Nirgendwo In Afrika

Germany

Synopsis

The Jewish family Redlich emigrates to Kenya in 1938, where Walter Redlich, a lawyer, works on a farm as a caretaker. While his wife Jettel , a daughter from a bourgeois home, finds it difficult to adjust to their new life, their shy daughter Regina blossoms. She learns the local language and customs and finds a good friend in the cook Owuor. The loss of their home and relatives, as well as their inability to talk about this endangers the marriage of Jettel and Walter. Only slowly do they find back to each other. When the war is finally over, Walter is offered a position as a judge in Frankfurt. But after all those years where they learned to cherish their life in Kenya, it is doubtful whether Jettel and Regina will accompany him back to Germany...

Director's Statement

In my version of the story I concentrate very much on the relationship of the parents, their love for each other. They suddenly find themselves in difficult circumstances; their love falters and must be re-found. Stefanie Zweig tells the story from the perspective of a child. She describes her own experiences and memories. But for me, Regina's mother Jettel is the most exciting character. What is most fascinating, is her development to an independent and mature woman, who not only has to rethink her own position and priorities in life but also her relationship towards her family.

Director's Biography

Caroline Link was born in 1964. After graduating from high school she spent a year in the United States. In 1984 she took her first steps in the movie business as an intern at the Bavaria Film Studios. She then participated in many TV and movie projects as a script editor and assistant director. In 1986 she became a student at the Academy for Film and Television in Munich. He gradation piece SOMMERTAGE received the Kodak Advancement Prize at the Film Festival in Hof. In addition to her studies, she continued to work as assistant director and script author (for the TV series DER FAHNDER, among others).
In 1992 she made the children's film KALLE DER TRÄUMER for German TV. In the same year she also started researching the script for BEYOND SILENCE. In 1995 she finally began shooting the unusual story about a deaf couple and their musically talented child. Among many other awards, the film received an Oscar for Best Foreign Movie in 1998, the Bavarian Film Award, The German Film Award (Silver), The Guild Film Award (Gold), and Best Foreign Movie Awards in Tokyo, Chicago, Vancouver, and Kalkutta. In 1999, her successful and modern adaptation of Erich Käster's ANNALOUISE AND ANTON was a clear testament to her talent for moving stories. This film too received many national and international awards, among them the Bavarian Film Award.
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Caroline Link

Written by: Caroline Link

Produced by: Peter Herrmann

Cinematography: Gernot Roll

Editing: Patricia Rommel

Production Design: Susann Bieling, Uwe Szielasko

Costume Design: Barbara Grupp

Make-Up & Hair: Nanni Gebhardt-Seele, Stephanie Hilke

Original Score: Niki Reiser

Sound Design: Andreas Wölki

Cast: Matthias Habich (Süßkind), Lea Kurka (Regina Redlich), Karoline Eckertz (Regina Redlich - Older ), Sidede Onyulo (Owuor), Gerd Heinz (Max), Juliane Köhler (Jettel Redlich ), Hildegard Schmahl (Ina), Merab Ninidze (Walter Redlich)

Nominations and Awards

  • Feature Film Selection 2002