Tartalmak(1)
Director Janna Ji Wonders tells the story of the women in her family over the last century. The film’s unifying element and silent chronicler is Lake Walchensee in Bavaria, where the family opened a café in 1920 which still exists today. Its impressive founder Apa bequeaths the business to her first-born Norma who continues to run it, even in her advancing years. Norma’s daughters Anna and Frauke leave the lake to liberate themselves and travel the world as musicians – only to return to live in a commune set up by Rainer Langhans. Frauke pines for the love of her life, dies mysteriously and becomes a shadowy figure for those left behind. Restless Anna moves to the USA, where she unexpectedly falls pregnant and gives birth to a girl. Summoned by the shadows of her past, she returns with daughter Janna to Walchensee where Grandma Norma becomes an important figure for her granddaughter. Filmmaker Janna is searching for answers to questions like: What is the meaning of home? To what extent am I shaped by my origins? What really counts in the end? She finds clues in the bond between four generations of women and their very different approaches to life. (Berlinale)
(több)Videók (1)
Recenziók (1)
The movie lured the viewer with family warmth and wellbeing mapping the story of women of three generations. Unfortunately the movie ended up being a rather monotonous and, in places, almost depressing drama. The story is told as a long-winded conversation between mother and daughter, only very occasionally interrupted by opinions voiced by Grandma or family friends and, although were are treated to emotions and cruel human fates, the whole movie seems very distant and cold. The problem is the excessive running time, 80% of which is dedicated to an idiosyncratic character called Frauke who is interesting, but in the end doesn’t have much to offer. I would much rather have heard something about the other women in the family, which, despite perhaps not being quite so interesting, would have been a nice contrast, filling some of the gaps I could see.
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Galéria (7)
Photo © Farbfilm Verleih
