Barbara, a doctor, drifts through life without apparent interest or excitement. The reason for her detachment, however, stems from her belief that a new start awaits her beyond the borders of her bloodless and demoralising existence in 1980s East Germany. Christian Petzold won Best Director at this year’s Berlin IFF.
German Democratic Republic, 1980. Barbara is a doctor whose professional approach is characterised by total precision in everything she does. She is just as consistent in her behaviour towards the people in the village where she is posted after the authorities refuse to let her emigrate to the West. Even though the main protagonist is an authoritative figure, the film is steeped in an atmosphere of uncertainty typical of the restrictive years in which the story unfolds. Apprehension blends with the steely determination which prevents the heroine from considering how things might have turned out. The characters often speak to one another with apparent honesty, yet we sense the underlying detachment the situation imposes on them. The film is built upon meticulously composed scenes which are recast into a beguiling and likewise strictly controlled ensemble. The plot leaves no room for romance or melodrama yet, even so, we are intrigued by its characters, whom the director traps in a bleak, oppressive era with little chance of escape.
105 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Christian Petzold
/ Screenplay Christian Petzold
/ Dir. of Photography Hans Fromm
/ Music Stefan Will
/ Editor Bettina Böhler
/ Producer Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber
/ Production Schramm Film Koerner & Weber
/ Cast Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Mark Waschke, Rainer Bock
/ Contact The Match Factory
Christian Petzold (b. 1960, Hilden, Germany) initially studied German language and literature; he subsequently attended the German Film and Television Academy (1988-94) where he assisted experimental filmmaker Harun Farocki. Petzold’s film The State I Am In (Die innere Sicherheit, 2000) is considered one of the fundamental works of contemporary German cinema and was screened at Karlovy Vary, as was Something to Remind Me (Toter Mann, 2001). Ghosts (Gespenster, 2005) was screened in competition at the Berlinale, and in 2008 Jerichow competed at Venice. The director was invited back to the Berlin competition with Yella (2007). His lead actress Nina Hoss, who won a Silver Bear for her performance as Yella, teamed up with Petzold again for the drama Barbara.
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