Another German Tank Story movie review

In the middle of the 19th century, the writer and journalist Theodor Fontane came up with the then unusual idea of ​​traveling and writing the Berlin surrounding area. The original reason for this was Pure curiosity, in addition there was probably its typical romantic connection to home. This has resulted in the “hikes through the Mark Brandenburg” known to date. Fontane's descriptions of the country and people are characterized by its sharp observation, a lot of sense of humor and the affection for the people of the region. And it is precisely these ingredients that are now also the “Another German Tank Story“, Make the feature film debut by Jannis Alexander Kiefer so worth seeing. His film plays in Wiesenwalde, a small village in the middle of Brandenburg, which is quite scratched, but has probably never seen better days.

The only attraction is the fountain monument of the composer Georg Philipp Telemann, who was allegedly cured by a serious illness here in transit through the local water. Otherwise, Wiesenwalde has little or nothing apart from a restaurant, which of course is called “Telemann Klause”, as well as the “Minimarkt Wolff” village shop. But hope dies last, because US production has chosen the sleepy village as a central location for a blockbuster played in World War II. Mayor Susi (Meike Droste), who is committed to the tips of the hair, is therefore in good spirits that Wiesenwalde will soon become a tourist hotspot. The business -wing innkeeper Jenny (Gisa Flake), who – presumably for the first time in the history of the place, has rented all rooms of the “Telemann Klause”.

Mayor Susi (Meike Droste) firmly believes in Wiesenwalde - and sees the Hollywood people a great opportunity to advance her village.

Mayor Susi (Meike Droste) firmly believes in Wiesenwalde – and sees the Hollywood people a great opportunity to advance her village.

Susi's son Tobi (Johannes Scheidweiler) has meanwhile received a job as a driver for film production. Only he fell through the driver's license test and does not like cars anyway, which is why he rejects to drive faster than walking speed. Tobi's best buddy Wolffi (Alexander Schuster), on the other hand, got hold of a extractor role and is convinced that he is now being discovered for Hollywood. While the shooting is in full swing and therefore the electricity is therefore repeatedly failed (“You don't need an electrician, you need an exorcist”), Susis Ex-Lover Bert (Roland Bonjour) comes back to Wiesenwalde after almost 20 years. And then there is also a tank in her entrance, which is simply not picked up …

Can a film be nice, evil and funny at the same time? Jannis Alexander Kiefer performs this feat with his final film at the Film University Konrad Wolf in any case with a wink brilliant. He mixes situation comedy and dialogue joke with a fine ironic look-and thus reaches a fairly high Brandenburg humor level, which is traditionally characterized above all by Laconian sayings and an lovable, casual charm refusal. One would like to say in the best Fontane tradition, whereby the Coen brothers have apparently also influenced him in addition to Wes Anderson, of which some very nice tableau and the at the same time humorous and critical view of provincial life à la “Fargo”.

A tank in the front yard

In addition, pine maintains a very own and idiosyncratic style. He sometimes slows down the film to the limit of the tolerable and makes it even strange. In addition, there are the original to quirky characters-Wiesenwalde becomes the microcosm of a suspended provincial society in which old people plan their own death and want to clean up the (swastika) past in the basement beforehand. In all these people, the boys and the old, originality and rigid people meet in Knorrig Märkische Manians. “A murder with a view” cultural police officer Meike Droste embodies Susi with great timing and very strange as a glowing optimist who can not be disturbed by anything, not even from a huge tank that ended up in her front yard instead of the set Pick up almost “waiting for Godot”-like shapes.

Susi steadily believes in Wiesenwaldes (re-) ascent, with freshly baked cakes she sits regularly for the citizens' consultation in the empty office and remains positive down to the last fiber-rather atypical for the region. Nevertheless, she tears others with, sometimes even her son, the Johannes Scheidweiler plays with a silent teddy bear attack as a country egg without perspective and thus creates a lot of potential for conflict in relation to his mother. But that's not all about, it is generally not about conflicts, problems or solutions and actually nothing specific and at the same time about so much, and, above all, about somehow – here in this nest Wiesenwalde that you like as well as his The population is increasingly loving, the longer the film lasts. This even applies to the naive Wolffi, who no longer wants to put his Comparsen-Wehrmachtuniform at all, or to the alleged star journalist Bert, whom at least the audience quickly sees through as a poor sausage.

Over the entire film, there is a wonderfully cloudy atmosphere that is already strange. This is reinforced by the collagen-like design of the figures in their laconic monosyllabolism, but also by the contrast between the missing village and the loud gundon of the blockbuster set, which can usually only be guessed behind a high concrete wall. In addition, the film plays in autumn, which gives the comedy a good portion of dristesses in addition to a greatly increased melancholy level, also by the color design in matt tones. Everything was thought of down to the smallest detail: the soundtrack is of course from Telemann and the film is equipped with all the wonderful gorities that a Brandenburg provincial caff has to offer, including many GDR and Nazi relics. Above all, however, the invented village of Wiesenwalde is presented as a home of rather quirky and at the same time rather normal people.

With the same loving humor, Kiefer pulls the film industry through the cocoa. It is particularly nasty – and therefore so beautiful – that the filming is observed from behind, so to speak, from the backdrop. The alleged film star, which Bert wants to interview for a gossip to push his non -existent career again, finally turns out to be a light double. Because of course the highly paid film sizes do not live in Wiesenwalde, only occasionally a convoy drives through the picture with black vans. Then they sit in there, the celebrities, unreachable and incredible as the stars in the sky. Or like the right life out there.

Conclusion: “Who did you become? And why didn't you do anything about it? ”, Stands on the lonely park bench at the beginning of this comedy, which only seems to be harmless and relentlessly tells relatively relentlessly, even if at the same time lovingly tells about life in the East German province. Without charges, without an appeal, but with a sharp satirical look. Because Wiesenwalde is everywhere.

PS: In order to oppose the “prejudice of the lame German film”, which is repeatedly put forward, the film start editorial team decided to The initiative “German cinema is (but) horny!” To start: Every month we choose a German film that we particularly liked, inspired or fascinated to accompany the theatrical release- regardless of its size- editorially like a blockbuster (i.e. with a majority of articles, our own podcast- Episode and so on). “Another German Tank Story” is our choice for April 2025.