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Sommer vorm Balkon, Germany 2005

Summer in Berlin follows the friendship of two women in their thirties over the course of a sweltering Berlin summer. Homecare attendant Nike Pawelski and divorcee Katrin Engel spend their evenings on Nike’s balcony, looking down at the city below. From their perspective, the world is turbulent and troublesome – the good guys usually turn out to be bad; decent jobs are hard to come by; and you have to be tough to succeed.

Nike and Katrin’s friendship is tested when Nike meets tattooed truck driver Ronald. Katrin takes to drinking, leaving her son, twelve-year-old Max to pick up the pieces. The sensitive portrayal of the two female characters is coupled with moments of enchanting comedy. Summer in Berlin is a moving film full of warmth, sincerity and delightful humour.

“At once natural and designed, funny and sad, Dresen's story approximates the capriciousness of life itself, and that may be the highest praise any work of art could ask for.” Boxoffice Magazine

Director: Andreas Dresen
Producer: Stefan Arndt, Peter Rommel
Screenplay: Wolfgang Kohlhaase
Cinematography: Andreas Höfer
Editor: Jörg Hauschild
Music: Pascale Comelade

With: Inka Friedrich (Katrin Engel), Nadja Uhl (Nike Pawelsky), Andreas Schmidt (Ronald), Stephanie Schönfeld (Tina), Christel Peters (Helene), Kurt Radeke (Oskar), Vincent Redetzki (Max), Hannes Stelzer (Herr Neumann)

In German with English subtitles

106 mins, DV

M violence, offensive language, sex scenes

Dunedin Film Society
Wednesday 10 March, 7.30pm

Palmerston North Film Society
Monday 17 March, 5.30pm

Hamilton Film Society
Monday 29 March, 8.00pm

Queenstown Film Society
Tuesday 18 May, 8.00pm

Nelson Film Society
Thursday 27 May, 6.00pm

Waitati Film Society

Tuesday 6 July, 8.00pm