Herzsprung

(Herzsprung)

Germany, 1992, 87 min, color

In German; English subtitles

Herzsprung © DEFA-Stiftung, Helga Paris

Credits:

Director
Misselwitz, Helke

Script
Misselwitz, Helke

Editor
(Steinbrück) Plenert, Gudrun

Camera
Plenert, Thomas

Set Design
Holler, Lothar

Costume Design
Wolf, Ursula

Music (Performance)
Hagen, Eva-Maria
Sandow, Nino

Cast
Becker, Ben
Besson, Tatjana
Geisler, Claudia
Gysi, Gabriele
Hagen, Eva-Maria
Lamprecht, Günter
Planitzer, Peter
Sandow, Nino
Schult, Steffen
Zischler, Hanns

Producer
Wilkening, Thomas

Themes & Genres:

Synopsis

After German unification: Johanna is a young mother and widow in the little town of Herzsprung, as well as one of the newly-unemployed East Germans forced to live on welfare. She eventually meets and falls in love with a Black man, who is a newcomer to the village and works in a roadside diner. Some people in Johanna’s village are unwilling to accept her new boyfriend and their relationship. Their racism and resentments in the face of economic collapse lead to a dramatic escalation of events.

The feature film debut of director Helke Misselwitz (Winter Adé, 1988). Part of the series WENDE FLICKS: Last Films from East Germany.

Awards

1993	Official Selection, Berlin International Film Festival
1993	German Film Award nominee
1992	Special mention in "debut film" category (Helke Misselwitz), San Sebastian International Film Festival

Press comments

“A humorous yet sensitive treatment of dead-end lives.”
— San Sebastian Film Festival

“A beautiful, whimsical and at times magical film about love, longing and racism.”
— Goethe-Institut Montreal

“One of the few German films to deal with contemporary political and social issues shortly after the political Wende in East Germamy.”
— film-zeit.de

“Images, photographed by Thomas Plenert, the likes of which have not been seen in German film for a long time.”
— Berliner Zeitung