Festung

Coming of Age/Drama, Germany 2012

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The room is in semi-darkness. The blinds on the windows are drawn down to tiny slits. The neat detached house shuts itself off from the neighborhood. The siblings Johanna (Elisa Essig) and Moni (Antonia T. Pankow) are frozen and dare not move. The mother (Ursina Lardi) is lying on the bed next to them. She is the inconsequential victim, while the oldest daughter Claudia (Karoline Herfurth), who has long since moved out, occasionally turns up to confront her father aggressively. Everything should be different, better. The violent father Robert (Peter Lohmeyer) has only recently returned home from therapy. The family seems to be reunited and intact. But nothing has changed. The father cannot suppress his aggression towards the mother. He has no control over himself. Each of the three daughters seeks her own way out of the threat: Moni, the youngest, closes her eyes and faces the situation with anger, the oldest sister - long since moved out - keeps returning to provoke and accuse. Johanna, the 13-year-old, remains silent, secretive, and lies. Out of shame and fear of destroying the family, everyone maintains appearances. Then the facade of secrecy and denial is unexpectedly shattered: Johanna is in love for the first time. With Christian (Ansgar Göbel), the son of her gym teacher. The girl is now caught between the fronts. She wants to save the family, to protect her mother and little sister, but she also wants to experience her first love. Torn between her strict sense of duty, her loyalty to her family and the slowly growing trust in her first love, Johanna has to make a decision. And act.

Awards

achtung berlin 2012 Best Direction
Lucas Kinderfilmfestival 2012 Special Mention
Filmfest Chemnitz 2012 Promotional Prize DEFA-Stiftung

Further recommendations

More information

Editor:

Sarah Levine

Cast:

Elisa Essig (Johanna)

Ansgar Göbel (Christian)

Antonia T. Pankow (Moni)

Ursina Lardi (Erika)

Peter Lohmeyer (Robert)

Karoline Herfurth (Claudia)

Bernd Michael Lade (Mr. Waidele)

Monika Lennartz (Grandmother)

Original title:

Festung

Original language:

German

Format:

16:9 HD, Color

Age recommendation of the KJF:

Starting at 12 years

Ratings:

FBW "valuable"

Age rating:

FSK 12

Audio language:

German