U-turn (film)

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Movie
Original title U-turn
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2011
length 90 minutes
Rod
Director Dror Zahavi
script Johannes Rotter
production Sonja Goslicki
music Jörg Lemberg
camera Gunnar foot
cut Dora Vajda
occupation

The German television drama U-turn from 2011 deals with the effects of domestic violence on the everyday life of a family of four. Dietmar Bär embodies the teacher Thomas Schäfer, who is violent towards both his wife and children.

action

Thomas Schäfer is an ambitious high school teacher and deputy headmaster. At work, however, he is exposed to increasing pressure, and working with the choir at his school doesn't change that much. He is married to his wife Viola and has a 17-year-old daughter, Sofia, and a 13-year-old son, Sven. His wife and son are victims of his outbursts of anger, and even the smallest of triggers are enough to make Thomas strike. The violence ranges from slaps in the face to massive blows and kicks, but first Viola looks for excuses to explain the consequences and to cover up the violence she experienced at home.

Each of the family members deals with the problem in their own way: Mother Viola is torn between unconditional love for her husband, the pursuit of a healthy family and the effects of violence on herself and her children. Her friend Gisa, with whom she finds shelter, encourages her to use all legal means to defend herself against the violence of her husband. Meanwhile, Thomas tries to convince his wife of his love with expensive gifts and his debit card. He also decides to take part in anti-aggression training, which he now attends regularly.

While daughter Sofia tries to cut herself off from the family and stay with her boyfriend, son Sven clings to his mother and hopes not to have to live with his father anymore. During a short visit at home, he destroys his father's study. But when his mother returns and he too - after a long hesitation - Sven barricades himself in his room and attacks his father with a pepper spray . At the same time, his wife falls unhappy - an accident, although the clinic she is admitted to incorrectly believes that it is domestic violence.

The end of the film remains open: Thomas tries to apologize to his family for his wrongdoing, but his son does not want to accept this. He insults his father as a violent criminal and slaps him several times. Thomas holds Sven after a while, whereupon this is viewed by his son as another physical act. In the final scene Thomas sits down in his car and drives away, the family stands in front of the house and watches him.

background

Actor Bear described the work on the film in an interview. He sees U-turn “in the tradition of socially critical television play” and expresses the hope that the film could encourage moral courage.

The film, produced by Colonia Media and produced by WDR , was broadcast for the first time on April 13, 2011 on Das Erste .

reception

The German press judges the television film quite benevolently. "The film - that is new dramaturgical territory and extremely astonishing - exposes all the characters to suffering and actually cannot find a real culprit anywhere," wrote Nikolaus von Festenberg in his review for Spiegel Online . The director's merit lies in giving the characters "their creative power" back.

"Zahavi does not serve his viewers ready-made solutions, no happy endings - but he shows ways out of violence", summarizes the Hamburger Abendblatt .

The film was nominated for the Grimme Prize 2012 and for the Golden Camera 2012 as best TV film; Dietmar Bär received the Golden Camera in 2012 for best German actor . In 2012, Kötenwende was awarded the Robert Geisendörfer Prize .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.mainpost.de/ueberregional/kulturwelt/kultur/Wenn-Dietmar-Baer-das-Monster-in-sich-weckt;art3809,6080375
  2. ^ Nikolaus von Festenberg: ARD violent drama "U-turn": Where love strikes. In: Spiegel Online . April 13, 2011, accessed June 10, 2018 .
  3. ↑ http://www.abendblatt.de/kultur-live/article1854666/ARD-Film-Kehrtwende-mit-Dietmar-Baer.html