Wir sind die Flut (2016)

On the coastline of Windholm one morning 15 years ago the ocean just disappeared. Since then the emptiness has been raising questions and anxiety. The cause of the phenomenon remains ... See full summary »

Director:

Sebastian Hilger

Writer:

Nadine Gottmann

Stars:

Max Mauff, Lana Cooper, Gro Swantje Kohlhof

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Max Mauff	...	Micha
Lana Cooper	...	Jana
Gro Swantje Kohlhof	...	Hanna
Roland Koch	...	Karl
Max Herbrechter	...	Prof. Feuerstein
Hildegard Schroedter	...	Sophie
Waldemar Hooge	...	Daniil
Mikke Emil Rasch	...	Matti
Ulrike Hübschmann	...	Dekanin Arndt
Hede Beck	...	Magalie
Marcell Kaiser	...	Oskar
Michael Epp	...	Soldat Mike
Olav Dennhoven	...	Soldat André
Tim Kalkhof
Frederike Bohr

Storyline

On the coastline of Windholm one morning 15 years ago the ocean just disappeared. Since then the emptiness has been raising questions and anxiety. The cause of the phenomenon remains unclear. With a new theory at hand the physicist Micha (28) is one of many young scientists who is trying to get his hands on to one of his university's rare scholarships to explore the phenomena. After the many years of work he has put into the project he must once again see how a bold idea ends at the doors of the antiquated establishment - he receives a rejection. At the same time Jana (31), daughter of the institute's boss and Micha's former colleague on the project, resurfaces at the university. This doesn't make the situation any easier for Micha. A year ago she left him and the project and ran off to Portugal. Jana has now returned to put a definite end to her scientific career - but there is something else: Jana has to clarify something with Micha. When Micha decides to take the trip to Windholm ...

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Genres:

Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

During production there was shot a lot more of military footage, but was deleted in editing to focus the story on the protagonists.

User Reviews

Very good german theatre - if you are willing

I have to start off by stating this review is much based on personal preference. Obviously user reviews are like that by design but in this case it might even be more true than usual. It IS one of the "love it or hate it" movies par excellence.

I did indeed love the movie overall - actually so very much i was drawn to write my first review after reading user opinions here on IMDb for half my life.

If you are regularly inspired by atmospheric dense movies rather than character portraits or clever plot twists this might be one for you. The driving force behind the movie to me was the almost mythical world it was able to create. The setting is a small northern german coastal village. The sea, the coastline and the bleak countryside are painted in grey and blue color scheme that gave the nature around the town a harsh, almost life repelling feel.

But predominantly is the feeling of emptiness delivered by the open skies, the clear fields and the sea with no end in sight. This is beautifully intertwined with the main plot, the disappearance of the ocean.

Another key of what might have made this movie work so well is the excellent score. I cannot stress this fact too much. It is what makes a movie of this type work or not. Generally i was drawn to movies with a music that supports certain aspects of a movie, be it by creating tension or just by giving it a certain underlying tone the director wanted the movie to have - Hans Zimmers work in "Interstellar" comes to mind as the latest example.

All other aspects of the movie fall off in comparison to the quality of the above described - and the other reviewers maybe right to focus on that. The lead acting is mediocre, not bad. I did like some of the sidecast (especially Karl). The general plot idea is actually quiet imaginative. The camera work is, as far i can judge, beyond standard if not actually really good. The underlying, later presented moral conclusion of the movie felt heavy handed and daft on one side - then again the movie never aimed to be a philosophical epitom.

...You don't get a movie that just lives off panoramic scenes. You get a movie full with human interaction, be it loss, grief or love, which is uplifted by the intense atmospheric background this movie was able to deliver.

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

10 November 2016 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Noi siamo la Marea

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anna Wendt Filmproduktion, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1