Sommersturm (2004)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Marco Kreuzpaintner

Writers:

Thomas Bahmann (screenplay)
Marco Kreuzpaintner (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 September 2004 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

life happens without warning

Plot:

Tobi and Achim, the pride of the local crew club, have been the best of friends for years and are convinced...

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Rowing | Storm | Best Friend | Germany

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Stadlober	...	Tobi
Kostja Ullmann	...	Achim
Jürgen Tonkel	...	Hansi
Miriam Morgenstern	...	Sandra
Alicja Bachleda	...	Anke (as Alicja Bachleda-Curus)
Angelika Brennfleck	...	Thea
Josefine Müller	...	Claudia
Joseph M'Barek	...	Ferdinand
Tristano Casanova	...	Georg
Roman Storm	...	Günther
Jeff Fischer	...	Flasche
Johannes Franke	...	Martin
Anton Rattinger	...	Gruber
Gerhard Oberwetter	...	Busfahrer
Tobias van Dieken	...	Naturschützer (as Tobias Vandieken)
Elisabeth Hart	...	Mädchentrainerin Ute
Alexa Maria Surholt	...	Susanne
Hanno Koffler	...	Malte
Marlon Kittel	...	Leo
Michael Wiesner	...	Nils
Benjamin Vilzmann	...	Niels
Ludwig Blochberger	...	Oli
Anna-Maria Hihn	...	Utes Freundin
Laura Maire	...	Anke (voice)

Directed by
Marco Kreuzpaintner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Thomas Bahmann		screenplay
Marco Kreuzpaintner		screenplay & story

Produced by
Jakob Claussen	....	producer
Ulrike Putz	....	producer (as Uli Putz)
Thomas Wöbke	....	producer

Original Music by
Matthew Caws
Niki Reiser

Cinematography by
Daniel Gottschalk

Film Editing by
Hansjörg Weißbrich

Casting by
Simone Bär

Production Design by
Heike Lange

Art Direction by
Heike Lange

Costume Design by
Anke Winckler

Production Management
Jens Oberwetter	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benedict Hoermann	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Dirk Jacob	....	sound designer
Florian Niederleithinger	....	sound
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Kuen-Il Song	....	foley editor
Martin Steyer	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Sabine Laimer	....	digital compositor
Lutz Lemke	....	title sequence designer/animator
Lutz Lemke	....	visual effects supervisor
Christian Wieser	....	digital artist

Stunts
Evangelos Grecos	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Oliver Krupke	....	electrician
Marco Nagel	....	still photographer
Stefan Najib	....	video assist

Casting Department
Kirstin Plotz	....	casting assistant

Music Department
Peter Illmann	....	music scout
Xaver Naudascher	....	additional music engineer

Other crew
Nicole Bardohl	....	production coordinator
Christopher Doll	....	set manager
Gabriella Gobber	....	script supervisor
Lothar Hellinger	....	set manager assistant
Manuel Kreuzpaintner	....	set assistant
Gabriele Roß	....	production coordinator
Matthias Wallinger	....	material assistant

Thanks
Ekkehardt Belle	....	thanks
Maximilian Brückner	....	thanks
Eckart Dux	....	thanks (as Eckhard Dux)

Production Companies

• Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH

Distributors

• X Verleih AG (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmoptimistene (2005) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Regent Releasing (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Équation (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Summer Storm (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug content.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15 | Norway:11

Filming Locations:

Bevertalsperre, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tobi: She said, I don't mind!
Achim: Those very words. Now chill, I have to keep at 140.

Movie Connections:

References "Sesame Street" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Catch Me

At Last! A Real "Camp" Movie Comes Out...And So Does Its Hero.

First of all, it's incredible that a movie about a summer camp would come out that has a group of teenagers acting like REAL teens, not the idiots you see either in gross-out summer comedies based solely on bathroom and bodily-fluid humor, or with a dozen or more skeevy slackers getting high, getting laid and then getting hacked to bits by some guy in a mask bought from Chammps Sporting Goods.

Viewed at the same Gay Pride Film Festival here in D.C., it was a good opportunity to compare this--a little more serious coming-of-age drama, to the light and fluffy French sex romp "Cote d'Azure." Too bad something like SUMMER STORM isn't made more often here in the States.

It's summer time, and Tobi (the engaging Robert Stadlober) is in a seething state of sexual confusion. He wants to have sex with a girl, but his strongest feelings are reserved for his best bud Achim, (Kostja Ullmann), who in turn is having a hot-and-heavy romance with girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern). Meantime, carrying the torch for Tobi is the heartbreakingly beautiful Anke (Alicja Batchleda-Curus), who has absolutely no idea where her intended's head is at. At least, not at first.

The four teens are all on rowing teams, and their coach takes them all to camp, to bond and train for the seasonal rowing trials. Among the rival teams is an all-gay team, the "Queerstrokers," who will soon prove instrumental in the awakening of Tobi, helping him realize who he is and eventually to reconcile the lopsided love triangle he is involved in, which can only produce consequences destined to bring about an unhappy ending.

Not to make the film sound too serious, but it deals with the themes of sexual confusion, exploration and discovery in a natural and non-judgmental way that is so lacking in most American features of this genre. The casting of the actors is just about perfect, as they all look, sound and perform like you would imagine German teens would, who are not that much different from any other young people their age anywhere in the world.

Even if the audience of SUMMER STORM isn't gay, it deals effectively with the kind of emotions and situations that all adults can relate to, back when they were younger, and kids who are the same age as the film's characters can identify with now.

A well-made coming-of-age tale for everyone (except for conservative prudes and pre-teens), definitely worth your time.