Head-On (2004)

With the intention to break free from the strict familial restrictions, a suicidal young woman sets up a marriage of convenience with a forty-year-old addict, an act that will lead to an outburst of envious love.

Director:

Fatih Akin

Writer:

Fatih Akin (book)

Stars:

Birol Ünel, Sibel Kekilli, Güven Kiraç

25 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Birol Ünel	...	Cahit
Güven Kiraç	...	Seref
Zarah Jane McKenzie	...	Barfrau in der Fabrik (as Zarah McKenzie)
Stefan Gebelhoff	...	Nico
Catrin Striebeck	...	Maren
Francesco Fiannaca	...	Mann am Tresen
Mona Mur	...	Stammkundin Zoe Bar
Sibel Kekilli	...	Sibel
Ralph Misske	...	Patient 1 (Psychiatrie)
Philipp Baltus	...	Patient 2 (Psychiatrie)
Hermann Lause	...	Dr. Schiller
Karin Niwiger	...	Kassiererin (Psychiatrie)
Demir Gökgöl	...	Yunus Güner (Vater)
Cem Akin	...	Yilmaz Güner (Bruder)
Aysel Iscan	...	Birsen Güner (Mutter)

Storyline

In 'Gegen die Wand' Cahit, a 40-something male from Mersin in Turkey has removed everything Turkish from his life. He has become an alcoholic drug addict and at the start of the movie wants to end it all. Sibel a 20-something female from Hamburg wishes to please her Turkish parents yet yearns for freedom. She has had her nose broken by her brother for being seen holding hands with a boy and yet she can not break her mother's heart and run away. She too attempts suicide and she first approaches Cahit there at the Hospital. Sibel asks Cahit to marry her, as she believes this to be the way out of her parent's house. She promises Cahit that their relationship will be like roommates, not like a married couple. The film follows Sibel and Cahit as they get married, become closer and eventually fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

naive girl | young wife | sexual desire | adultery | marriage | 

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Taglines:

Raw, Powerful, Extraordinary... A Love Story of Surprisingly Epic Proportions!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic sexuality, pervasive language, some brutal violence and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany Turkey

Language:

German Turkish English

Release Date:

11 March 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Head-On

Filming Locations:

Fabrik, Altona, Hamburg, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France, Bavaria Film International, Corazón International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the opening scenes, where Cahit appears to be completely drunk, Birol Ünel isn't acting. He really was completely drunk, having been drinking solidly whilst waiting hours for the scene to be set up.

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Goofs

The psychiatrist at the beginning of the film tells Cahit about a song by the band The The containing the line "If you can't change the world, change your world". The actual quote (from the song "Lonely Planet", included in the album "Dusk") is "If you can't change the world, change yourself".

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Quotes

Dr. Schiller: If you want to end your life, end it. You don't have to kill yourself to do that.

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Crazy Credits

When it comes to Special Thanks, there's a name: Arsen Lüpen. Arsène Lupin is a fictional character, created by the French writer Maurice Leblanc.

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Connections

Featured in Fatih Akin - Tagebuch eines Filmreisenden (2007)

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Soundtracks

Gel yada salma diber
( K/T: Volkan Öktem, Murath Sensesli, Hüsnü Senlendirici )
Performed by Laco Tayfa
With kind permission from RH Pozitif Publishing and Doublemoon Records

User Reviews

A Brilliant, Emotional and Visceral Film

I saw this film yesterday for the second time (I originally saw it last year) and loved it as much as I did the first time. This is probably my favourite film in the last 12 months so hence the need to say my bit. There is a wonderful, powerful, visceral quality to this film which is extremely rare in any art-form (lets be honest), so credit needs to be placed where credit is due - and it is due in huge amounts here. 'Head On' takes you on an emotional journey to the edges of the human experience, tempered by an nihilism and a soul-searching despair that feels all too real. These are not so much characters but real people with real dilemma's, and their life experiences oozes from every visible pore. The two central performances are bloody amazing and a reminder of what real acting (and characterisation) is all about. The direction is profound, not to mention the wonderful soundtrack (the Birthday Party track much appreciated!!). I can't say anything but complimentary things about this film and in my humble opinion is a modern-day masterpiece. On the small off-chance that the actors/producers/ director or anyone connected to this film reads this, congratulations on a fantastic piece of film-making!