Sonnenallee
Encyclopedia
Sonnenallee is a 1999
comedy film
about life in East Berlin
in the late 1970s. The movie was directed by Leander Haußmann
. The film was released shortly before the corresponding novel, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee
(At the Shorter End of Sonnenallee). Both the book and the screenplay were written by Thomas Brussig
and while they are based on the same characters and setting, differ in storyline significantly. Both the movie and the book emphasize the importance of pop-art and in particular, pop music, for the youth of East Berlin. The Sonnenallee is an actual street in Berlin that was intersected by the border between East and West during the time of the Berlin Wall
, although it bears little resemblance to the film set.
double album Exile on Mainstreet
in which the bullet has lodged. The young boy is devastated, however, prominently displaying the importance of pop music in their lives.
Later, he gets a new copy by using the 50 West-German Mark that he gets from Miriam's ex-boyfriend when the latter causes him to crash his bike (accidentally).
The film ends with a crowd of East Berliners advancing on the Berlin Wall entry/exit gate and singing "The Letter" by Dynamo 5, led by Michael and Wuschel, who jump down from the balcony they were perched and seemingly move through to the Western side.
criticized the movie. But many saw this criticism as far disproportionate and the film was well received by the majority of the viewers.
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about life in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in the late 1970s. The movie was directed by Leander Haußmann
Leander Haußmann
Leander Haußmann is a German theatre and film director.The son of actor Ezard Haußmann and costume designer Doris Haußmann, he attended the Ernst Busch theatre school in Berlin....
. The film was released shortly before the corresponding novel, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee
Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee
Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee is the third novel by author Thomas Brussig. The novel is set in East Berlin in the real life street of Sonnenallee around the time of the late 70's or early 80's. The novel is based on the same characters and setting of the film Sonnenallee, also written by...
(At the Shorter End of Sonnenallee). Both the book and the screenplay were written by Thomas Brussig
Thomas Brussig
Thomas Brussig is a German writer best known for his satirical novels that deal with the German Democratic Republic.- Life :...
and while they are based on the same characters and setting, differ in storyline significantly. Both the movie and the book emphasize the importance of pop-art and in particular, pop music, for the youth of East Berlin. The Sonnenallee is an actual street in Berlin that was intersected by the border between East and West during the time of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, although it bears little resemblance to the film set.
Cast
- Alexander Scheer – Michael Ehrenreich
- Alexander BeyerAlexander BeyerAlexander Beyer is a German actor.He was born in Erfurt, East Germany. He has appeared in such films as: Volker Schloendorff's The Legend of Rita , Leander Haussmann's Sun Alley , Johannes Kiefer's Gregor's Greatest Invention , which was nominated for an...
– Mario - Robert StadloberRobert StadloberRobert Stadlober is an Austrian actor and musician. His sister is Anja Stadlober, also an actress.-Biography:Robert Stadlober was born 3 August 1982 in the Austrian province of Carinthia and grew up in Puchfeld in the Steiermark and in Berlin...
– Wuschel - Teresa WeißbachTeresa WeißbachTeresa Weißbach is a German actress best known for her role as Miriam in the 1999 film Sonnenallee.-Biography:She grew up in Stollberg, and at just 10 years old joined the Youth Theater....
– Miriam Sommer - Katharina ThalbachKatharina ThalbachKatharina Thalbach is a German actress and film director.- Life and work :Katharina Thalbach comes from a particularly artistic-oriented family. Her father Benno Besson was a director, her mother Sabine Thalbach was an actress. Her late husband Thomas Brasch was an author. Her daughter Anna and...
– Doris Ehrenreich - Henry HübchenHenry HübchenHenry Hübchen is a German actor who played the title character in the award-winning 2004 film Go for Zucker. That performance earned him a Lola, Germany's equivalent of an Oscar and critical praise at home and abroad...
– Hotte Ehrenreich - Elena Meißner – Sabrina
- Winfried GlatzederWinfried GlatzederWinfried Glatzeder is a German television actor and playwright.-External links:*...
makes a brief cameo appearanceCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
, reprising his role as Paul from the East German film The Legend of Paul and PaulaThe Legend of Paul and PaulaDie Legende von Paul und Paula is a 1973 tragicomic East German film directed by Heiner Carow. It was based on the novel of the same name by Ulrich Plenzdorf....
.
Synopsis
Michael (or 'Micha') is a 17-year-old growing up in communist East Germany (GDR) in the 1970s. He spends his time with his friends listening to banned pop music, partying and trying to win over the heart of Miriam, who is dating a West Berlin boy. Over the course of the movie his best friend Mario, falls for an existentialist, gets kicked out of school and subsequently discovers he is going to be a father. The closing of the movie upsets Micha's thus far idealistic life, as Mario sells out his ideals by signing up for military service to support his girlfriend and the child. Furthermore, his young blonde friend, Wuschel, is shot by a GDR guard, but survives, thanks to The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
double album Exile on Mainstreet
Exile on Main St.
Exile on Main St. is the tenth British and 12th American studio album by English rock band The Rolling Stones. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock and roll, blues, soul, R&B, gospel and country. The release of Exile on Main St. met with mixed reviews, but is...
in which the bullet has lodged. The young boy is devastated, however, prominently displaying the importance of pop music in their lives.
Later, he gets a new copy by using the 50 West-German Mark that he gets from Miriam's ex-boyfriend when the latter causes him to crash his bike (accidentally).
The film ends with a crowd of East Berliners advancing on the Berlin Wall entry/exit gate and singing "The Letter" by Dynamo 5, led by Michael and Wuschel, who jump down from the balcony they were perched and seemingly move through to the Western side.
Controversy
The film was considered by many to be a glorification of the GDR and was seen to be playing down certain aspects of life in the GDR. As a result, some reviews such as those in Der SpiegelDer Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
criticized the movie. But many saw this criticism as far disproportionate and the film was well received by the majority of the viewers.