Nowhere in Africa (2001)

A German Jewish refugee family moves to and adjusts to a farm life in 1930s Kenya.

Director:

Caroline Link

Writers:

Caroline Link, Stefanie Zweig (novel)

Stars:

Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Matthias Habich

Won 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Juliane Köhler	...	Jettel Redlich
Merab Ninidze	...	Walter Redlich
Sidede Onyulo	...	Owuor
Matthias Habich	...	Walter Süßkind
Lea Kurka	...	Regina Redlich (younger)
Karoline Eckertz	...	Regina Redlich - Older
Gerd Heinz	...	Max
Hildegard Schmahl	...	Ina
Maritta Horwarth	...	Liesel
Regine Zimmermann	...	Käthe
Gabrielle Odinis	...	Dienstmädchen Klara
Bettina Redlich	...	Mrs. Sadler
Julia Leidl	...	Inge
Mechthild Großmann	...	Elsa Konrad
Joel Wajsberg	...	Hubert

Storyline

A Jewish family in Germany emigrate short before the Second World War. They move to Kenya to start running a farm, but not all members of the family come to an arrangement with their new life. Shortly after their departure, things are changing in Germany very quickly, and a turning back seems impossible. So everyone has to arrange himself with the new life in a new continent.

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Plot Keywords:

farm | kenya | jew | tween girl | teenage girl | 

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Taglines:

One family's tale of a homeland lost... and a homeland found.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Constantin Film [Germany] NZZ Online (German)

Country:

Germany

Language:

English Swahili German

Release Date:

16 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nowhere in Africa

Filming Locations:

Kenya

Box Office

Budget:

€7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$716,496 (Germany), 28 December 2001

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,070, 9 March 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,173,485, 5 October 2003

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,873,182, 6 November 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bavaria Film, Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktions GmbH, Bayerischer Banken-Fonds

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Jettel encounters the old dying woman, her hair is short, but she doesn't get her hair cut until several scenes in the future.

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Quotes

Jettel Redlich: Tolerance doesn't mean that everyone is the same. That'd be stupid. What I've learned here is how valuable differences are. Differences are good. And intelligent people will never hold it against you.

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Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

User Reviews

deserves more than one viewing

I did find Nowhere In Africa more absorbing upon a second viewing. It's sneaky. When I watched it a second time, I felt more at ease with the characters, and because of that I found myself able to absorb myself in their problems (and in the way they see them) more completely and to imagine their lives much more fully. Yet this film, beautiful as it is, is more a narrative string, a series of scenes, than a drama. It's not that there is a shortage of drama in the idea - or ideas, for there are many - it is just that the drama is not concentrated on any of the various story lines that keep tantalizing us. They tantalize but are never realized, at least not to the full extent they could have been. The director should have taken one or two of the themes she has here and delved into them much more thoroughly. What we have are a number of interesting sketches but never a full canvas. That does not mean that the movie is without its moments (the brilliant young German daughter speaking with the British school headmaster was one such moment, wonderful), but as a viewer I kept wanting more out of each relationship, both between the humans, and between the humans and the place itself. Too much of the film is a kind of mystery without any solution. The shorthand the director uses to tell us her story feels more like an outline for a movie than a real movie. It's a beautiful trailer that goes on for 140 minutes: time aplenty to have told us a really great story. Nonetheless, I do recommend this film. It is visually quite stunning, and the performances are universally good. A solid 3 stars.