Feature Films

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alaska.de

Original title: alaska.de
German title: alaska.de
Germany, 2000

Director: Gronenborn, Esther
Production company: Bioskop-Film, Munich
Age recommendation: 14 years and up

Synopsis:
When 16-year-old Sabine can no longer get along with her mother's boyfriend, she is sent to live with her father in an East Berlin suburb. Feeling completely isolated and alone, she finally befriends Eddie, a boy of her own age, and his best friend Micha. Micha, who is two years older, is unemployed and in trouble with the police. A party at his house turns into a nightmare when he, Eddie and their friend Stefan get into a vicious fight with another boy. Eddie stabs the boy to death. Sabine finds the bleeding corpse and sees Micha running away with a knife in his hands. The boys are terrified at what they've done and threaten Sabine to keep silent. When Micha decides to take matters into his own hands, things only get worse... (German Cinema)

Comments:
alaska.de isn't an ordinary crime story depicting the brutality of suburban youth. It is an acute portrayal of German kids struggling with contemporary urban life. The idea for the film was born when the director met with members of two gangs while producing a music video about violence in German schools. All the young actors in the film are amateurs. The director and the 13 participating kids met over several weekends and an intensive week-long training session to prepare for the film. During the improvisation exercises of these workshops, the film's narrative was honed to correspond with the real-life experiences of the kids. (German Cinema)

Marketing strategies:
The film was available on the Internet for a limited number of downloads before the cinema launch.

Festivals:
San Sebastian 2000: in competition, Toronto 2000, Gothenburg 2001, Berlin 2001: New German Films, Sandnes 2001, Malmö 2002

World sales address/es:
Studiocanal (DE)

Sold to:
Studiocanal (DE)
Barton (ESP)