Bright nights (film)

Movie
Original title	Bright nights
Country of production	Germany , Norway
original language	German
Publishing year	2017
length	86 minutes
Age rating	FSK 0
Rod
Director	Thomas Arslan
script	Thomas Arslan
production	Maria Ekerhovd
music	Ola Fløttum
camera	Reinhold Vorneider
cut	Reinaldo Pinto Almeida
occupation
	Georg Friedrich : Michael; Tristan Göbel : Luis; Marie Leuenberger : Leyla; Hanna Karlberg : Cecilia;

Bright Nights is a feature film by Thomas Arslan from the year 2017 . The film drama premiered on February 13, 2017 in the competition at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival .

action

The Austrian civil engineer Michael lives with his girlfriend in Berlin . When he learns of his father's death, he and his 14-year-old son Luis are traveling by car to Norway for the funeral . High up in the north, Michael is hoping for a new beginning, because the relationship with his son has been disrupted after years of absence. While driving, he begins to talk to Luis. Michael doesn't know if it's too late to put things right again. After the funeral service, he surprises his son with the suggestion to spend a few more days in the region during the summer solstice . During his stay in Norway, it becomes apparent how hurt Luis is by his father's long absence. Neither of them get into the conversation at all at first and then only with great difficulty. Although Michael admits to his son that he regrets not looking after him all these years, the boy doesn't seem to be impressed. At the end of the journey, they say goodbye to each other just as distantly as they had initially met. Luis just turns back to his father when he leaves, and Michael looks very thoughtful on his way home.

production

Thomas Arslan at the presentation of the film at the Viennale

Staff and cast

The director was Thomas Arslan , who also wrote the screenplay for the film.

Georg Friedrich took on the role of the civil engineer Michael, the young actor Tristan Göbel plays his son Luis in the film. Marie Leuenberger can be seen in the role of Leyla and Hanna Karlberg in the role of Cecilia.

financing

The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg funded the production with a total of 140,000 euros, the film funding agency granted 135,000 euros, and the film received production funding of 250,000 euros from the BKM.

Filming and film music

The shooting took place from August 8 to September 9, 2016 in Berlin and Norway . For this purpose, Arslan worked with the cameraman Reinhold Vorneider , with whom he had already shot the film The Robber .

The music for the film was composed by the Norwegian musician Ola Fløttum .

publication

The film premiered on February 13, 2017 at the Berlinale , where it was shown as part of the competition for the Golden Bear . From April 12, 2017, the film will be shown at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The film was released in selected German cinemas on August 10, 2017. In October 2017 the film was shown at the Viennale .

reception

Reviews

Boyd van Hoeij of The Hollywood Reporter says the film describe a long, arduous journey and refuse strictly to explain anything or make out in the history of any blame.

Harald Martenstein from Tagesspiegel speaks of a traumatizing visual experience, as a result of which one would never go on vacation in Norway again, because the country at Arslan comes across as always gray and barren.

Stefan Stosch from the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung thinks that Arslan, who reduces the interaction between the characters to a minimum, is gutting his Spartan film so much that substance is lost. According to Stosch, the film seems strangely lifeless, which also applies to the main actors, of whom one has already seen completely different.