Sommersturm (2004)

A close friendship between two crew teammates is tested when one slowly discovers he's gay and attracted to the other.

Director:

Marco Kreuzpaintner

Writers:

Thomas Bahmann (screenplay), Marco Kreuzpaintner (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann, Miriam Morgenstern

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Stadlober	...	Tobi
Kostja Ullmann	...	Achim
Jürgen Tonkel	...	Hansi
Miriam Morgenstern	...	Sandra
Alicja Bachleda	...	Anke (as Alicja Bachleda-Curus)
Angelika Brennfleck	...	Thea
Josefine Müller	...	Claudia
Joseph M'Barek	...	Ferdinand
Tristano Casanova	...	Georg
Roman Storm	...	Günther
Jeff Fischer	...	Flasche
Johannes Franke	...	Martin
Anton Rattinger	...	Gruber
Gerhard Oberwetter	...	Busfahrer
Tobias van Dieken	...	Naturschützer (as Tobias Vandieken)

Storyline

Tobi and Achim, the pride of the local crew club, have been the best of friends for years and are convinced that nothing will ever stand in the way of their friendship. They look forward to the upcoming summer camp and the crew competition. Achim's girlfriend Sandra is on the girl's team and he enjoys spending more time with her. Tobi becomes increasingly skeptical of their relationship. Anke, the pretty girl who has fallen for Tobi, doesn't make things any easier, then the gay team from Berlin arrives and Tobi is totally confused. The storm that breaks out the evening before the race begins is more than meteorological in this sensitive story about the complexities of growing up.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | friendship | germany | sexual tension | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

life happens without warning

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Regent Releasing/here! Films [United States]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

2 September 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Summer Storm

Filming Locations:

Steinsee, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

€2,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,158, 19 March 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$95,016, 16 September 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH, ProSieben Entertainment, Seven Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Footage of a gay love story taken out of Sommersturm (Summer Storm) was immortalized as a music video Willkommen (or Welcome in German) performed by a popular German duo Rosenstolz.The song itself can be heard on the actual film.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tobi: She said, "I don't mind?"
Achim: Those very words. Now chill. I have to keep at 140.

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Connections

References Sesame Street (1969)

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Soundtracks

Jim's Theme
Written and performed by Niki Reiser

User Reviews

Summer Stormy Self-Discovery

Tobi, a teenager in a rowing team, is about to discover his latent homosexuality and his love for his close friend Achim, during a rowing contest, under the catalytic presence of a gay rowing group from Berlin.

Although the film borrows many plot elements from movies like "Was nutzt die Liebe in Gedanken" and "Krampack" (i.e. boy loves boy who loves girls) it copes with creating an exceptional coming-out film composition. The admixtures of German eastern and southern dialects and accents, the comic characters like the coach, the simple humorous stereotypes resulting from clueless-Oberbayern meeting Gay-Berlin and finally the summer storm of sexual consciousness forcing Tobi and the groups of teenagers to seek new balances, create a unique and simple German version of these topics.

As remarks could be mentioned that too much of accents is not as funny for us foreigners, the end is relatively open and the main character depicts sometimes too selfish and ignorant.

Film is Excellent - 10 of 10.