Sommer '04 (2006)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Stefan Krohmer

Writer:

Daniel Nocke (writer)

Release Date:

19 October 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

At 40, Miriam radiates serene beauty and tranquility, a confidence and self-assurance as vast as the sea close to her summer home...

Plot Keywords:

Girl Man Relationship | Number In Title

Cast

Martina Gedeck	...	Miriam Franz
Robert Seeliger	...	Bill
Svea Lohde	...	Livia
Peter Davor	...	André
Lucas Kotaranin	...	Nils
Nicole Marischka	...	Grietje (as Nicole Mrischka)
Gábor Altorjay	...	Daniel (as Gábor Altorgay)
Michael Benthin	...	Arzt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joachim Höppner	...	Narrator on TV Documentary (voice) (uncredited) (archive footage)

Directed by
Stefan Krohmer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Daniel Nocke		writer

Produced by
Barbara Buhl	....	co-producer: WDR
Sabine Holtgreve	....	co-producer: SWR
Frank Löprich	....	producer
Eva-Marie Martens	....	executive producer
Bettina Reitz	....	co-producer: BR
Katrin Schlösser	....	producer
Georg Steinert	....	co-producer: Arte

Original Music by
Ellen McIlwaine

Cinematography by
Patrick Orth

Film Editing by
Gisela Zick

Casting by
Nina Haun

Production Design by
Silke Fischer
Volko Kamensky

Costume Design by
Silke Sommer

Makeup Department
Ljiljana Müller	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Petra Misovic	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Steffen Graubaum	....	sound
Stephan Konken	....	sound re-recording mixer
Martin Langenbach	....	foley artist
Tobias Peper	....	sound designer

Visual Effects by
Dirk Frischmuth	....	digital effects artist
Maggi Selchow	....	digital effects artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Theo Lustig	....	lighting technician

Editorial Department
Ronney Afortu	....	colorist

Other crew
Annette Drees	....	script supervisor
Patrick Dreikauss	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Ö-Filmproduktion
• Arte (in association with)
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) (co-production)
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR) (co-production)
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) (co-production)

Distributors

• Gravitas Ventures (2009) (USA) (video) (VOD)
• Alamode Film (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema Guild, The (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Koch Lorber Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Optical Art (color correction)
• Optical Art (visual effects)

Other Companies

• CamCruiser Hamburg  camera cars
• Konken Studios  sound post-production
• Optical Art  film recording

Also Known As:

Sommer '04 an der Schlei (Germany) (long title)
Summer '04 (Canada: English title) (festival title)
Summer of '04 (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

USA:97 min | Germany:97 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Company:

Ö-Filmproduktion

Confusing, disjointed and boring

Summer 04 tells the story of 12 year old Livia (Svea Lohde) who is staying with her boyfriend Nils (Lucas Kotaranin) and his parents Andre (Peter Davor) and Mirjam (Martina Gedeck) while her parents vacation in Mexico. As the film opens Livia has been out sailing with older man (I'd say mid 30s) Bill (Robert Seeliger) who she has just met while out with Nils. Nils has not gone with her and apparently does not mind and Livia will spend more time alone with Bill. Mirjam thinks this is a bit inappropriate and confronts Bill about it. Despite more or less accusing him of being a paedophile, Mirjam decides to go out boating alone with Bill while Andre goes out alone with Livia. (Nils again has decided to stay at home). Strangely Andre does not seem to find that his wife is going out alone with a younger man. From there the plot just gets more convoluted and confusing.

The real problem with this film is that the characters motivations don't make sense. Ultimately this film is building up to a twist of sorts and the writer and director seem intent on reaching that point irrespective of how much logic there is in the journey to get there makes. This is director Stefan Krohmer's first feature film and his inexperience really shows. There are whole scenes with little or no point. One scene must lead up to Andre driving past Nils who is on a bike. To get there we go on a journey with Andre to the local recycling station where we see him painstakingly sorting out all his recyclables before getting back in the car and finally driving up to Nils. Did we really need all of that? I really can not recommend this film at all. It's disjointed, jumps around and for most part is just boring and worse, confusing. 3/10.