M18 / German / 0 / 121 min
GDR, autumn 1989: Alex Kerner (Daniel Brühl) takes part in an anti-government demonstration in East Germany. After witnessing Alex being arrested by the authorities, his mother Christiane (Katrin Saß) suffers a heart attack and ends up in a coma. It’s just as well that, as a loyal member of the Socialist Unity Party, she misses out on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the triumph of capitalism over communism. After Christiane awakes in summer 1990, the doctor declares that excitement of any kind could prove fatal for her. Alex is forced to conceal the demise of the Socialist Unity Party from her – by refurbishing their home with outdated furniture, and repackaging Western food in old East German jars. This bitter-sweet comedy, when released in 2003, was a box-office hit that also won multiple accolades – including Best Film and Best Actor awards at the European Film Awards and German Film Awards.
| Director: Wolfgang Becker |
| Cast: Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas |
| Release Date: 13, February 2003 |