Directed by:
Matti GeschonneckCinematography:
Martin LangerComposer:
Florian TessloffCast:
Gudrun Ritter, Horst Krause, Michael Gwisdek, Jürgen Vogel, Meret Becker, Hermann Beyer, Milan Peschel, Klaus Manchen, Daniel Krauss, Sebastian Hülk (more)Plots(1)
1968. Student revolts and the sexual revolution are in full swing in the West, and Soviet tanks have rolled into in Prague. Life at Boxhagener Platz in East Berlin is in turmoil too for Grandma Otti and her grandson, Holger – albeit for different reasons. A cheerful, passionate cemetery-goer, Grandma Otti has already buried five husbands. Now that her sixth husband Rudi is also on the brink of passing on, two new admirers are already making advances to her. One of them is a charming and articulate widow and pensioner named Karl Wegner, an ex-revolutionary from the Spartacus League and a commuter between East and West. The other is a smarmy ex-Nazi known as 'Fish-Winkler'. Unlike Grandma Otti, her grandson Holger hasn't had much luck as yet with the opposite sex. Holger's a shy misfit who, as the son of a party-line-toeing community policeman, isn't exactly very popular with the older lads of Boxhagener Platz – or with the girls. To cap it all, his parents' quarrels are getting worse, and so he's been spending more time than usual at his beloved Grandma Otti's place of late.
But then, one day, Fish-Winkler is found dead in his shop. As the area's community policeman, Holger's father takes charge of the case, which – initially at least – turns about to be a great fillip for Holger's status. But the investigations soon grind to a halt and, before long, Holger's father no longer has any more interesting pieces of information to offer. And so Holger decides to take on the case – if only to earn a bit of respect on Boxhagener Platz.
(Berlinale)
Cast
Gudrun Ritter
German Empire
Best movies:
Coming Out (1989)
The Poll Diaries (2010)
Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion (2012)
Horst Krause
German Empire
Best movies:
Rencontres nocturnes (1999)
Schultze Gets the Blues (2003)
Fashion Victims (2007)
Michael Gwisdek
German Empire
Best movies:
No Place to Go (2000)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
Herzlich willkommen (1990)
Jürgen Vogel
West Germany
Best movies:
The Wave (2008)
Life Is All You Get (1997)
Die Kirschenkönigin (2004) (series)
Meret Becker
West Germany
Best movies:
Comedian Harmonists (1997)
Life Is All You Get (1997)
Munich (2005)
Hermann Beyer
German Empire
Best movies:
Jakob the Liar (1974)
Das Buschgespenst (1986) (TV movie)
Wie Feuer und Flamme (2001)
Milan Peschel
East Germany
Best movies:
Stopped on Track (2011)
The Captain (2017)
Lessons of a Dream (2011)
Klaus Manchen
German Empire
Best movies:
The White Ribbon (2009)
Aimee & Jaguar (1999)
Line of Separation (2015) (series)
Daniel Krauss
West Germany
Best movies:
The Silent Revolution (2018)
Offroad (2012)
Two Lives (2012)
Sebastian Hülk
West Germany
Best movies:
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Le Vent de la liberté (2018)
The White Ribbon (2009)
Matthias Matschke
West Germany
Best movies:
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Sun Alley (1999)
Wolfsburg (2003)
Hans-Uwe Bauer
East Germany
Best movies:
The Lives of Others (2006)
Never Look Away (2018)
Der Aufenthalt (1983)
Claudia Geisler-Bading
East Germany
Best movies:
No Place to Go (2000)
Cracks in the Shell (2011)
Barbara (2012)
Dieter Montag
Best movies:
Solo Sunny (1980)
Die schwarze Mühle (1975) (TV movie)
Polizeiruf 110 (1971) (series)
Thomas Lawinky
East Germany
Best movies:
The Pianist (2002)
Two Lives (2012)
Die Ermittler: Nur für den Dienstgebrauch (2016) (TV movie)
Ingeborg Westphal
East Germany
Best movies:
Life Is All You Get (1997)
Off Beat (2004)
The Elementary Particles (2006)
Samuel Schneider
Germany
Best movies:
A Good Boy (2008) (TV movie)
Tatort (1970) (series)
The Puppeteers (2017) (TV movie)
Volkmar Kleinert
German Empire
Best movies:
The Lives of Others (2006)
Das Große Abenteuer des Kaspar Schmeck (1981) (TV movie)
Hasenherz (1987)
Frank Witter
East Germany
Best movies:
Merry Christmas (2005)
Operation Valkyrie (2004) (TV movie)
Pope Joan (2009)
Charleen Deetz
Best movies:
Marthe's Secret (2016) (TV movie)
Tatort (1970) (series)
The Heartbreak Agency (2024)