Edge-of-your-seat actioner opens 3rd German Film Week

Moritz Bleibtreu (left) and Edin Hasanovic in “Only God Can Judge Me”

Film enthusiasts are in for a treat when the third edition of the German Film Week begins tomorrow and runs until Nov. 11 at SM Aura Premier and SM City North Edsa, with regional screenings in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Baguio.

The six-day event is a showcase of the “latest and hottest movies to come out of German cinema.”
Yes, the featured titles are new, and if its opening film, Özgür Yildirim’s “Only God Can Judge Me,” were any indication, viewers who will flock to them will have something to mull over or cheer about.

10 diverse titles

The festival features 10 diverse titles led by “Only God Can Judge Me,” a high-wire actioner that will remind you of Michael Mann and the morally ambiguous characters trapped in do-or-die situations in his compelling thrillers.

Yildirim’s Frankfurt-based film revolves around brothers, Ricky (Moritz Bleibtreu) and Rafael (Edin Hasanovic), and Diana Dunker (Birgit Minichmayr), the cash-strapped policewoman they cross paths with.

“In the Fade”

Ricky has once taken the fall for his impulsive and irresponsible younger brother, so when he finally gets out of the slammer after a five-year sentence for a botched robbery attempt, he realizes that the path of least resistance isn’t the best way to turn over a new leaf.

His brother, Raffy, has different priorities, however. Tired of just stealing money from the bar where he works, Raffy decides to work in collusion with another partner to double-cross Albanian drug dealers.

The big “payoff” will allow him to build a dance school for his increasingly impatient girlfriend.
But, when Raffy bungles his only shot at the big time, he finds himself running to Ricky for help! But, is the former jailbird ready to risk life and limb again for his brother?

Calamitous turn

Ricky and Raffy’s situation takes a more calamitous turn when police officer Diana, a single mother who needs a lot of money for the heart transplant her sick daughter needs, gets wind of their plans and realizes that the “contraband” in question could be the answer to her money woes and the medical emergency at home!

“Forget About Nick”

What follows is an urgently paced cat-and-mouse chase that drives viewers on the edge of their seats—and one that action aficionados shouldn’t miss!

If God were to judge a protective brother’s actions, would He judge Ricky harshly? The film lets viewers find the answer on their own, but leaves them with a tantalizing food for thought: God judges out of love. When He punishes, He does it with the aim of claiming people back!

Other films

Aside from “Only God Can Judge Me,” the other films that will be screened in the festival are Fatih Akin’s revenge story “In the Fade,” Hanno Olderdissen’s medical drama “Rock My Heart,” Margarethe von Trotta’s “dramedic” thriller “Forget About Nick,” Hans Weingartner’s road trip romance “303,” Wolfgang Fischer’s sailing thriller “Styx,” Claus Räfle’s historical biopic “The Invisibles,” the intriguing wartime dramas of Robert Schwentke (“The Captain”) and Christian Petzold (“Transit”), and Nick Baker-Monteys’ disarming romance “The Final Journey.”

“Rock My Heart”

A considerable chunk of the lineup tackles the horrors and the aftermath of the Nazi era. But, we’re particularly interested in Baker-Monteys’ film because it’s about a 92-year-old former German officer (Jurgen Prochnow) who takes a trip to Ukraine with his granddaughter (Petra Schmidt-Schaller) to look for the woman he once loved.

Will the nonagenarian find his muse at the end of his journey?