The Edukators (2004)
"Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" (original title)

Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.

Director:

Hans Weingartner

Writers:

Katharina Held, Hans Weingartner

Stars:

Daniel Brühl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg

9 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Brühl	...	Jan
Julia Jentsch	...	Jule
Stipe Erceg	...	Peter
Burghart Klaußner	...	Hardenberg (as Burghart Klaussner)
Peer Martiny	...	Villenbesitzer Jürgen
Petra Zieser	...	Villenbesitzerin
Laura Schmidt	...	Tochter Laura
Sebastian Butz	...	Sohn
Oliver Bröcker	...	Aggressiver Globalisierungsgegner
Knut Berger	...	Globalisierungsgegner
Hanns Zischler	...	Vermieter
Claudio Caiolo	...	Paolo
Bernhard Bettermann	...	Jules Chef
Sylvia Haider	...	Neureiche Frau 1
Claudia Jakobshagen	...	Neureiche Frau 2

Storyline

Berlin student Jule is hoplessly indebted due to an accident she caused, uninsuredly hitting a rich businessman's limousine. Evicted from her flat she moves in with her boyfrend Peter and soon learns that Peter and his flatmate, Jan, are breaking into luxurious mansions at night. Instead of stealing or vandalizing, though, they carefully and ornately rearrange furniture and valulables and leave obscure messages. Jule convinces Jan, who has a crush on her, to pay a visit to the villa of her creditor.

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Plot Keywords:

activist | businessman | friend | love triangle | revolutionary | 

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Taglines:

Every Heart is a revolutionary cell

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, a scene of sexuality, and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Home Page [de] (German/English) Official site [tw]

Country:

Germany Austria

Language:

German

Release Date:

25 November 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Edukators

Filming Locations:

Achenkirch, Tirol, Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,075 (USA) (22 July 2005)

Gross:

$175,493 (USA) (14 October 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Y3 Film, Coop 99, Südwestrundfunk (SWR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hans Weingartner:  one of the protesters at the beginning.

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Goofs

The length of Jan's cigarette when painting Jule's apartment changes between when he is sitting talking to Jule and when he begins painting again.

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Quotes

[last words]
Note on Wall: "Some People Never Change."

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Crazy Credits

There is an additional take after the credits related to the last project of the three protagonists.

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Connections

Referenced in Free Rainer (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Easy to Love"
Written by Neuburger, Neuburger, Rosenacker, Schaller, Arbeithuber
Performed by Slut
Published by Hanseatic Musikverlag/Neu Welt Musikverlag/Warner Music
Released by Virgin Music

User Reviews

Excellent movie

Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei (The Edukators) is the first German film in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival since Wim Wender's In weiter Ferne, so nah! (Faraway, So Close!) in 1993. The film's protagonists, Jan, Peter and Jule, dream of changing society. They form "The Edukators," a group that warns the rich and disturbs their material comfort with non-violent actions. In "the Edukators" Hans Weingartner raises the question: "What happened to the revolutionary generation of the sixties? Where are all the anarchists, hippies and idealists that wanted to change the world? I loved the movie, it is condemning and inspiring at the same time, depressing and uplifting and as a viewer you are forced to decide if you feel sympathy for the idealistic young people or the successful materialistic businessman. Or both?!