On the other hand

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Movie
Original title On the other hand
Country of production Germany , Turkey
original language German , Turkish , English
Publishing year 2007
length 122 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Fatih Akin
script Fatih Akin
production Corazón International ,
Anka Film
music Shantel ,
Kâzım Koyuncu
camera Rainer Klausmann
cut Andrew Bird
occupation
chronology

←  Predecessor
Against the Wall

Successor  →
The Cut

On the other hand ( Turkish Yaşamın Kıyısında , English The Edge of Heaven ) is a German-Turkish drama by Fatih Akin based on his own script . The award-winning film is the second part of the trilogy Love, Death and the Devil , which began in 2004 with Gegen die Wand and ended in 2014 with The Cut . It tells the intertwined fate of six people from three families and two generations of both German and Turkish origins. Playing in both countries, it is divided into three parts, each with a chapter heading.

action

Yeter's death
Yeter, a prostitute from Bremen , receives an offer from a customer, the retired widower Ali, who is like her, of Turkish descent, to become his partner without losing money. Since two young Muslims threaten her at the same time that she should give up her job, she agrees and moves in with him. There she met his son Nejat, a professor of German studies who often visits his father. A short time later, Ali suffers a serious heart attack. Back from the clinic, he behaves unruly, vulgar and macho. When Yeter threatens to move out, he beats her; she falls miserably and is fatally injured. Ali goes to jail.
Nejat, who renounces his father and describes him as a "murderer", goes to Istanbul to track down Yeter's daughter Ayten. Yeter had told him that she had lost contact with the 27-year-old, had sent her shoes from time to time beforehand (to foster the illusion that she was working in a shoe store), but would like to finance a good education for her. Nejat then states this as his own wish when asked by the authorities why he is looking for Ayten. Yeter's family in Turkey doesn't know anything about their whereabouts either, but they help him find it. When he begins to distribute flyers with Yeter's likeness, he comes across a German-language bookstore that is for sale. Nejat takes over and stays in Istanbul.
Lotte's death
The second part begins on the same day as the first and with a view to the same event: a demonstration on May 1st , albeit in Istanbul, and designed as a contrasting major event with political explosives. In this case, an undercover police officer is exposed and knocked down, whereby he loses his pistol; this ends up with Ayten, who manages to hide it on a roof terrace. She belongs to a cell of left-wing political activists who are exposed because Ayten lost her cell phone while on the run; She happened to be absent when she was arrested and decided to fly to Germany with a forged passport and go into hiding in Hamburg . However, when she separates from the local contact group in an argument and an initial search for her mother in shoe shops in Bremen fails, she is left alone and penniless. On the university campus, she asks the student Lotte to pay her lunch and gets a lot more than expected. Lotte is on the lookout herself: for a job, for love, for a bond that she has cut off from her mother. So she takes Ayten into her mother's apartment with her, helps her to find Yeter and starts a relationship with her. During a routine police check, however, Ayten panics; she flees, is arrested and invokes her right to asylum. Her application process, financed by Lotte's mother Susanne, is rejected after one year; Ayten is expelled to Turkey.
Lotte follows her and learns that she was arrested immediately and that as a member of an "armed organization" she could face 15 to 20 years in prison. Consoled by the vague prospect of a permit, she decides to stay (against the opposition of her mother, who refuses to give her any further support). The search for accommodation also leads her to Nejat's bookstore, which offers her to sublet with him. A visit to the remand prison, however, has fatal consequences. Ayten, who has been signaled by her group that the hidden pistol is needed, succumbs to the temptation to take advantage of Lotte's devotion. Lotte manages to get the pistol, but the shoulder bag is snatched from her by street boys on the way. When she finally confronts them, one of them shoots her.
On the other hand
Susanne flies to Istanbul to deal with the death of her daughter. She meets with Nejat, sleeps in her daughter's room, reads her diary and stays. By visiting Ayten, too, she continues Lotte's mission and has success, albeit indirectly. Ayten asks for forgiveness and repents. Since she also expressed her repentance to the judiciary, she was released. Back in Istanbul, she accepts Susanne's offer to initially stay with Nejat, whose apartment and bookstore he has given Susanne in his absence. Nejat had learned that his father Ali had been deported from Germany, but had avoided contact with him (assuming he did not want him) and was now on his way to his property in Trabzon . Nejat follows him. When he hears that Ali has gone fishing, he waits for him on the beach.

subjects

Two of the topics are suggested by the film title, the chapter headings and the title of the trilogy.

On the other hand
In a geographical sense, all six protagonists end up “on the other side” (to Turkey or Germany) in the course of the film, some even twice and none of them really voluntarily. Cinematically, this is most intensely condensed by the two coffins on the conveyor belt at Istanbul Airport: one down (Yeter), the other up (Lotte).
Understood as a metaphor , the film title can be interpreted legally for some of the main characters (Ali, Ayten, Lotte), but in turn for all of them in the sense of a biographical cut.
death
Death intervened in the life of Yeter and Ali a long time ago: both of them were widowed at an early age and raised their only child alone, as did Susanne (who apparently refuses to ask Lotte's father whether he is going to his daughter in Turkey support is ready).
The two killings that are part of the film plot have in common that they are not committed on purpose. One deed takes place in private, the other in public and completely anonymous (it even remains uncertain whether the boy who shoots Lotte will recognize the woman from whom they stole the bag). It should also be mentioned that Lotte's death, in all its futility, is already being prepared elsewhere: When Nejat explains why he wants to help Ayten, the officer asks him whether it would be better for one of the many Kurdish boys to do so do who wander through the streets of Istanbul, abandoned and ready to use violence. It is precisely such boys who are obviously Lotte's undoing.

The short description of the film on its own website refers to two further topics: “Six people whose paths cross in a fateful way without touching. Only death brings them together on an emotional journey to forgiveness. "

Repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation
At the beginning of the film, the subject is hit by the “repent!” That the Muslims demand of Yeter and whose absurdity becomes all the more evident through what happens later: repentance takes time and can only come from within. Logically, the film gives this aspect more space than the how and why of a death. He avoids the danger of possible sentimentality by the fact that the (re-) rapprochement of the four surviving protagonists is only shown in the initial stage. This is especially true for the two men. As a sign of Ali's beginning change, it is sufficient that he is now reading the book that his son gave him a year ago ( The daughter of the blacksmith by Selim Özdoğan ) - and is evidently moved by it. The trigger for Nejat's decision to approach the father again is Susanne's question about the background of the Bayram festival (God's request to Abraham to sacrifice his son) and the associated memory of his childlike question to the father whether he would also be him would sacrifice, and his answer, which he quotes: "He said he would even make an enemy of God to protect me."
Fate and chance
In a few short, highlight-like scenes, the film plays with the idea of ​​“intersecting” but “non-touching” lines of life or with the viewer's expectation that chance may help to bring about one or the other fateful “touch” earlier or at all.
Ayten is also sitting in one of Nejat's lectures, who only came with the intention of finding a quiet place to sleep and who has no inkling that she could lead her search here to success. (The classification of this scene, which already occurs in the first part, without knowing Ayten's identity there, is only possible with the next at the earliest.)
The car in which Lotte and Ayten are looking for her mother drives for a few moments next to a tram in which Yeter and Nejat are sitting at the window, probably on the way to or from the hospital. (When you see the film for the first time, you believe that Ayten is looking for a dead person in Bremen right from the start, and you only know how to interpret one of the functions of the opening sequences of parts one and two, indicating the temporal coincidence of both, in retrospect.)
When Nejat asks Lotte casually what is the name of the woman who wants to help her, she gives her the wrong name, because the officer she hopes to get permission to visit has made it conditional that she does not mention the correct name to anyone.
He removes the flyer with Yeter's picture, which Nejat left hanging in his bookstore for a year, in response to a rather casual question from his "cousin" just before Ayten shows up there.

Emergence

The ensemble film after Head-On the second part of "Love, Death and the Devil" trilogy by German director. The film was produced by Akin's own film production company Corazón International . It was dedicated to partner Andreas Thiel , who died shortly before the end of the shooting. Co-producers were the NDR and film companies in Italy and Turkey. Shortly before the Cannes festival, the director had completely re-cut his film.

Akin names Guillermo Arriaga as his dramaturgic advisor on the film. Akin also awarded his film editor Andrew Bird a large share in the final dramaturgy of the film at the awarding of the European Screenplay Prize .

The NDR documentary Fatih Akin - Diary of a Film Traveler documents the director's work on On the Other Side . Fatih Akin's short film The Black Sea (2008) tells an episode from the film On the Other Side , which was no longer taken into account in the final cut.

reception

Premiere in Cannes and diffusion

The film had its world premiere in 2007 at the 60th Cannes Film Festival , where it was represented as a German entry in the Palme d'Or competition and won the prize for the best screenplay and the special prize “Prix du Jury œcuménique”. The 2007 film festival in Cannes received particular attention in the Turkish media in terms of the participation of a film made by a director of Turkish origin from Germany. Akin used this for a political statement at the award ceremony in the direction of the country of origin of his parents.

On the other hand , 65,000 spectators saw in Turkey on the opening weekend. In Germany, after a good to moderate start, the film was also among the top 10 in the visitor lists for five weeks. It was also successful in other countries. After winning the Lux film award , On the other hand was translated into all 22 official languages ​​of the EU. The film was also selected as a German entry for the 2008 Academy Awards , but did not make it into the final selection.

On the other hand, theaters were shown in numerous countries around the world, for example France , Finland , Thailand , the Philippines , Canada , Germany , Austria , Turkey , Italy , Belgium , the Czech Republic , Hong Kong , the Netherlands, Australia and the UK .

Focus of German-language film criticism

In the German-language film criticism, there were voices who rated the film as significant for the cinematographies of Germany and Turkey; he helps Akin to gain international recognition and to rise to the ranks of world filmmakers like Iñárritu , Meirelles and Egoyan . It is the expression of a new globalized cinema that blurs national categories as a critical complement to Hollywood. He builds bridges between cultures, and the actions of the characters are a signal of trust in a suspicious world; he works "like a serum against the" war of cultures "hysteria."

Akin has matured stylistically compared to his previous works. He told the story no less intensely, but more refined than before, exciting, "calm, almost meditative" , unspectacular, calm and level-headed; he speaks softly with a gently nuanced staging. “The film lacks anything slow. Akin is in no hurry, but he is nowhere longer than necessary. ” It is brave that in times of an impatient audience he has chosen a slow, emotional, arduous narrative method that is essential for a real melodrama. The tone of voice is also described as tender melancholy or virtuoso, “captivating balance of realism and artificiality” . The FAZ thinks that Akin shows a rare affection for figures and things and proves to be a close observer and economic narrator. Spiegel Online, on the other hand, expresses concerns that the style is unreasonable for Akin fans, because up until now he had told instinctively and grabbed the characters, but now it has become disturbingly formalistic. He approaches the characters only hesitantly, so that some of them remain strange.

Three subtitles give the audience the further course of the plot in advance and make it a confidante of fate. All efforts of the characters to change the mapped out path are in vain, says the film service . The narrative structure, which is always transparent to the viewer, proves to be a Brechtian effect that prevents us from immersing ourselves completely in the tragedy and stimulates reflection, adds the Neue Zürcher Zeitung . The world states that Akin tells the story in the style of telegrams, but with telegrams that instead of facts "prefer to convey their emotional reverberation" , something only a few, very good directors dare to do and which stimulate the audience to think for themselves. "The fact that the highly concentrated drama of the action can keep its tension unbroken and never slide into cheap sentimentality is thanks to the cleverly constructed script written by Akin himself." ( NZZ ) Other reviews judge that there is no "episodic uniform carpet" in the Art von Babel (2006), the storylines are cleverly intertwined, the characters, their stories and places make sense to a whole, the individual parts are just as convincing as the sum. Only Focus found the connections in the plot construction somewhat forced.

Several voices expressed the opinion that Akin had already packed too many topics into the film and that they could be stretched across three films. The characters seemed like placeholders for the many big topics that Akin somehow wanted to include in the film, the award of the script was therefore inappropriate; some things happen too quickly. In the opinion of the film service , the characters represent the whole spectrum of neglected and attempted, successful and failed integration into another culture, of longing for home and homelessness, they are withdrawn or are in life. The precise portraits, the strong performance of the ensemble and Akin's ingenious leadership of the actors, who give them room to develop and encourage them, are praised. He gets a lot out of Schygulla's character, she is the best thing about the film, her role differs refreshingly from the appearances one is used to from her. The Frankfurter Rundschau also writhes the secondary characters in a circle and sees the main character, the professor of German studies Nejat, marginalized due to their strength.

Review mirror

positive

  • epd film no. 10/2007, pp. 28–30, by Rainer Gansera
    (Akin rightly achieved world renown; brilliantly managed actors.)
  • film-dienst No. 20/2007, pp. 31–32, fd 38349, by Oliver Rahayel (complex figure and action constellations
    meaningfully linked, convincingly combines realism and artificiality.)
  • FAZ , May 24, 2007, p. 37, by Michael Althen: Two dead is better.
    (a must, exciting, economical and lovingly told, Schygulla an event.)
  • Frankfurter Rundschau , September 27, 2007, p. 33, by Daniel Kothenschulte: Behind the wall.
    (meaningful for German and Turkish cinema, courageously staged, strongly played.)
  • Hamburger Abendblatt , September 20, 2007, p. 8, by Volker Behrens: With death at eye level.
    ("Refined, intense, mature", strong performers.)
  • Neue Zürcher Zeitung , October 4, 2007, p. 49, by Alexandra Stäheli: Love is stronger than death.
    (Admiration; the book and the dramaturgy are skillful.)
  • Spiegel Online , September 25, 2007, by Christian Buß: Everyone has their own home .
    (Akin catches up with film writers like Alejandro González Iñárritu, Fernando Meirelles, and Atom Egoyan.)
  • Die Welt , September 26, 2007, p. 27, by Hanns-Georg Rodek: Repentance and forgiveness.
    (bold, gentle narrative style.)

Rather positive

  • Focus , September 24, 2007, p. 74, by Harald Pauli: You are German.
    (Constructed script, but nuanced direction.)

Awards (selection)

conversations

  • With Fatih Akin in epd film No. 10/2007

Movie

  • Monique Akin (script concept and direction): Fatih Akin - diary of a film traveler. TV documentary about working on On the Other Side. NDR , Germany 2008.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Certificate of Release for On the Other Side . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , September 2007 (PDF; test number: 111 215 K).
  2. ↑ auf-der-anderen-seite.de
  3. ↑ Interview of the NDR with Fatih Akin from September 20, 2006 ( Memento from April 23, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ tvtoday.de ( Memento of the original dated November 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tvtoday.de
  5. ↑ a b c d e Frankfurter Rundschau, September 27, 2007, p. 33, by Daniel Kothenschulte
  6. ↑ a b c d e f epd Film No. 10/2007, pp. 28–30, by Rainer Gansera
  7. ↑ a b c d Spiegel Online, September 25, 2007, by Christian Buß
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g film-dienst No. 20/2007, pp. 31–32, fd 38349, by Oliver Rahayel
  9. ↑ a b c d e Die Welt, September 26, 2007, p. 27, by Hanns-Georg Rodek
  10. ↑ a b c Hamburger Abendblatt, September 20, 2007, p. 8, by Volker Behrens
  11. ↑ a b c d Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 24, 2007, p. 37, by Michael Althen
  12. ↑ a b c d e Focus, September 24, 2007, p. 74, by Harald Pauli
  13. ↑ a b c d Neue Zürcher Zeitung , October 4, 2007, p. 49, by Alexandra Stäheli
  14. ↑ Der Tagesspiegel , September 26, 2007, p. 26, by Daniela Sannwald