Requiem (2006)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Hans-Christian Schmid

Writer:

Bernd Lange (writer)

Release Date:

2 March 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An epileptic girl suffers a breakdown during her first year at university, then decides to seek help from a priest in battling the troubles associated with her strict upbringing. |

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Breakdown | University | Atheist | College Life

Awards:

15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Sandra Hüller	...	Michaela Klingler
Burghart Klaußner	...	Karl Klingler
Imogen Kogge	...	Marianne Klingler
Anna Blomeier	...	Hanna Imhof
Nicholas Reinke	...	Stefan Weiser
Jens Harzer	...	Martin Borchert (Exorzist)
Walter Schmidinger	...	Gerhard Landauer (Exorzist)
Friederike Adolph	...	Helga Klingler
Irene Kugler	...	Heimleiterin Krämer
Johann Adam Oest	...	Professor Schneider
Eva Löbau	...	Krankenschwester
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefan Müller-Doriat	...	Minestrant

Directed by
Hans-Christian Schmid

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernd Lange		writer

Produced by
Wolf-Dietrich Brücker	....	co-producer: WDR
Sabine Holtgreve	....	co-producer: SWR
Anja Klement	....	line producer
Ulrike Putz	....	executive producer (as Uli Putz)
Bettina Reitz	....	co-producer: BR
Hans-Christian Schmid	....	producer
Georg Steinert	....	co-producer: Arte

Cinematography by
Bogumil Godfrejow

Film Editing by
Bernd Schlegel
Hansjörg Weißbrich

Casting by
Simone Bär

Production Design by
Christian M. Goldbeck

Art Direction by
Eva Stiebler

Costume Design by
Bettina Marx

Makeup Department
Monika Münnich	....	makeup artist
Nadine Schränkler	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Nina Klingen	....	unit production manager
Britta Knöller	....	post-production supervisor
Manuel Kreuzpaintner	....	set manager
Katja Siegel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Doll	....	first assistant director
Friederike Jehn	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Hoffmann	....	property master
Johannes Pfaller	....	assistant property master
Monica Suarez	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Lars Ginzel	....	sound editor
Dirk Jacob	....	sound designer
Marc Parisotto	....	sound
Martin Steyer	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Lutz Lemke	....	title sequence designer/animator
Katja Müller	....	visual effects producer: ARRI

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Wedemeyer	....	key grip

Casting Department
Kirstin Plotz	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Philippe Reinaudo	....	digital intermediate technical director

Transportation Department
Silke Werner	....	production driver

Thanks
Jakob Claussen	....	thanks
Thomas Wöbke	....	thanks

Production Companies

• 23/5 Filmproduktion GmbH
• Arte
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR)
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Distributors

• X Verleih AG (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2006) (Austria) (theatrical)
• IFC First Take (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Océan Films (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Soda Pictures (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Tour de Force (2007) (Norway) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Vivarto (2007) (Poland) (all media)

Runtime:

Germany:93 min | USA:89 min | Argentina:93 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-MA (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Gomaringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Company:

23/5 Filmproduktion GmbH

Trivia:

Sandra Hüller's feature film debut.

Movie Connections:

References The Exorcist (1973)

Soundtrack:

Past Time

Unbelievable - Watch this film

Phew this is hard to put into words.

At first I thought the cinematography was stunning, beautifully shot and the period was captured perfectly - I felt like I was watching a film shot in 1972 and it brought back early memories of the 70s.

The script was wonderfully subtle, there was absolutely no judgements about the characters. It would have been very easy to show the mother as a cruel an twisted woman but instead you could empathise with her, she thought she was doing the best for her daughter and that made the whole thing more tragic but also more real and beautiful.

To me the central message of the film was that life, however short is something to celebrate. The girl makes references to St Katarina who only lived a short time but did many wonderful things. She may not have escaped her strict and cruel mother for long but at least she did it and had a wonderful time for a while.

I kept having to tell myself they were actors. The depiction of the girl's first kiss at college was unlike any other I've seen. They captured the clumsiness and true feeling of the situation perfectly.

And finally the soundtrack - you'd think that deep purple wrote 'Anthem' for this film. Earlier we see her dancing ecstatically to the track when she's finally free at college and then we later see the relevance when it's used to play out at the end of the film.

I'm not sure I'll ever see a better film that this and I recommend it to anyone who occasionally likes to be moved by a movie.