Feuer in der Nacht (2004) (TV)

Director:

Kai Wessel

Writer:

Richard Reitinger (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 2004 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Live Television

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Christian Berkel	...	Karl Winkler
August Diehl	...	Lukas Stein
Armin Dillenberger	...	Alkoholiker
Chris Doerk	...	Milena
Alice Dwyer	...	Angie Winkler
Martina Gedeck	...	Paola Winkler
Tilo Prückner	...	Casanova
Richard Sammel	...	Herr Kramer
Sarah Tkotsch	...	Lissy Kramer
Idil Üner	...	Eyla

Also Known As:

LiveMovie: Feuer in der Nacht (Germany) (alternative title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

UFA Fernsehproduktion GmbH

Trivia:

This was te first feature-length fictional show broadcast live on German television. It was broadcast live on 25 October 2004 on ZDF (German television) and in real time from several locations in Berlin (interior and exterior) with techniques similar to those used for sporting events. To prove that it was live, one character switched on TV where a short sequence of RTL show "Wer wird Millionär?" (1999) could be seen.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Right in the opening scene, Milena accidentally addresses Lukas (played by August Diehl) as "August".

Movie Connections:

References "Wer wird Millionär?" (1999)

The first German "Live-Movie" since 1958 and therefore more interesting because of the new (old) method than because of the movie itself

Karl Winkler (Christian Berkel), a police officer, is in danger of loosing his job, since he lost control over himself while doing his work. His wife Paola (Martina Gedeck) attends to leave him along with their daughter Angie (Alice Dwyer) but Karl refuses to let them go. To stop his family from leaving him, Karl is not afraid of using his gun. Angie anonymously consults the young honorary telephone-pastor Lukas Stein (August Diehl) who considers the situation as dangerous. Together with young taxi driver Eyla (Idil Üner), in a race against time Lukas tries to locate Angie to prevent the drama that could happen...

I have to say, that this film bored me. But that may be, because I was never interested in the German tradition of TV-thriller. But the technique used caught my attention. The latest transmission technique was used and the film was shot on authentic sets and the action takes place in real time. It must have been a great expenditure to shoot the scenes in which Lukas and Eyla drive through Berlin. They where lucky that nothing happened- no traffic jams or other catastrophes that could have happened.

All-in-all an interesting experiment.