Durchfahrtsland (2005) Reviews

• ethnographic movie about people living near cologne (germany)

  ft-52005-09-17

  The movie follows in a ethnographic style the life of a handful of people living in the sauerland (near cologne). these people are among others, a writer of detective stories, a member of a brass band, a adolescent and a priest. so quite average people. what makes the movie now worth looking is that these people are all a bit strange, and their strangeness is stressed in a very nice way by adding a very calmly spoken comment (spoken by the director) to the movie. but through being comic and sometimes deeply absurd the movie manages to show also that the people living in this 'durchfahrtsland' (pass-thru area) are quite lovable and not as different from oneself as one would like too... well, that doesn't describe it too well: so maybe go and see yourself. It's a real recommendation.

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• Quite amazing

  gsievert2007-02-18

  "Durchfahrtsland" is one of those movies that quietly and steadily pull you into their world. It is unobtrusive in the way it observes its subjects, yet at the same time, very close and intensely observant. The camera seems to be always there in the room, but without ever being in the way. It appears the director was almost able to make herself invisible, and yet her occasional voice over reminds us of her laconic presence and quite adds to the experience. The photography is beautiful, and the whole movie is filled with a sense of longing and melancholia. I can but highly recommend watching it. I missed it in theaters myself, unfortunately, but just caught it on TV (Phoenix, Germany).

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