König der Diebe (2004)

Two amateur circus kids from a poor Ukrainian village, ten-year-old Barbu and his older sister Mimma, are sold to a circus artist called Caruso who promises them a career in the West. ... See full summary »

Director:

Ivan Fíla

Writer:

Ivan Fíla (screenplay)

Stars:

Lazar Ristovski, Iakov Kultiasov, Katharina Thalbach

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lazar Ristovski	...	Caruso
Iakov Kultiasov	...	Barbu (as Yasha Kultiasov)
Katharina Thalbach	...	Julie
Julia Khanverdieva	...	Mimma
Oktay Özdemir	...	Marcel
Paulus Manker	...	Kardinal
Birol Ünel	...	Birol
Imogen Kogge	...	Polizisti
Yasemin Bueyueksapci	...	Bianca (as Yasemin Büyüksapci)
Manfred Witt	...	Dimo
Viktor Benzler	...	Barbus Vater
Axel Neumann	...	Pokerspieler
Motamedi	...	Ali
Lucia Adyova	...	Kinder bei Caruso (as Lucia Ádyová)
Petra Hackova	...	Kinder bei Caruso (as Petra Hácková)

Storyline

Two amateur circus kids from a poor Ukrainian village, ten-year-old Barbu and his older sister Mimma, are sold to a circus artist called Caruso who promises them a career in the West. Caruso smuggles them to Berlin and separates them from each other. Mimma is sold to prostitution, while Barbu is taught to snatch purses together with an older Albanian boy Marcel. Barbu finds out about Mimma's fate and decides to free her from the brothel.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | bear | forced prostitution | child labor | child prostitution | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Netherlands Belgium Germany Slovakia Austria Czech Republic France Slovenia

Language:

German

Release Date:

19 February 2004 (Slovakia)

Also Known As:

King of Thieves

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 9,250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charlie's Bratislava, In Film Praha, Ivan Fila Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Love Me"
Lyrics by 'Ladislav Faktor'
Performed by Ivana Christová

User Reviews

A story from hell where it is deepest

I have just eliminated a longer analysis of this movie. It cannot even give you a hint what this movie is about.

I have seldomly seen a movie in the last four decades that has touched me into my innermost existence like this movie did. Why is this movie practically unknown instead of having been given 12 Oscars? You see the most stunning performances by Katharina Thalbach and Lazar Ristovski. You witness a heart-beating dramaturgy which can even afford to do without suspense at all. You experience a story from yonder, where the Iron Curtain was, a story that is lead out before your very eyes in the utmost brutality than any human can experience - and yet: watch out! There are those little hinges that make the coherence in this movie, and these hinges come from the land of the fairy-tales which is densely interwoven into our reality.