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:

marriage | girl | naivety | naive girl | young wife | 

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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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,216, 23 January 2005

Gross USA:

$435,395

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,065,801

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France, Bavaria Film International, Corazón International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sibel Kekilli was discovered at a Cologne shopping mall.

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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 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006)

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Soundtracks

My Man Don't Love Me
( K: Mona Mur, Nikko Weidemann, FM Einheit (as F.M. Strauß), Thomas Stern,
Sievert Johannsen, Alexander Hacke; T: Mona Mur )
Performed by Mona Mur

User Reviews

haunting and poignant

This movie surprised me, because although I had read that it was good, it exceeded my expectations. The characters felt authentic and possessed believable strengths and weaknesses. The actors turned in powerful performances and I find myself, the day after I saw the film, still thinking about the plot but mostly remembering the expressions on the actors' faces.

The movie did seem a little too long, but in trying to think of scenes to cut, I realized that nothing in particular felt superfluous or irrelevant to the storyline or character development.

Finally, I didn't like the end! But that's probably because I've been ruined by Hollywood with its sappy happy endings. This film ended as it should, and probably as it had to.