriend, Nadine (Pheline Roggan), has moved to Shanghai to take a reporting job. A new hip clientele helps bring the restaurant back, but Zinos' heart still needs fixing, so he flies to China, leaving Soul Kitchen in the hands of his criminal brother, Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu). Bad move: Illias gambles the eatery away and Nadine has a new lover. But the brothers have a chance to repair the damage if they can stop arguing and work as a team. - Director:
- Fatih Akin
- Cast:
- Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Pheline Roggan
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Run Lola Run (1999)Lola Rennt
Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who works as a small-time courier for a big-time gangster, is in huge trouble. He has accidentally left the cash from a mob deal on the subway, and he has only twenty minutes to deliver the 100,000 marks to his unforgiving boss. Desperate, he calls his girlfriend, Lola (Franka Potente), the only person who can rescue him from certain death. As the seconds tick away and the tiniest choices become life altering, Lola must try to reach Manni before the line between fate and fortune begins to blur. One story told from three different perspectives, 'Run Lola Run' is a veritable maze of intriguing plot twists and heart-stopping suspense in a high-octane thrill ride about one woman's desperate attempt to save her lover. - Director:
- Tom Tykwer
- Cast:
- Franka Potente, Hans Paetsch, Moritz Bleibtreu
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