Sonnenallee

Infobox Film
name = Sonnenallee


caption =
director = Leander Haußmann
writer = Thomas Brussig,
Detlev Buck,
Leander Haußmann
starring = Alexander Scheer,
Alexander Beyer,
Robert Stadlober
producer = Claus Boje
distributor =
budget =
released = 7 October 1999 (Germany)
runtime = 101 min
language = German
imdb_id = 0177242

"Sonnenallee" ("Sun Lane") is a 1999 comedy film about life in East Berlin in the 1970s. The movie was directed by Leander Haußmann. The novel on which the film is based, "Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee" ("At the Shorter End of Sonnenallee"), was written by Thomas Brussig after the production of the film and published in the same year. According to S. Fischer Verlag, there is not an English translation of the novel. The Sonnenallee is an actual street in Berlin that was intersected by the border between East and West during the time of the Berlin Wall, although it bears little resemblance to the film set.

Cast

*Alexander Scheer – Michael Ehrenreich
*Alexander Beyer – Mario
*Robert Stadlober – Wuschel
*Teresa Weißbach – Miriam Sommer
*Katharina Thalbach – Mutter Ehrenreich
*Elena Meißner – Sabrina

*Winfried Glatzeder makes a brief cameo appearance, reprising his role as Paul from the East German film "The Legend of Paul and Paula".

Synopsis

Michael (or 'Micha') is a 17-year-old growing up in socialist East Germany in the 1970s. He spends his time with his friends listening to banned rock music, partying and trying to win over the heart of Miriam, who is dating a West Berlin boy. His idealistic group of friends deteriorates as events unfold and his friend Mario sells out his ideals by signing up for military service to support his girlfriend and the child they were expecting.

Controversy

The film was considered by many to be a glorification of the GDR and was seen to be playing down certain aspects of life in the GDR. As a result, some reviews such as those in "Der Spiegel" criticized the movie. But many saw this criticism as far disproportionate and the film was well received by the majority of the viewers.

External links

*imdb title|id=0177242|title=Sonnenallee