‘MY GENERATION IS SLOWLY BEGINNING TO WATCH GERMAN CINEMA’
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Kaleem Aftab scratches an up and coming international star and finds a bona fide cultural comrade underneath when he meets DANIEL BRUHL.
hen the topic of his new lilm. it seemed wrong
to be meeting (ierman actor Daniel Brtihl in
London‘s swanky new Soho Hotel. In The lz'rliikuturx. (directed by Hans Weingartneri. he plays a young revolutionary who. together with his best pal. breaks into rich people‘s homes. creates art with the furniture. doesn‘t steal. but leaves a note telling the bourgeois proprietors to spread their wealth a hit. A form of protest that‘s very International Situationist shall. we say"?
'l‘oday. Briihl hasn't got the energy to moye anything heavier than a pack ol~ cigarettes. It's only noon. but the 26-year-old is on his lilth or sixth energy drink. He's had no sleep. l'nl‘ortunately. it‘s not because he was partying with one of his growing hand ol‘ l‘emale admirers. htit he missed his flight to London and had to wait several hours to catch the next one. .-\ma/ingly. he is not in the least cranky and is charm personil'ied throughout ottr conversation.
Although he has a Spanislt mother and was born in Barcelona. Briihl is looked upon as being quintessentially (ierman. Born Daniel ('esar .‘ylartin Briihl (ion/ales Domingo in l‘i78. Briihl grew tip in Cologne and started acting at the age ol‘ l4. His (ierman lather is a TV director. He appeared on several TV shows before embarking on a tilm career that took off internationally with his starring role in the fastidious comedy (;()(’(ll7_\'(’ Lenin}
Briihl says of his quick rise tip the lame ladder: 'I must say that I'm very happy to have started working in Germany when I did. because the films and the scripts are getting better and better. A few years ago it was just
horrihle. when you just got ol'l'ered scripts. they were usually comedy and they were no good.’
In the spirit ol‘ his Ifrltikrimrs character Jan. Brtihl puts the reason for the sudden improyement in (ierman cinema down to a shift in political attitudes. ’.\ly generation is slowly beginning to have an interest in going to the cinema and watching (ierman stories that deal with (ierman history that is not necessarily to do with the Third Reich. Years hel‘ot'e. there was always a complex in regards to eyerything that deals with (iermany. so filmmakers would try to copy American. French and linglish cinema. .\'ow they are making lilms ahout Germany. and (ierniany is an interesting country. and the tilms are hetterf
Briihl liyes in Pren/lauer Berg. the artistic district ol'
Berlin that was once part of the liastern Bloc. l-‘il‘teen years alter the tail of the Berlin Wall. he l'eels that 'young people are very l'rtistrated that there is no political moyement in (iermany right now. Everybody is passiye. What we wanted to make clear in The lir/ti/t'utors is that we are not the New Red Army liaction. because we didn‘t make a film about terrorists. but about young. normal people w ho are unhappy.‘
Next tip for Briihl is a starring role in ('uifiun alongside Peter Mullah. lt's notable as being the lirst Paul l.ayerty script that will not he directed by Ken l.oach. Set on a ship oil the coast of Spain. it has the added bonus ol allowing Brtihl to make a moy ie in the country of his birth.
The Edukators is at selected cinemas from Fri 15 Apr. See review, page 47.
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THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
:2: Tarnation Jonathan Caouette’s stunning, ultra low budget experimental documentary feature about growing up With a schizophrenic mother in Texas in the 19808. See review. UGC, Fienfrew St, Glasgow, Cameo, Edinburgh. Life is a Miracle Emir Black Cat White Cat Kusturica's joyfully bonkers romantic romp through civil war Bosnia 1992—95. See review. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh
>l< The Edukators Interesting German political drama. See preview and review. GFT, Glasgow and selected release.
:I< Dead of Night Classic re- release in a pristine new print of brilliantly scary Eating Studios portmanteau horror. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh (Fri 75— Thu 21 Apr only).
The Warriors Radical live re- editing and live soundtracking of Walter Hill's brilliant 1979 New York gang Western by Brooklyn MC Tes. Unmissable. Part of Triptych. Filmhouse, Edinburgh (Wed 27 Apr only).
Bullet Boy Powerful British naturalistic yout’ drama. Selected release.
The Assassination of Richard Nixon Disturbing true life crime drama. Selected release.
=i= I O Huckabees David O Russell’s hilarious existential thriller - out on DVD - about the place where environmentalism. big business and social ennui clash. A delightful Faberge egg of a movie. See review. Released on Mon 78 Apr (Fox)
>l< The Alcohol Years Carol Morley's superb. painful. deeply personal documentary examination of her early life in Manchester in the 19803 finally gets a DVD release. Two of her more recent short films are also included. Highly recommended. See interview. Out now (Film First)
1 2;: iii! THE LIST 45