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WEDDING
WORRIES: Jakob (Matthias Brandt), Silke (Johanna Gastdorf),
Miriam (Alma Leiberg), Thomas (Florian David Fitz), Lotte (Barbara Auer), Bernd
(Axel Prahl) feel awkward after not seeing each other for over twenty years in
the telemovie The Wolves of Berlin (Die Wölfe).Image: ZDF / Claudia Terjung.
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The final part of The
Wolves of Berlin (Die Wölfe)
called Hope for Happiness, is set in
1989, the year the Berlin Wall was destroyed to re-unite a divided Germany. The
six friends have become five, following Ralf’s tragic death in the previous
telemovie.The final chapter opens in East Berlin, with Jakob, now aged in his
fifties and using the name Johann, after being employed by the East German
government to create computer software to spy on the West. He is married to the
ever feisty Silke, and they have two sons named Thomas and Martin. Martin has
enlisted in military school and has said he would shoot at anyone if ordered by
his superiors, including his loved ones, but Thomas is attending university and
growing increasingly bored.
Meanwhile in West Berlin, Lotte is married to Bernd and
has become a piano and voice teacher. She still believes her former lover Jakob
is dead and blames Silke for her loss. She and Bernd have two children, a
lovely and free-spirited daughter named Miriam and a younger son named Oliver.
Oliver is still a child, but university student Miriam has plans to become a
singer-songwriter.
Bernd, Lotte, Jakob and Silke have not been in contact
with each other for the last twenty years, but Kurt and his wife Eva still
visit Bernd and Lotte on many occasions. Thomas and Miriam cross paths during a
trip to Hungary in the Summer of 1989 and fall in love, amidst the droves of
East Germans fleeing the country and openly protesting against the East German
regime. Their romance continues as Hungary opens its borders enabling more
people to flee from East Berlin, and Thomas finds Miriam then proposes. Much to
Thomas’ surprise, Miriam reveals she is pregnant with his child and decides to
keep the baby. At this stage, neither Thomas nor Miriam realise their parents
were once members of a friendship pact and have an ongoing feud. Thomas and
Miriam’s marriage coincides with the downfall of the Berlin Wall, and
metaphorically signifies the end of the misunderstandings between The Wolves
after more than twenty years apart. However, not all is well between Bernd and
Jakob.
This final chapter signals not only the end of the Berlin
Wall, but also the beginning of a unified Germany after years of political and
social reforms that took its toll on the people. This parallels with the
friendship of The Wolves who have experienced much turbulence and turmoil
throughout their lives and they must now re-group to start a new alliance as
not only friends, but also as a family, following their children’s marriage.
Director:
Friedemann Fromm
Writers: Friedemann
Fromm (screenplay), Christoph Fromm (screenplay)
Cast:
Axel Prahl, Matthias Brandt, Felix Vörtler, Barbara Auer, Johanna Gastdorf,
Florian David Fitz, Alma Leiberg, Marc Bennert, Max Woelky, Helene Grass,
Robert Frank, Gerdy Zint, Angelika Gersdorf
Producers:
Regina Ziegler, Marianna Rowinska
Original
Music Composer: Edward J. Harris
Cinematographer:
Hanno Lentz
Language:
German with English subtitles
Running
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
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