Head-On (2004)
"Gegen die Wand" (original title)

In 'Gegen die Wand' Cahit, a 40-something male from Mersin in Turkey has removed everything Turkish from his life. He has become an alcoholic drug addict and at the start of the movie wants... See full summary »

Director:

Fatih Akin

Writer:

Fatih Akin (book)

Stars:

Birol Ünel, Sibel Kekilli, Catrin Striebeck

24 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Birol Ünel	...	Cahit Tomruk
Sibel Kekilli	...	Sibel
Catrin Striebeck	...	Maren
Meltem Cumbul	...	Selma (Cousine)
Stefan Gebelhoff	...	Nico
Francesco Fiannaca	...	Mann am Tresen
Mona Mur	...	Stammkundin Zoe Bar
Ralph Misske	...	Patient 1 (Psychiatrie)
Philipp Baltus	...	Patient 2 (Psychiatrie)
Hermann Lause	...	Dr. Schiller
Karin Niwiger	...	Kassiererin (Psychiatrie)
Demir Gökgöl	...	Yunus Güner (Vater)
Cem Akin	...	Yilmaz Güner (Bruder)
Aysel Iscan	...	Birsen Güner (Mutter)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monique Akin	...	Kundin im Friseurladen

Storyline

In 'Gegen die Wand' Cahit, a 40-something male from Mersin in Turkey has removed everything Turkish from his life. He has become an alcoholic drug addict and at the start of the movie wants to end it all. Sibel a 20-something female from Hamburg wishes to please her Turkish parents yet yearns for freedom. She has had her nose broken by her brother for being seen holding hands with a boy and yet she can not break her mother's heart and run away. She too attempts suicide and she first approaches Cahit there at the Hospital. Sibel asks Cahit to marry her, as she believes this to be the way out of her parent's house. She promises Cahit that their relationship will be like roommates, not like a married couple. The film follows Sibel and Cahit as they get married, become closer and eventually fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

turkish | love | roommate | alcoholic | hospital | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic sexuality, pervasive language, some brutal violence and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Germany Turkey

Language:

German Turkish English

Release Date:

11 March 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Head-On

Filming Locations:

Fabrik, Altona, Hamburg, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte, Bavaria Film International, Corazón International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sibel Kekilli was discovered at a Cologne shopping mall.

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Goofs

The psychiatrist at the beginning of the film tells Cahit about a song by the band The The containing the line "If you can't change the world, change your world". The actual quote (from the song "Lonely Planet", included in the album "Dusk") is "If you can't change the world, change yourself".

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Quotes

Cahit: I'm sorry I ran off before.
Sibel: That's OK.
Cahit: I'm a mental case, you know?
Sibel: [Kisses Cahit]

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Crazy Credits

When it comes to Special Thanks, there's a name: Arsen Lüpen. Arsène Lupin is a fictional character, created by the French writer Maurice Leblanc.

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Connections

Referenced in Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Baga gel bostana gel"
(Traditional, produced by Naci Baysu)
Performed by Kubat
With kind permission from Bay Müzik Üretim

User Reviews

Finally a good European movie

I expected a typical immigrant drama from this one, but fortunately, the movie proved out to be a lot more than that. Gegen die Wand is the story of a man who loses faith in everything (love, God, nationality, and ultimately life itself), only to regain it in unusual circumstances. If that sounds cheesy, well, it is anything but.

The movie always feels real, never descending into patheticism, and the 2 lead actors portray attractive, interesting characters that totally transcend immigrant archetypes.

Faith Akin was worthy of the best European movie award he got here, as the film succeeds on all levels: immigrant drama, love story, and meditation on different ethical principles.