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IMDbPro

Paradise: Love

Original title: Paradies: Liebe
  • 20122012
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
9.3K
YOUR RATING
Paradise: Love (2012)
On the beaches of Kenya they‘re known as “Sugar Mamas” -- European women who seek out African boys selling love to earn a living. Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian and mother of a daughter entering puberty, travels to this vacation paradise. She goes from one Beach Boy to the next, from one disappointment to the next and finally she must recognize: On the beaches of Kenya love is a business.
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
82 Photos
Drama
Teresa, a fifty-year-old Austrian mother, travels to the paradise of the beaches of Kenya, seeking out love from African boys. But she must confront the hard truth that on the beaches of Ken... Read allTeresa, a fifty-year-old Austrian mother, travels to the paradise of the beaches of Kenya, seeking out love from African boys. But she must confront the hard truth that on the beaches of Kenya, love is a business.Teresa, a fifty-year-old Austrian mother, travels to the paradise of the beaches of Kenya, seeking out love from African boys. But she must confront the hard truth that on the beaches of Kenya, love is a business.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
9.3K
YOUR RATING
    • Ulrich Seidl
    • Ulrich Seidl(screenplay)
    • Veronika Franz(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Margarete Tiesel
    • Peter Kazungu
    • Inge Maux
    • Ulrich Seidl
    • Ulrich Seidl(screenplay)
    • Veronika Franz(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Margarete Tiesel
    • Peter Kazungu
    • Inge Maux
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 30User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 1:56
    Watch Theatrical Version

    Photos82

    Paradise: Love (2012)
    Ulrich Seidl in Paradise: Love (2012)
    Margarete Tiesel in Paradise: Love (2012)
    Inge Maux, Ulrich Seidl, Margarete Tiesel, and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Ulrich Seidl and Margarete Tiesel at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Inge Maux, Ulrich Seidl, Wolfgang Thaler, Margarete Tiesel, and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Inge Maux, Margarete Tiesel, and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Thierry Frémaux at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Inge Maux, Margarete Tiesel, and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Margarete Tiesel and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Inge Maux, Ulrich Seidl, Margarete Tiesel, and Peter Kazungu at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)
    Ulrich Seidl at an event for Paradise: Love (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Margarete Tiesel
    Margarete Tiesel
    • Teresa
    • (as Margarethe Tiesel)
    Peter Kazungu
    • Munga
    Inge Maux
    • Freundin von Teresa
    Dunja Sowinetz
    • Urlaubsfreundinnen
    Helen Brugat
    • Urlaubsfreundinnen
    Gabriel Mwarua
    • Gabriel
    • (as Gabriel Nguma Mwaruwa)
    Josphat Hamisi
    • Josphat
    Carlos Mkutano
    • Salama
    • (as Carlos Mukutani)
    Melanie Lenz
    Melanie Lenz
    • Tochter Teresa
    Maria Hofstätter
    Maria Hofstätter
    • Schwester Teresa
    Livingson Nyambu
    • Tourguide
    Tobias Kasiwa
    • Animateur
    Leonora Migide
    • Schwester Munga
    Anderson Mutisya
    • Stripper
    Francis Aluoch
    • Room Boy
    Kenga Randu
    • Room Boy
    Samuel Koigi
    • Freund Inge Maux
    Gabriel Lima
    • Autodromfahrer
      • Ulrich Seidl
      • Ulrich Seidl(screenplay)
      • Veronika Franz(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    • Connections
      Featured in Pauw & Witteman: Episode #7.65 (2013)

    User reviews30

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Remarkable film about sex tourism in Africa for 50+ women
    I saw this film at the Ghent filmfestival 2012. We were told that it was the first of three related films, the two successors to be named 'Paradise: Faith' (already released), and 'Paradise: Hope' (to be released in 2013). Quote from festival announcement: "On Kenya's beaches they are known as 'sugar mamas': European women who seek out African boys selling love to earn a living. Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian woman, travels to this vacation paradise. 'Paradise: Love' tells of older women and young men, of Europe and Africa, and of the exploited, who end up exploiting others."

    The festival screening took place in a fully booked venue (225 seats). More than half (very unusual) of the people stayed for the final Q&A with the principal actor (Margarete Tiesel), and there were (also unusual) many relevant questions. She admitted upfront that she had not read the script prior to shooting (though she did after wards). She is a professional actor, but the African boys are all amateurs.

    What struck me the most when watching this film, is that the "boys" never ask money for their "services" in a direct way. Rather they always seem to have a family member in financial difficulties, badly in need of financial support, medical bills being the most common story. We see that happen on Terese's first trip outside the hotel, where her "boy" takes her to his sister (not really, as we see later on), and subsequently a school teacher. Each one has a sad story and needs money. And when she does not cough up enough money, the boy refuses to be touched anymore. On her second trip Teresa seems very aware of all this, recognizing it as standard operating procedure. She starts playing along without feeling awkward about it, and gradually appears to have found her way in this "game".

    In the final Q&A the subject "exploitation" came about several times, apparently without easy answers. It is not exploitation per se, when both sides look happy with the arrangement. She talked with several other women there with ample experience in the matter. Some bought for instance a motor bike for her African "lover", or even a house, and travel a few times per year to the area. The "boys" speak one of the usual European languages (English, German, etc); which one is dependent on the area. Yet, while the story progresses, we nevertheless observe a certain language barrier, several times causing misunderstandings about mutual intentions.

    All in all, this is a remarkable feature film bordering on a documentary about sex tourism. We have heard about sex tourism in Thailand, particularly for men. This time it is about women with money to spend. The film clearly demonstrates to us how it works. What the films shows is very explicit, even to the extent that we see Teresa explaining to the "boy" how she prefers to be touched, and we closely observe him learning which way works best for her. This scene marks the duality of their respective roles, not parasitic but rather symbiotic. Showing all this in a natural way, without too much embarrassment for us viewers, is an achievement in itself. I scored a 5 (out of 5) for the audience award when leaving the theater.
    helpful•46
    12
    • JvH48
    • Oct 25, 2012

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 26, 2013 (United States)
      • Austria
      • Germany
      • France
      • Official site (Austria)
      • Official site (Japan)
      • German
      • English
      • Swahili
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Flamingo Beach Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya
    • Production companies
      • Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion GmbH
      • Tatfilm
      • Coproduction Office
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours
      • Color
      • Dolby

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