DER TRAUMHAFTE WEG

Greece, 1984: Kenneth (Thorbjörn Björnsson), an Englishman, and Theres (Miriam Jakob), a German woman, sing in the street to pay for their holiday. Then Kenneth’s mother has an accident and he has to go home; the two lose touch. Thirty years later in Berlin: Kenneth lives on the street, Theres lives in the same city, neither knowing of the other. In between, a second couple intrudes: the actress Ariane (Maren Eggert) and the photographer David (Phil Hayes), whose marriage falls apart while their daughter plays football. “Der traumhafte Weg” (2016) by Angela Schanelec of Germany lets these lives run alongside one another, without explaining the connections.

Angela Schanelec withholds what cinema usually provides: explanations, psychology, dialogue. She shows hands instead of faces, strings together simple sentences instead of subordinate clauses, and in 81 minutes lets glances stand where other films would talk. This is art-house cinema of the strict kind, one that forces its audience to participate. It premiered in the Locarno competition in 2016; the German Film Critics Association honoured its editing and cinematography. It was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2016 in the German Night section.

Shown at the 2016 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2016 · Film Archive