Berlin Alexanderplatz is a 2020 drama film directed by Burhan Qurbani. The third adaptation of Alfred Döblin's influential 1929 novel of the same name, following one in 1931 and a 1980 fourteen-part miniseries, this iteration transposes the story to the modern day with an undocumented immigrant from West Africa in the central role.[1][2] It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.[3][4]
| Berlin Alexanderplatz | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Burhan Qurbani |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Jella Haase |
| Cinematography | Yoshi Heimrath |
| Edited by | Philipp Thomas |
| Music by | Dascha Dauenhauer |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 183 minutes |
| Countries | Germany Netherlands Canada |
| Language | German |
Cast
edit- Welket Bungué as Francis/Franz, an illegal immigrant from Guinea-Bissau, who wants to start a better life in Germany.
- Jella Haase as Mieze, a prostitute and love-interest of Francis, who is also the narrator of the film
- Albrecht Schuch as Reinhold, a criminal drug dealer
- Joachim Król as Pums
- Annabelle Mandeng as Eva
- Nils Verkooijen as Berta
- Richard Fouofié Djimeli as Ottu
- Thelma Buabeng as Amira
- Faris Saleh as Masud
- Lena Schmidtke as Elli
Reception
editJessica Kiang for Variety detects some flaws in this update of Alfred Döblin's classic novel of masculine criminal crisis: ″Although promising a deep-cut dash of contemporary topicality by reimagining the main character as an undocumented African immigrant, there is the sense that the unimpeachable craft and performances — especially from rivetingly charismatic lead Welket Bungué — ultimately add up to just too slick a package. (...) For a film that is supposed to be a contemporary update, it can feel — especially in its ill-fated female characters, who are almost all either sex workers or one-night stands of Reinhold's — weirdly out of date. “Men like me have gone out of fashion,” says Pums at one point, and it will take more than a snazzy new set of clothes to complete the overhaul that Qurbani bravely, handsomely, but a little foolhardily attempts."[5]
References
edit- ^ Bénédicte Prot, "Burhan Qurbani readies Berlin Alexanderplatz for an April release". Cineuropa, 10 September 2018.
- ^ "Berlin Alexanderplatz". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "The 70th Berlinale Competition and Further Films to Complete the Berlinale Special". Berlinale. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Berlin Competition Lineup Revealed: Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, Eliza Hittman, Abel Ferrara". Variety. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ Kiang, Jessica (26 February 2020). "'Berlin Alexanderplatz': Film Review". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.