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Gegen die Wand (2004)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Fatih Akin (book)
Release Date:
11 March 2004 (Germany)
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Plot:
In 'Gegen die Wand' Cahit, a 40-something male from Mersin in Turkey has removed everything Turkish from his life...
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| full synopsis
Awards:
23 wins
&
11 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Soul Kitchen Review
(From Twitch. 20 December 2009, 1:18 PM, PST)
Fatih Akin Finds His Comic Timing With Soul Kitchen
(From Twitch. 19 November 2009, 7:56 AM, PST)
(From Twitch. 20 December 2009, 1:18 PM, PST)
Fatih Akin Finds His Comic Timing With Soul Kitchen
(From Twitch. 19 November 2009, 7:56 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Bitter, Sad, Heavy, Unpleasant But Also Original and Realistic Non-Hollywoodian Love Story
more (70 total)
Cast
(Credited cast)| Birol Ünel | ... | Cahit Tomruk | |
| Sibel Kekilli | ... | Sibel | |
| Catrin Striebeck | ... | Maren | |
| Meltem Cumbul | ... | Selma (Cousine) | |
| Stefan Gebelhoff | ... | Nico | |
| Francesco Fiannaca | ... | Mann am Tresen | |
| Mona Mur | ... | Stammkundin Zoe Bar | |
| Ralph Misske | ... | Patient 1 (Psychiatrie) | |
| Philipp Baltus | ... | Patient 2 (Psychiatrie) | |
| Hermann Lause | ... | Dr. Schiller | |
| Karin Niwiger | ... | Kassiererin (Psychiatrie) | |
| Demir Gökgöl | ... | Yunus Güner (Vater) | |
| Cem Akin | ... | Yilmaz Güner (Bruder) | |
| Aysel Iscan | ... | Birsen Güner (Mutter) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Monique Akin | ... | Kundin im Friseurladen | |
| Canan Ata | ... | Canan | |
| Cahit Aygüler | ... | Schläger | |
| Adam Bousdoukos | ... | Barmann - Hochzeitsnacht | |
| Yilmaz Canan | ... | Türsteher #1 | |
| Aytun Ede | ... | Musiker | |
| Selim Erdogan | ... | Taxifahrer | |
| Tugay Erverdi | ... | Osman #3 | |
| Nurcan Esmertürk | ... | Nurcan | |
| Marco Greiser | ... | Abschlepper Disco | |
| Orhan Güner | ... | Busfahrer | |
| Sileyman Kaplan | ... | Sly | |
| Hatun Kazci | ... | Hatice | |
| Güven Kiraç | ... | Seref | |
| Feridun Koc | ... | Osman #1 | |
| Mehmet Kurtulus | ... | Barmann Istanbul | |
| Zarah McKenzie | ... | Barfrau in der Fabrik | |
| Alma Ouglu Sahin | ... | Türsteher 2 | |
| Reinhold Schulz | ... | Gefängnisbeamter | |
| Tulga Serim | ... | Osman #2 | |
| Tim Seyfi | ... | Bayerischer Taxifahrer | |
| Herr Tekin | ... | Barbier | |
| Andreas Thiel | ... | Standesbeamter | |
| Misra Tomruk | ... | Pamuk - Tochter | |
| Senol Ugurlu | ... | Shane | |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
MPAA:
Rated R for strong graphic sexuality, pervasive language, some brutal violence and drug content.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
121 min
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Hong Kong:III |
New Zealand:R18 |
Chile:14 |
Hungary:16 |
Iceland:16 |
Portugal:M/16 |
Japan:R-18 |
South Korea:18 |
Australia:R |
Argentina:16 |
Brazil:18 |
Czech Republic:15 |
Finland:K-15 |
France:-12 |
Germany:12 |
Italy:VM14 |
Netherlands:16 |
Singapore:R21 |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:18 |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Sibel Kekilli was discovered at a Cologne shopping mall.
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The psychiatrist at the beginning of the film tells Cahit about a song by the band The The containing the line "If you can't change the world, change your world". The actual quote (from the song "Lonely Planet", included in the album "Dusk") is "If you can't change the world, change yourself".
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
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Soundtrack:
Not Here
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (70 total)
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In St. Pauli, Hamburg, the alcoholic, drugged and hopeless German with Turkish roots Cahit Tomruk (Birol Ünen) lives like a pig in a small dirty apartment and survives collecting empty bottles in the night-club "Der Fabrik". One night, he gives up living, and hits his car against a wall. However, he survives the crash and is sent to a clinic, where he meets Sibel Güner (Sibel Kekilli), a younger German Turk, with suicidal tendencies. Sibel is the younger daughter of a conservative Turkish family, and proposes a fake marriage to Cahit, in order to permit her to leave her family; in return, she would share the rent of the flat, and she would cook and clean the place, and they could have independent lives. Cahit accepts, but while living with Sibel, he falls in love for her, until a tragedy happens.
I saw "Gegen die Wand" yesterday and I am still very impressive with this powerful German movie. It is bitter, sad, heavy, unpleasant but also an original and very realistic non-Hollywoodian love story. The location in St. Pauli, close to the famous Reeperban Street, could not be more perfect as the environment for such depressive story of losers. The precise direction of Faith Akin (obs: IMDb dictionary does not allow to write correctly the name of the director) is stunning, and the performance of Birol Ünen and Sibel Kekilli are outstanding and deserved nominations to the Oscar. When the character Sibel reaches the bottom of the well in Istanbul, Sibel Kekilli shines with a mesmerizing performance. Unfortunately we will never see Hollywood shooting this type of story, which is recommended for very special audiences. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Contra a Parede" ("Against the Wall")