Summer Storm
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| Summer Storm (Sommersturm) |
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|---|---|
| Directed by | Marco Kreuzpaintner |
| Produced by | Jakob Claussen |
| Written by | Thomas Bahmann Marco Kreuzpaintner |
| Starring | Robert Stadlober (Tobi) Kostja Ullmann (Achim) Alicja Bachleda-Curuś (Anke) Miriam Morgenstern (Sandra) Marlon Kittel (Leo) Hanno Koffler (Malte) Jürgen Tonkel (Hansi) Ludwig Blochberger (Oli) Tristano Casanova (Georg) |
| Distributed by |  X Verleih AG Regent Releasing |
| Release date(s) | 2 September 2004 17 March 2006 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Language | German |
| Budget | €2,700,000 (~ USD$3,400,000) |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
Summer Storm (German: Sommersturm) is a multi award-winning, German coming-of-age film directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner. Released in 2004, the film stars Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś, and Marlon Kittel. The story is set to the background of a rowing regatta, which climaxes into a Summer Storm.
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[edit] Plot
Teams from all across Germany descend on a quiet camping ground for a week of training leading up to a final rowing competition. The plot follows the members of the RSC rowing club from southern Germany as they train for the regatta.
The boys are excited by the prospects of camping with a female rowing team from Berlin. However, by a stroke of fate, the Berlin girls’ team cancels and is replaced by Queerschlag ("Queerstrokes"), a gay youth rowing team, and these boys are out proud and camp it up to their full potential.
Amidst the sometimes tense interactions between the members of his team and those of Queerschlag, Tobi (Stadlober) is himself forced to confront his long-time feelings for his friend and team-mate Achim (Ullmann), who is already romantically involved with his girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern). Spurned by Achim, Tobi is devastated, but is partly consoled by his new friendship with Queerschlag member Leo (Kittel).
The tension between the members of the two teams culminates in a scene set to the backdrop of a summer storm, during which Leo confronts Tobi about his homosexuality in front of his fellow team-mates. Tobi denies being gay, and, in an attempt to defend him, one of his team-mates tells Tobi’s girlfriend Anke (Bachleda-Curuś) to tell the rest of his team-mates so. Anke, the only person to whom Tobi has confided his secret, remains silent.
Ultimately, Tobi comes out to his fellow team-mates, and his rowing team and Queerschlag go on to compete in the final regatta.
[edit] Critical reception
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Summer Storm nicely captures the awkward confusion of first-time sexual encounters (gay or straight) and the collateral wounds caused by deceiving others and oneself."
- Chicago Tribune: "Summer Storm is a contemporary teen summer romance with a modern sexual twist…" "…believable characters…"
- Kabeleins.de: "…beautifully produced and very authentically played…"
- Time Out London: "…the story’s main strength lies in its characters…"
- Variety.com Review: "…psychologically sharp writing and performances."
[edit] Awards
- Director (Marco Kreuzpaintner), New Faces Award, Germany, 2005
- Best Young Actor – Film (Robert Stadlober)
[edit] Soundtrack
The film soundtrack contains the smash hit "Willkommen" from the album Herz by the German duo Rosenstolz; the single made the German Top 10 charts in September 2004.
- "Blonde on Blonde" by Nada Surf
- "Shake the Foundation" by Radio 4
- "Willkommen" by Rosenstolz
- "Los, Wixen" by Niki Reiser
- "Auf ins Bergische" by Niki Reiser
- "We’ll Never Know" by Roman Fischer
- "Maltes Kuss" by Niki Reiser
- "Flames" by VAST
- "Verwirrt" by Niki Reiser
- "Achim" by Niki Reiser
- "Getaway" by Roman Fischer
- "Jim’s Theme" by Niki Reiser
- "Coming Out" by Niki Reiser
- "Catch Me" by Kerosin
- "We Oh We" by The Hidden Cameras
- "Crooked Lines" by The Go-Betweens
- "For Lovers" by Wolfman/Pete Doherty
- "The Power of Love" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- "Sommersturm" by Niki Reiser
- "The Summer We Had" by Nova International
- "Go West" by the Pet Shop Boys
