Heimat II: A Chronicle of a Generation (1992– )
"Die zweite Heimat - Chronik einer Jugend" (original title)

The movie consist of 13 separate episodes each handling a period between 1960 and 1970. The length of these periods varies from one day to some years. It tells the story of a group of ... See full summary »

Stars:

Henry Arnold, Salome Kammer, Frank Röth

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Henry Arnold	...	Hermann Simon (13 episodes, 1993)
Salome Kammer	...	Clarissa Lichtblau (13 episodes, 1993)
Frank Röth	...	Stefan Aufhauser (13 episodes, 1993)
Noemi Steuer	...	Helga Aufschrey (11 episodes, 1993)
Franziska Traub	...	Renate Leineweber (11 episodes, 1993)
Daniel Smith	...	Juan Subercasseaux (11 episodes, 1993)
Lena Lessing	...	Olga Mueller (11 episodes, 1993)
Martin Maria Blau	...	Jean-Marie Weber (11 episodes, 1993)
Armin Fuchs	...	Volker Schimmelpfennig (10 episodes, 1993)
Hannelore Hoger	...	Elisabeth Cerphal (10 episodes, 1993)
Michael Schönborn	...	Alex (10 episodes, 1993)
Holger Fuchs	...	Bernd (9 episodes, 1993)
Anke Sevenich	...	Waltraud 'Schnüsschen' Schneider (8 episodes, 1993)
László I. Kish	...	Reinhard Doerr (8 episodes, 1993)
Edith Behleit	...	Mutter Lichtblau (8 episodes, 1993)
Peter Weiss	...	Rob Stuermer (8 episodes, 1993)
Manfred Andrae	...	Gerold Gattinger (7 episodes, 1993)
Michael Stephan	...	Clemens (7 episodes, 1993)

Storyline

The movie consist of 13 separate episodes each handling a period between 1960 and 1970. The length of these periods varies from one day to some years. It tells the story of a group of people in Munich (mostly music and film students). Every episode focuses on a different character from the group, although the main storyline and character, the young composer Hermann, continues. The movie tells a story in many different levels about love, friendship, misfortune, loss, art, politics, history with important historic events of the decennium in the background. It was the most costly and ambitious drama production in German television, although very cinematographic. Believed to be partly autobiographic.

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Plot Keywords:

politics | friendship | love | 1960s | art | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion GmbH [de] (german)

Country:

Germany UK Spain Sweden France Norway Finland Austria Denmark Australia

Language:

German

Release Date:

5 September 1992 (Germany)

Also Known As:

2nd Heimat

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 34,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edgar Reitz Film (ERF), Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Sender Freies Berlin (SFB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

1,532 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

With a total running time of 25 hrs 32 min, it holds the Guinness World Record for 'Longest Film Commercially Shown In Its Entirety' as it premiered on theater screens in Munich, Germany in September 1992.

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Connections

Followed by Heimat 3: A Chronicle of Endings and Beginnings (2004)

User Reviews

Big Screen and Small Screen Unite - Essential viewing

I first saw Heimat 2 on BBC2 in the 90's when I was at art college living and moving among artists and musicians, hoping for future success. So 'The Second Home' - of friendships made after leaving the familial home, of striving for a professional excellence - strongly resonated with my living reality. I was captivated by the characters, the storytelling, the lyrical camera-work and above all by the music. In it I could divine the beginnings of German Electronic music, of 50's Stockhausen, Kraftwerk, Can, Neue, Faust of the 70's, the sound experiments of John Cage, Walter Carlos and the British electronic psychedelia of The White Noise. The soundtrack composer Nikos Mamangakis studied with Carl Orff of Carmina Burana-fame so I found its tastes contemporary to the Electronic Pop/ Sound Effects world.

I hadnt seen Heimat or Heimat 3 so I watched it as a whole in itself without a before or after. As someone else has commented, it is both epic and lyrical - historical and artistic. Many favourite moments including the wonderful voice of Gisela Muller (Evelyn), the Bach marimba of Daniel Smith (Juan), the piano-playing of Henry Arnold (Hermann) and the cello-playing of Salome Kammer (Clarissa).

I could write more but it's already been said here. Why can't British or US TV PRODUCE SUCH MASTERPIECES ? The Wire had the realism and politics and epic sweep of a city, David Lynch and Dennis Potter had imaginative tropes to their serialised TV work too but this is art-house and soap at its most cinematic and narrative sublime. It's never included in critics' choices of Best Films but it should be. Still as poetic and powerful as when I first saw it over 17 years ago. I watch the 3 boxed sets every autumn for their 'mellow fruitfulness'. Inspired and inspiring.