Enlightenment guaranteed

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Movie
Original title Enlightenment guaranteed
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1999
length 109 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Doris Dörrie
script Doris Dörrie
Ruth Stadler
production Franz Xaver Gernstl
camera Hans Karl Hu
cut Inez Regnier
Arne Sinnwell
occupation

Enlightenment guaranteed is a German film by director Doris Dörrie from 1999 , which premiered on October 30, 1999 at the 33rd Hof International Film Festival.

action

The road movie tells the story of two men, Uwe and Gustav, who find themselves with the help of a Buddhist monastery.

Uwe is left by his wife Petra, who no longer sees any point in living together any longer, as Uwe is more concerned with himself and his job and less with his wife and children. In desperation, Uwe turns to his brother Gustav, who is married to Ulrike. Gustav works as a Feng Shui consultant and has long planned to travel to a Buddhist Zen monastery in Japan in order to make spiritual progress. The desperate and drunk Uwe persuades him to take him there.

Once in Japan, they spend the first evening in Tokyo and visit an extremely expensive bar. When the advertising lights go out, they can't find their hotel again. Ulrike, who they ask for the name of the hotel by phone, prefers to stay in bed with her lover. The brothers spend the night in cardboard boxes on the street. The next morning they lose each other in the crowd. Gustav meets a German and soon finds Uwe again by chance. The German gives them a job at the Hofbräuhaus in Tokyo so that they can get money again and travel to the monastery to seek enlightenment there.

Uwe realizes that the strict way of life of the monks can help him. Gustav is physically overwhelmed and scared of making mistakes. After ten days of ritual cleaning and wiping units, prayers and ablutions, both of them have come a little closer to their inner selves. Gustav admits to himself and Uwe that he is gay.

particularities

The first names of all characters correspond to those of the respective actor.

After the interviews on DVD with the director and the actors, the film was only shot with a rough framework as a script. During their stay at Sōjiji Soin Monastery , the actors actually took part in the monks' daily routine and were only observed by the cameras for documentary purposes.

criticism

“A digitally recorded film, subsequently blown up to 35mm, which stylistically unconvincing oscillates between home video, an introduction to Zen Buddhism and a Far Eastern road movie. Despite these formal weaknesses, the seriousness with which the spiritual power of meditative attention is thematized and existential tones resonate has a lasting impact. "

Awards

The film received the Bavarian Film Prize twice in 2000 . Uwe Ochsenknecht received the actor's award. The film also received the producer award.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Enlightenment guaranteed - Hofer Filmtage Festival year 1999 at home-of-films.com, accessed on 22 Sep. 2017.
  2. Enlightenment guaranteed. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used