Yella (2007)

Yella is estranged from her possessive and violent husband; but he can't quite bring himself to give her up. When their fraught interaction finally comes to dramatic conclusion, Yella's life takes an odd shift.

Director:

Christian Petzold

Writer:

Christian Petzold

Stars:

Nina Hoss, Devid Striesow, Hinnerk Schönemann

5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nina Hoss	...	Yella Fichte
Devid Striesow	...	Philipp
Hinnerk Schönemann	...	Ben
Burghart Klaußner	...	Dr. Gunthen
Barbara Auer	...	Barbara Gunthen
Christian Redl	...	Yellas Vater
Selin Bademsoy	...	Dr. Gunthens Tochter (as Selin Barbara Petzold)
Wanja Mues	...	Sprenger
Michael Wittenborn	...	Dr. Schmidt-Ott
Martin Brambach	...	Dr. Fritz
Joachim Nimtz	...	Prietzel
Peter Benedict	...	Dr. Friedrichs Anwalt Oliver
Ian Norval	...	Rezeptionist
Peter Knaack	...	Insolvenzverwalter
Thomas Giese	...	Kassierer

Storyline

Christian Petzold's drama deals with a woman, who leaves her hometown for a promising job and a new life, but is haunted by the truths of the past. As her marriage to Ben broke and her professional career has no future in her native town in the Eastern part of Germany, Yella has decided to search for a job in the West. When she gets to know Philipp, a smart executive at a private equity company in Hanover, she becomes his assistant and gets involved into the world of ruthless and big business. Realizing her dreams could come true with Philipp's help, she starts hearing voices and sounds from her past, which menace her new and better life...

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Plot Keywords:

financial problem | east germany | drowning | one word title | falling into water | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

16 May 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), ARTE

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Third part of director Christian Petzold's "Gespenster"-trilogy. The other two parts are The State I Am In and Gespenster.

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Connections

Follows The State I Am In (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, Op.27 No.2"
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Interpreted by Dietmar Löffler

User Reviews

A triumph for modern day German cinema

This enigmatic drama is a story of a young woman who confronts her ambitions and insecurities head on. The film starts with Yella accepting a new job and moving to the more modernized western part of the country. With hopes for a better future, the life she leaves behind include her loving father, her obsessive husband, and the stability of a reality understood.

Christian Petzold uses a bold no frills approach to exhibit this thought provoking film. The narrative has a minimalistic quality which serves the film well, allowing the viewer to focus on the subtle yet compelling performance by actress Nina Hoss. Yella is an intelligently layered film and a triumph for modern day German cinema.