Amrum
by
Fatih Akin
Set in the final weeks of World War II on the secluded island Amrum, a 12-year-old boy unravels his family‘s secret in this deeply poignant new film by one of Germany‘s leading directors.
Amrum Island, Spring 1945. In the final days of the war, 12-year-old Nanning braves the treacherous sea to hunt seals, goes fishing at night, and works the nearby farm to help his mother feed the family. Despite the hardship, life on the beautiful, windswept island almost feels like paradise. But when peace finally comes, it reveals a deeper threat: the enemy is far closer than he imagined.
Genre
/ Language
/ Length
Drama
/ German / 93 minutes
Original title
Amrum
directed by
Fatih Akin (HEAD-ON, IN THE FADE)
director of photography
Karl-Walter Lindenlaub (INDEPENDENCE DAY)
screenplay by
Hark BohmFatih Akin (HEAD-ON, IN THE FADE)
produced by
bombero international and Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany in co-production with Rialto Film
Cast
- Jasper Billerbeck
- Laura Tonke (THE PEOPLE VS. FRITZ BAUER)
- Lisa Hagmeister (SYSTEM CRASHER)
- Kian Köppke
- Matthias Schweighöfer (ARMY OF THE DEAD)
- Diane Kruger (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, IN THE FADE)
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Press Quotes
“Generous, Classical and Soul-Stirring. Poetic and elegantly spare… graceful and profound…superbly portrayed by impressive newcomer Jasper Billerbeck.“
VARIETY
“Delicate, rather heartbreaking coming-of-age story. Shot in a crisp, classic style that brings out all the subdued, brackish beauty of this North Sea haven, with a keen eye for figures in the landscape.“
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
“A quiet masterpiece.”
BLICKPUNKT FILM
“The first gem of the festival. A magnificent war drama told from a child's perspective”
LE FIGARO
"The film is beautifully shot, delicately shaded and at times almost unbearably poignant; where “The Zone of Interest” backed away from its characters to chilling effect, “Amrum” leans in and asks us to consider the lingering effects of the totalitarian brainwashing of a populace as the beliefs that have been forced upon them begin to crumble. There's nothing showy about “Amrum,” but it can leave an audience shaken. Akin has fashioned a rare film that relies on the power of simplicity to tell a story that is anything but simple."
THE WRAP
“Deeply personal, historically resonant. Billerbeck, in his first major role, is a revelation. Akin's pic is a heartfelt and visually arresting tale. Its strength lies in its honesty, its unflinching gaze, and the poetic way it captures the fragile space between youth and ideology, nature and violence, memory and history.“
CINEUROPA
“A bracingly mature and thoughtful film. Conveyed with skill and grace.”
NEXT BEST PICTURE
“A fine... historical film that doesn't gloss over its era.”
DER SPIEGEL
“A minimalist work of affection.”
DIE WELT
“The first overlooked masterpiece outside the competition. With Amrum, based on the childhood memories of his mentor Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin has created a modern answer to Rossellini's Germany Year Zero... Thanks to Akin's unpretentious, clear-eyed direction, his refusal of superficial emotionality, and the film's overwhelming yet kitsch-free landscape photography, Amrum possesses exactly these qualities.”
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
“A film that masterfully uses its quiet tones to tell a great story. In Amrum, Fatih Akin captures the tragedy of a generation in a universal and timeless way. May the movie have the success it deserves.”
BLICKPUNKT: FILM
“A deeply intense story of a German childhood at the end of the Second World War... An incredible amount actually happens, although the film always remains modestly at eye level, drawing a very unique strength from this—something never before seen in Fatih Akin's otherwise exuberant and often pleasurably undisciplined cinema.”
THE SPOT MEDIA
VARIETY
“Delicate, rather heartbreaking coming-of-age story. Shot in a crisp, classic style that brings out all the subdued, brackish beauty of this North Sea haven, with a keen eye for figures in the landscape.“
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
“A quiet masterpiece.”
BLICKPUNKT FILM
“The first gem of the festival. A magnificent war drama told from a child's perspective”
LE FIGARO
"The film is beautifully shot, delicately shaded and at times almost unbearably poignant; where “The Zone of Interest” backed away from its characters to chilling effect, “Amrum” leans in and asks us to consider the lingering effects of the totalitarian brainwashing of a populace as the beliefs that have been forced upon them begin to crumble. There's nothing showy about “Amrum,” but it can leave an audience shaken. Akin has fashioned a rare film that relies on the power of simplicity to tell a story that is anything but simple."
THE WRAP
“Deeply personal, historically resonant. Billerbeck, in his first major role, is a revelation. Akin's pic is a heartfelt and visually arresting tale. Its strength lies in its honesty, its unflinching gaze, and the poetic way it captures the fragile space between youth and ideology, nature and violence, memory and history.“
CINEUROPA
“A bracingly mature and thoughtful film. Conveyed with skill and grace.”
NEXT BEST PICTURE
“A fine... historical film that doesn't gloss over its era.”
DER SPIEGEL
“A minimalist work of affection.”
DIE WELT
“The first overlooked masterpiece outside the competition. With Amrum, based on the childhood memories of his mentor Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin has created a modern answer to Rossellini's Germany Year Zero... Thanks to Akin's unpretentious, clear-eyed direction, his refusal of superficial emotionality, and the film's overwhelming yet kitsch-free landscape photography, Amrum possesses exactly these qualities.”
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
“A film that masterfully uses its quiet tones to tell a great story. In Amrum, Fatih Akin captures the tragedy of a generation in a universal and timeless way. May the movie have the success it deserves.”
BLICKPUNKT: FILM
“A deeply intense story of a German childhood at the end of the Second World War... An incredible amount actually happens, although the film always remains modestly at eye level, drawing a very unique strength from this—something never before seen in Fatih Akin's otherwise exuberant and often pleasurably undisciplined cinema.”
THE SPOT MEDIA
Selected Festivals & Awards
Cannes Film Festival
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