Portland German Film Festival – Virtual Edition – starting Friday, July 31, 2020 (BUY TICKETS HERE)
Like many small businesses in Portland and across the country, Cinema 21 has been forced close by Covid-19 since March. The future of the Portland German Film Festival is also not certain as there is considerable doubt that Portland will move into Phase II of reopening in the near term.
So we decided to hold a virtual German language film festival to benefit CINEMA 21!
Starting Friday, July 31 – August 14, 2020 the following films are available (All films will be in German with English subtitles!):
1) THE KEEPER (Trautmann)
Directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller; Cast: David Kross, Freya Mavor
United Kingdom, 2019, 113 minutes; Language: German/ English with English Subtitles
The Keeper tells the incredible true story of Bert Trautmann (David Kross), a German soldier and prisoner of war who, against a backdrop of British post-war protest and prejudice, secures the position of Goalkeeper at Manchester City, and in doing so becomes a footballing icon. His signing causes outrage to thousands of fans, many of them Jewish. But Bert receives support from an unexpected direction: Rabbi Alexander Altmann, who fled the Nazis. Bert’s love for Margaret (Freya Mavor), an Englishwoman, carries him through and he wins over even his harshest opponents by winning the 1956 FA Cup Final, playing on with a broken neck to secure victory. But fate will soon twist the knife for Bert and Margaret, when their love and loyalty to each other is put to the ultimate test.
Awards:
Audience Award – Best Narrative
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2020
Audience Choice Award (Best of the Fest) – Sedona International Film Festival 2020 Audience Award Boca Grande Film Festival 2020
Audience Award – Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival 2020
Audience Award – Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival 2019
Audience Award for Best Narrative – Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival 2019
Audience Award for Best Narrative – Gold Coast International Film Festival 2019
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature – San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2019
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_y7FCjQik&feature=youtu.be
2) THE TOBACCONIST (Der Traffikant)
Directed by Nikolaus Leytner
Germany, 2019, 108 minutes
Starring Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Sigmund Freud
Based on the international bestseller by Robert Seethaler
A tender, heart-breaking story about one young man and his friendship with Sigmund Freud during the Nazi occupation of Vienna.
Seventeen-year-old Franz journeys to Vienna to apprentice at a tobacco shop. There he meets Sigmund Freud (Bruno Ganz), a regular customer, and over time the two very different men form a singular friendship. When Franz falls desperately in love with the music-hall dancer Anezka, he seeks advice from the renowned psychoanalyst, who admits that the female sex is as big a mystery to him as it is to Franz. As political and social conditions in Austria dramatically worsen with the Nazis’ arrival in Vienna, Franz, Freud, and Anezka are swept into the maelstrom of events. Each has a big decision to make: to stay or to flee?
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_eqtpuEAJE&feature=youtu.be
3) HOW ABOUT ADOLF? (Der Vorname)
Directed by Sönke Wortmann; Cast: Christoph Maria Herbst, Florian David Fitz, Caroline Peters
Germany, 2019, 91 minutes
What should have been a fun evening quickly gets out of hand when Thomas announces he and his pregnant girlfriend are planning to name their son Adolf. This scandalous news leads to bitter confrontation, with all kinds of secrets coming out…
It should have been a wonderful evening. Stephan and Elisabeth have invited family and friends for dinner, but as soon as Thomas announces that he and his pregnant girlfriend Anna are planning to name their unborn son Adolf, things get out of hand. Even family friend René is drawn into the fight, as secrets are revealed and truths are dragged to light, kicking and screaming. It’s a clash of egos, of wounded prides, and as the evening escalates and unforgivable things are said on all sides, the argument about baby names turns into a feast of childhood transgressions and hidden passions, served up for all to enjoy.
Director Sönke Wortmann (“Pope Joan”, “The Miracle of Bern”) deftly helms this incredible, did-he-just-say-that story of a family dinner gone awry, in which German guilt and angst over the Nazi past burst out into the open willy-nilly. HOW ABOUT ADOLF? is an outstanding social satire in which witty dialogue and perfect timing keep the audience on the edge of their seats. A breakout hit at the German box office.
Awards
Directors’ Choice Award (Best Feature Comedy) – Sedona International Film Festival 2020
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZSkbxx-9I4&feature=youtu.be
4) CRESCENDO (Crescendo)
Directed by Dror Zahavi
Germany, 2020, 106 minutes
When a world famous conductor tries to create an Israeli-Palestinian orchestra, it takes all his skill and resources to overcome the discord and get them to play in harmony, rising to a tense and emotional finale.
When world-famous conductor Eduard Sporck (Peter Simonischek, Toni Erdmann) accepts the job to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra, he is quickly drawn into a tempest of sheer unsolvable problems. Having grown up in a state of war, suppression or constant risk of terrorist attacks, the young musicians from both sides are far from able to form a team. Lined up behind the two best violinists – the emancipated Palestinian Layla and the handsome Israeli Ron – they form two parties who deeply mistrust each other, on and off-stage alike. Will Sporck succeed and make the young people forget their hatred, at least for the three weeks until the concert? With the first glimmer of hope, however, the political opponents of the orchestra show them how strong they are…
Loosely inspired by Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Academy-Award nominated director Dror Zahavi (“Alexander Penn”, “Everything for my Father”) directs this gripping drama as a constantly growing ‘crescendo’, rising the tension and conflicts until the last frame. Lead actor Peter Simonischek (“Toni Erdmann”) stars next to a highly convincing selection of up-and-coming actors like Daniel Donskoy (“Victoria”) and Sabrina Amali (“4 Blocks”). A remarkable theatrical movie and contribution to the world-wide efforts towards understanding, humanity and peace.
Awards:
Winner – Audience Award San Diego Jewish Film Festival 2020
”Rheingold” Audience Award – Festival of German Films Ludwigshafen (Germany) 2019
Gershon Klein Film Award for “Best German Film with Jewish Issue – Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Brandenburg (Germany) 2019
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-wwVJpVu50&feature=youtu.be
6) THE AUDITION (Das Vorspiel)
Directed by Ina Weisse; Cast: Nina Hoss, Simon Abkarian, Jens Albinus, Ilja Monti
Germany, 2019, 99 minutes
Anna Bronsky is a violin teacher at a music-focused high school. Despite the opposition of all other teachers, Anna drives through the admission of a student, Alexander, in whom she detects a remarkable talent. Committed, she prepares him for the intermediate exam and neglects her family – her son Jonas, whom she brings into competition with her new student, and her husband Philippe. Her colleague Christian, with whom she has an affair, persuades her to join a quintet. When she fails during their joint concert, the pressure mounts and she focuses all her attention on her student Alexander. Come the day of the exam, events take a tragic turn.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGTxe3WGxwM&feature=youtu.be
Q: How do I watch the films?
A: Every release we offer will be available through the individual distributor’s websites and streaming services. You’ll be taken to their websites to purchase and watch the film, but a portion of your ticket will help support CINEMA 21!
Once you purchased a ticket and payment has been processed you should receive a confirmation email, and the film will become available to you for a certain amount of time.
