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CLOSE
CLIQUE: The Wolves, Kurt (Aljoscha Stadelmann), Bernd (Florian
Lukas) Ralf (Constantin von Jascheroff), Jakob (Florian Stetter), Silke
(Stefanie Stappenbeck) and Lotte (Annett Renneberg) celebrate their thirteenth
anniversary together in 1961 in the telemovie The Wolves of Berlin (Die
Wölfe). Image: ZDF / Claudia Terjung.
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A
Broken City is part two of The Wolves of Berlin (Die
Wölfe) and is set in 1961, where Berlin is no longer in four sectors,
following the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and
the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1949. It was also the end of
the Berlin Airlifts and the various blockades. The Wolves are now
twenty-something adults, with a renewed sense of hope for their futures,
despite the dangers of crossing between borders.
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WILD
WOLF: Bernd (Florian Lukas) is the leader and most aggressive
of The Wolves in the telemovie The Wolves
of Berlin (Die Wölfe). Image: ZDF
/ Claudia Terjung.
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Bernd who now lives in West Berlin, owns and runs a
successful transport company, with Lotte’s younger brother Ralf (who lives in
East Berlin) as his right-hand man. Lotte is now an up-and-coming singer living
in East Berlin, and is still in love with Jakob, despite considering Bernd’s
marriage proposal. Jakob is a talented Maths professor and computer analyst
teaching at a university in East Berlin, and is still keen on Lotte. Silke is
also living in East Berlin, and is working as a reporter for a local television
station, but has turned into a politically active Socialist. Kurt lives in West
Berlin and has been elected as a local politician with strong links to people
who can help him cross the border.
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LOVABLE
LOTTE: Lotte is the 'target' for Bernd's affections and the
unrequited lover of Jakob in the telemovie The
Wolves of Berlin (Die Wölfe). Image:
ZDF / Claudia Terjung.
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The Wolves continue to socialise and communicate
regardless of the strict border controls between East and West Berlin, until
the communistic East-German authorities quickly and stealthily put up the
Berlin Wall overnight. It is a swift response from the East German authorities,
who fear too many people are leaving the repressive communist East for the more
democratic life in West Germany. This situation poses a threat to the
friendships and connections between members of The Wolves, so Bernd devises a
plan to reunite all six in West Berlin, which leads to tragedy. After the
failed border-crossing attempt, Jakob is captured by the East German State Police,
commonly known as the Stasi, and offered a deal to become a spy for them.
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DANGEROUS
DIVISION: Bernd (Florian Lukas) and Ralf (Constantin von
Jascheroff) agree to plans in crossing the border between East and West Berlin
in the telemovie The Wolves of Berlin
(Die Wölfe). Image: ZDF / Claudia Terjung.
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Archival footage from 1961 is shown throughout the film,
and news broadcasts are used to depict the changes occurring in East and West
Germany at the time. Director Friedemann Fromm continues to inform and educate
contemporary audiences about the political upheaval and impact of social
changes on the daily lives of Berliners in 1961, while maintaining a clear
narrative where the political/social/economic reforms reflect the changes in
the characters’ lives. The American influences of the 1960s in Germany also
feature in the film, as in the scene where Lotte sings many standard American
jazz songs such as 'Night and Day' and 'Fly Me To The Moon' in English.
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COLLABORATIVE
CONCERNS: (Stefanie Stappenbeck) and Lotte (Annett Renneberg) want
The Wolves to stay together but worry about the dangers involved in crossing
the borders in the telemovie The Wolves
of Berlin (Die Wölfe). Image: ZDF
/ Claudia Terjung.
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The strong ensemble cast is led by Florian Lukas,
resembling a youthful Liam Neeson, as the quick-witted but hot-headed Bernd in
a solid performance; handsome Florian Stetter, is excellent as the go-getter
and hardworking Jakob; Lotte is played by the lovely Annett Renneberg, whose
voice is delicate in its high notes but deeper and richer in lower tones; Silke
is wonderfully played by popular actress in Germany, Stefanie Stappenbeck, whose
character is the strong voice of the socialist movement in East Berlin;
Aljoscha Stadelmann is the kind and good-natured Kurt, who uses his political
connections to help Bernd organise a clear path in his border-crossing attempt.
This is the best of the three parts in The Wolves of Berlin (Die Wölfe), with plenty of action,
drama, tragedy and romance as the six friends struggle to stay together in a
divided country.
Director:
Friedemann Fromm
Writers: Friedemann
Fromm (screenplay), Christoph Fromm (screenplay)
Cast:
Florian Lukas, Florian Stetter, Aljoscha Stadelmann, Annett Renneberg, Stefanie
Stappenbeck, Constantin von Jascheroff, Marko Bräutigam, Sven Lehmann, Atto
Suttarp, Michael Niekammer, Ralf Tempel, Angelika Gersdorf, Anna Stieblich
Producers:
Regina Ziegler, Marianna Rowinska
Original
Music Composer: Edward J. Harris
Cinematographer:
Hanno Lentz
Languages:
German with English subtitles and English
Running
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
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