Nirgendwo in Afrika (2001)

Nirgendwo in Afrika: Directed by Caroline Link. With Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Sidede Onyulo, Matthias Habich. A German Jewish refugee family moves to and adjusts to a farm life in 1930s Kenya.

“Here is a grand epic in the scale of u0026quot;Gone With the Windu0026quot;, u0026quot;Lawrence of Arabiau0026quot;, and u0026quot;Fitzcarraldou0026quot;. It is the best movie Iu0026#39;ve seen this year, and more than that, it was one of the most amazing film experiences of my life.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is Caroline Linku0026#39;s u0026quot;Nowhere in Africau0026quot;, which won the Best Foreign Film Award when, in actuality, it was far better than the Best Picture of the Year. To call it a great or brilliant or majestic film is an understatement; in fact, Iu0026#39;m at a loss for adjectives to describe it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film tells the story of a German Jewish woman and her young daughter summoned to Kenya by her husband, circa. 1938. Adolf Hitler is on the brink of declaring his u0026quot;final solutionu0026quot; of the Jews, and it is with great luck that Jettel and young Regina escape.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn Africa, they adapt slowly to their new rural life. While Regina befriends cook Owuor, Walter and Jettelu0026#39;s relationship threatens to destroy itself because of the hardships the family encounters.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI will not spend too much time going into detail, for watching this masterful story unfold is a treasure in itself. This film is based on an autobiography by Stephanie Zweig, and when it is available in English, I will certainly read it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlso, the language in this movie is truly beautiful. I saw u0026quot;Nowhere in Africau0026quot; again, just days after watching it for the first time, and spent more time ignoring the subtitles and listening to the beautiful spoken German. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd then there is one scene toward the end that I simply could not believe. It involves a locust invasion, and, quite simply, it was the first time Iu0026#39;ve ever seen something on the screen and asked myself aloud (as I did the first viewing), u0026quot;How did they do that?u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe performances here are first-rate, too. Julianne Kohler, who was wonderful in the ultra-weird u0026quot;Aimee u0026amp; Jungeru0026quot; is perfect; we understand this woman fully, even when she doesnu0026#39;t speak. Merab Ninidze has some great scenes with Walter, the father; and Sidede Onyulo is simply magical as Owuor.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut the movie belongs to the two girls who play Regina. They look amazingly similar, and they are both stellar. Lea Kurka brings much hope as the adorable young Regina, and Karoline Eckertz is subtle and remarkable as the older Regina, particularly in a heartbreaking exchange with her father at her school.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt would be a shame to miss this film. No, it would be more than a shame. It would be downright wrong and discouraging. This film, along with the wonderful u0026quot;Whale Rideru0026quot; are two remarkable international films that bring beauty, grace, and majesty to the screen, and are perfect for adults and older children.”