Sister white
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Sister white |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 2015 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 0 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Dennis Todorović |
| script | Dennis Todorović |
| production | Ewa Borowski |
| music | Peter Aufderhaar |
| camera | Andreas Koehler |
| cut | Jonas Thoma |
| occupation | |
| |
Sister White is a German tragic comedy by Dennis Todorović from 2015 . Željka Preksavec and Lisa Martinek are cast in the leading roles of the unequal sisters Martha and Helene, with Beatrice Richter in a leading role . The sisters only get closer again when Helene not only loses her husband and child, but also her memory in an accident and has to rely on the help of her sister Martha.
action
The unequal sisters Birgit Weiß, religious name Martha, and Helene Weiß-Hagedorn argue constantly. Martha is a devout religious sister , while Helene Hagedorn is a staunch atheist . Helene does not want her daughter Maja to have any further contact with her sister, as she fears that she could influence Maja. During a drive, Helene provoked an argument between mother and daughter, as a result of which her husband Theo Hagedorn was distracted and saw an oncoming car too late, which resulted in an accident in which Theo Hagedorn and his daughter Maja lost their lives. Helene is hospitalized with injuries. There it turns out that she suffers from retrograde amnesia , as a result of which she is unable to feel feelings of grief and loss and has no memory of her old life. Helene's mother-in-law Dolores Hagedorn, in whose hands the funeral arrangements for her son and granddaughter are now in the hands, does not know how to deal with Helene's condition in addition to her grief. To Martha's dismay, Dolores plans to have her son and granddaughter cremated and buried in a forest ceremony.
Martha accompanies her sister to her apartment after her discharge from the hospital, but Helene has no recognition value for her. Since Helene wouldn't be able to cope on her own, Martha takes her into the monastery. All attempts Marthas to help Helene's memories on the jumps come to nothing. Martha feels increasingly overwhelmed. That Helene remembers is particularly important for Martha because she really wants her niece Maja to have a Christian funeral. Only if Helene remembers can she override Dolore's decision not to have the child buried in a Catholic manner. Martha puts her sister under massive pressure, because it is personally important for her that Maja is buried in the consecrated earth in the cemetery. Even if she doesn't remember, she should tell Dolores that Maja was to be buried in a Christian way because that was her wish. Helene is also reacting increasingly annoyed to the pressure Martha is putting on her. She tries to make it clear to her sister that she no longer believes that she will ever be able to remember her old life again.
In a conversation that took place shortly afterwards between Martha, Helene and Dolores, Helene surprisingly places the decision about where Maja should be buried in her sister's hands. Just as surprisingly, Martha decides that the father and daughter should not be buried separately, but together in a ceremony in the forest. In response to Helene's astonished question as to why she was now making the decision, Martha replied that this was what Helene, the Helene would have wanted before the accident.
When Martha begins to cry bitterly during the ceremony in the forest, Helene puts her arms around her comfortingly.
production
Filming, production notes
Sister White was filmed from December 2, 2014 to January 21, 2015 in wintry Ellwangen , Cologne and the surrounding area. The Franciscan community of the Anna sisters in Ellwangen served as the monastery . Segeler & Borowski Filmproduktion was responsible for the film, which was financed with 1,080,000 euros, in coproduction with SWR , editor: Stefanie Groß, production manager: Michael Becker, production manager: Thorsten Hohl, production manager: René von Bodisco, production manager: Christian Fürst and Arte , editor: Barbara Häbe. The film was funded by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the German Film Fund . Todorović already worked in his first feature film Sascha with the producer Ewa Borowski, the cameraman Andreas Köhler and the actors Željka Preksavec and Tim Bergmann, who took on the part of a short guest role here.
The film is preceded by the words of the Bible from Psalm 42 : "As the deer thirsts for fresh water, so my soul, God, cries out to you" and "Like a sting in my limbs is the scorn of adversaries for me; because they keep calling to me: 'Where is your God now?' ”They refer to the leitmotifs of the different sisters.
background
In an interview, director Todorović stated that for him “dialect” means “not closeness to the people, but loyalty to character” and continued: “The language of my characters is not correct, but lived. It is not thought, but felt. And the dialect must not be a superficial gag supplier either. Because in Swabia people don't just joke in Swabian. One argues, reconciles, grieves and suffers, loves and lives in dialect. " For him, Sister White is" a very personal film, "said the director," the question of faith and the subject of amnesia "are, for him," the trigger and drive of the story ", Because he knows both from his" own life and close family circle ". The actresses of the opposite pair of sisters would "complement each other incredibly well". On the one hand there is Lisa Martinek, “an incredibly creative actress with a sure sense for the human in every moment and on the other hand Željka Preksavec, who with an impressive precision, thoughtful and empathetic, her often so strict role Martha a deep one inner warmth ”. For him as a director “a real gift”.
publication
The film premiered on October 23, 2015 at the Hof International Film Festival. It started in German cinemas on October 20, 2016. It was first seen on German television on November 17, 2017 on Arte, as well as in France, where it was broadcast under the title Ma soeur . The international title is The Prodigal Sister .
W-film / Lighthouse Home Entertainment released the film on April 21, 2017 on DVD, additionally equipped with an audio description for the visually impaired.
reception
criticism
The critics of the television magazine TV Spielfilm gave the best possible rating by pointing their thumbs up.
Kino.de wrote: “Unusual and successful film that unravels faith and doubt, grief and family in a completely different way”. BR Kino Kino was of the opinion: "Death, grief, doubt of faith - difficult topics, told with warm-hearted humor and ease."
On the W-Film page there is talk of a "warm-hearted tragic comedy about faith and doubt, family and trust". It goes on to say that "the native Swabian Dennis Todorović" succeeds in "the trick of touching the audience deeply and making them laugh at the same time". "Originally used punchlines in the Swabian dialect and, last but not least, the brilliant actresses Željka Preksavec, Lisa Martinek and Beatrice Richter" provided "special flavor".
In the daily mail , José García wrote: “In-depth study of faith. The excellently drawn characters, which are embodied by equally excellent actresses, do not allow any clichés to arise. "
Wolfgang Brenner dealt with the film in the Xaver Stadtmagazin and spoke of a "more than successful Swabian tragic comedy" and said that Sister Weiss managed "the trick, the topics 'Swabia', 'death', 'church' and to combine 'comedy' for a great film ”. "All of this - and of course its wonderful actors" - makes 'Sister White' "not just a more than successful Swabian tragic comedy, but a German film highlight of the current year".
The film service said that “the tragicomic struggle of the two dissimilar sisters” was staged with “irritating ease, with the polished verbal battles in Swabian dialect, subtle shifts in meaning and moments of tipping on a fine line between tragic and satire. Brilliantly played and artfully staged, there is still something artificial about the wintry drama ”.
Oliver Armknecht rated the film for film-rezensions.de and found that in spite of the sometimes “painful tragedy”, Sister Weiss was “quite reserved”, telling “emphatically unspectacular and cautious about the two sisters who come closer and yet cannot find each other” . It goes on to say: “Todorovic has made a nice little film that does not really serve comedy fans or heartbreak fans, but should please friends of quiet stories.” Armknecht gave 7 out of 10 possible points and concluded: “Two dissimilar sisters who This is a well-known situation, but here it is varied in an appealing way through the amnesia aspect. This is a bit constructed, but offers the occasion for various interesting trains of thought and tells a pleasantly quiet story about dealing with the past and acceptance. "
Bianka Piringer drew the conclusion on Spielfilm.de : The second feature film by German director Dennis Todorović is a subdued drama about a conflicted sisterly relationship that develops a new dynamic after a death. The audience is immersed in monastic life with the main character, whose rituals effectively emphasize the story's atmosphere, which alternates between barrenness and emotion.
Dieter Oßwald discussed the film on programmkino.de and pointed out that "this religious tragedy" is not "as melancholy" as "the poster, the bumpy title and that profound psalm quote in the opening credits" make one fear. “On the contrary” it quickly becomes clear that “this brisk tragic comedy encounters existential issues with enjoyable ease”. This succeeds "because the characters are plausibly developed and no less well played". The story is convincing “with its elegant narrative, an excellent ensemble and Swabian language that is as charming and coherent as the whole film. Remaining in dialect ”,“ the verdict ”could only be:“ Scho 'right! ”“ After all, the Swabian is not scolded as the greatest praise. In any case, one of the ten German films that you should have seen this year. "
Peter Hoch from Klenkes Stadtmagazin was also of the opinion: "Well played and with fine humor in an inimitable Swabian dialect."
Harald Mühlbeyer from Kinozeit , on the other hand, had a few complaints about the film, such as the “trigger point based on a mere question of the correct mourning ritual”, which is “very fragile”, “especially for non-Catholics who are not so familiar with the traditional value of the consecrated cemetery floor” . “This conflict impulse of the film testifies to one thing above all: The unbroken stubbornness of all characters, which has existed from the beginning.” Mühlbeyer continued: “An immense intolerance in matters of belief and morality, which condemns everything that thinks differently than you yourself - a stubborn egocentrism that spoils your characters from the start. ”The film is“ psychologically implausible, overloaded with conflicts and, moreover, far too clear in what it wants to express ”. Regarding the Swabian language, the critic said: “Sister Weiß is kept in Swabian, not for reasons of popularity, not for regional ingratiation; but for reasons of authenticity, the roots in a landscape, in a way of thinking and believing that gives the film a certain, profound credibility. "
Rainer Tittelbach from tittelbach.tv gave the film four out of six possible stars and said that Sister White was “more of an experimental set-up about faith and love, about prejudice and trust than a serious psychological character drama”. Not the "deep tragedy of a fatal accident, but the tragicomic paradox of a retrograde amnesia determines the first third of the plot". Sister White is a film "that one has to 'work on' with its many sub-texts". The “Swabian dialect” supports “the narrated milieu”, ties it “to a coherent whole, which the aesthetic of the image is only partially capable of”.
Award
Nomination for the Thomas Strittmatter Screenplay Award
Web links
- Sister White Official Website
- Sister White in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Sister White at filmportal.de (including trailer and photo gallery)
- Sister White at Fernsehserien.de
- "Sister White": Open-minded audience asked , remarks by Rupert Sommer In: prisma.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release certificate for Sister White . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; September 2016; test number: 162 615 K).
- ↑ a b Two sisters, one God In: pro Christliches Medienmagazin, October 22, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ Sister Weiß at crew united . Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Production "Sister White" finished see page beta-blickpunkt.de
- ↑ Sister Weiss see page wfilm.de
- ↑ Sister Weiss - director's commentary see page wfilm.de
- ↑ a b Sister White. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 22, 2020 .
- ↑ Sister Weiß, ill. DVD case (in the picture: Lisa Martinek)
- ↑ Sister White See tvspielfilm.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ Sister Weiß Fig. Film poster at wfilm.de
- ↑ a b c Sister Weiss see wfilm.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Sister Weiß see page kino.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Sister Weiß see page wfilm.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Wolfgang Brenner: The thing with faith - sister white In: Xaver. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Oliver Armknecht: Sister White see page film-rezensions.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ Bianka Piringer: Review: Sister White (2015) see page spielfilm.de. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ Dieter Oßwald: Sister Weiss see page programmkino.de. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ↑ Harald Mühlbeyer: Sister Weiss - Whoever Believes It Will Be Blessed In: Kinozeit. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ Rainer Tittelbach : Cinema production "Sister White". Martinek, Preksavec, Todorovic. A religious sister, a wild woman & the color white see page tittelbach.tv . Retrieved September 23, 2019.
