At the gay film night organised by our partner Edition Salzgeber there is a gay film of the finest quality in numerous cities every month. In October, it's the big Berlin school: Corinna Harfouch and Nico Rogner star in Jan Krüger's "In search of" A mismatched pair
As always, mum knows before anyone else: Something is wrong with her child. That's why Valerie (Corinna Harfouch) sets off for Marseille, where Simon last lived and from where he no longer contacts her. To fill in her own fears and the gaps in her knowledge about Simon's current life, she asks his ex-boyfriend Jens (Nico Rogner) to accompany her on her search for her son. The two set off into the blue, without knowing exactly where or why. What they find are traces of a life unknown to them: a pretty blonde lover, a yellow car, a handsome dark-haired car salesman and a whole series of suspicions. What they don't find is Simon. When they come across him, nothing is as it was.
Jan Krüger has taken a risk: the screenwriter and director, who has won several awards for his work with unknown actors, treats himself and his audience to a big star, Corinna Harfouch, in his new film "Auf der Suche". And she does something remarkable with the freedom that Krüger gives all his actors. She withdraws into herself - and is quite rightly there.
Because her character is also one who listens and asks rather than talks and answers. For a while, Valerie's movements are as angular as her thoughts. In contrast, in Nico Rogner as Jens, Krüger has once again found someone with a physical presence that is able to beautifully cancel out the sparse images that his director creates for him - and Valerie's failed attempts at dialogue - through his physicality alone: Jens doesn't just make it beautiful, he makes it beautifully complicated for himself - and therefore also for the audience.
"Auf der Suche" belongs to a genre of film that cineastes currently like to call the "Berlin School" and in which many see the future of German cinema: realistic, technically simple films with great actors that hold more questions than answers for the viewer. In other words, good, intelligent cinema. Anyone who wants to see this has the opportunity to do so today and on Friday at the "Gay Film Night". Go and see it. It's worth it.
Paul Schulz
"On the search" (France/Federal Republic of Germany 2011) will be shown on 17 and 21 October on Gay Film Night in many cinemas throughout Germany and from 10 November in many other cinemas in Germany. Exact dates and further information: http://gay-filmnight.com
Trailer by: "In search of"
