Archive of films Tough Enough / Knallhart

Germany
2006, 98 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2006

The hero of this dark tale set in modern Berlin is 15-year-old Michael, who is caught up in a world full of violence and drugs on the dismal fringes of the city. German director Detlev Buck well captures its authentic atmosphere and takes a candid look at the social problems of those desperately fighting to stay alive.

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.

Contacts

A-Company Film Licensing International
Alexanderstrasse 7, D-10178, Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 30 257 623 30
Fax: +49 30 257 623 59
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.eeap.de

The Match Factory
Domstrasse 60, 50668, Cologne
Germany
Tel: +49 221 539 7090
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.the-match-factory.com

Palace Pictures
Vodičkova 19, 110 00, Praha 1
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 210 083 527
Fax: +420 224 239 162
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.palacepictures.net

About the film

Color, 35 mm

Section:	Horizons

Director:	Detlev Buck
Screenplay:	Zoran Drvenkar, Gregor Tessnow
Dir. of Photography:	Kolja Brandt
Music:	Bert Wrede
Editor:	Dirk Grau
Producer:	Claus Boje
Production:	Boje Buck Production GmbH
Cast:	David Kross, Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen, Erhan Emre
Contact:	A-Company Film Licensing International, The Match Factory, Palace Pictures
Distributor:	A-Company Film Licensing International, Palace Pictures

www:	www.tough-enough-movie.com

Guests

Christoph Koelle

David Horáček

Cinema Representative

Andrea Machalíková

Other

Christine Daoudová

TV Representative

Alexander van Dülmen

Buyer