Tough Enough

Colour, 35 mm
Germany, 2006, 98 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

The hero of this dark tale set in modern Berlin is 15-year-old Michael Polischka. When his attractive but unbalanced mother Miriam is abandoned by her rich lover, they are both thrown out onto the street and end up in a grotty flat in the grim suburb of Neukölln. And in a world of violence, drugs, local gangs, juvenile criminals and street fights, it’s pretty easy to start sliding down the slippery slope. The boy with the earnest expression, persecuted by his older classmates, does find a few new friends, but he’s easy prey for the local underworld. Michael’s encounter with the boss Hamal and his henchman Barut changes his life and lays him open to a tough life challenge. The film excels for its authentic atmosphere and candid look at the social problems of those who have fallen through the net and are now desperately fighting to stay alive.

About the director

Detlev Buck (b. 1962, Bad Segeberg, Germany) is an actor, screenwriter and director. He studied at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB) and in 1984 debuted with the film Erst die Arbeit und dann...? He won the Bavarian Film Award for his direction of the film Karniggels (1991). His subsequent film No More Mr. Nice Guy (Wir können auch anders 1993) was equally successful. Select filmography: The Elephant Never Forgets (Der Elefant vergiss nie, 1995), Jailbirds (Männerpension, 1996), Love Your Female Neighbour (Liebe deine Nächste!, 1998) and Bundle of Joy (LiebesLuder, 2000). As an actor, Detlev Buck has appeared in thirty films. The film Tough Enough is so far the only film for which he didn’t write the screenplay himself.