A film by Sonja Heiss

Year  2007

Length: 90 min

Format:   1:1.85

Country of production  GER

Synopsis

Five protagonists travel with their backpacks through India and Thailand searching for freedom and adventure. Their journeys draw a detailed picture of a generation of individualist Western tourists who hope to achieve redemption from themselves in Asia.
Joshua and Adam, two young Englishmen, get lost in the ecstasy of full moon raves in the Thai jungle, only to ultimately lose their friendship. Meanwhile Svenja is stuck in a hotel in Bangkok, because she missed her connecting flight. She starts a childish and deeply emotional relationship with a Thai travel agent on the telephone who hardly speaks any English but nevertheless falls in love with her. On the other hand, Liam, a loveable Irish slob tries to get in touch with the real India, which brings him closer to the Indian people and their sympathy towards him. However, this does not solve his problems waiting for him at home. And then there is Marion, a German, who travels to a meditation paradise for Western devotees, where she tries very hard to become happy. But the road to real spirituality is rocky.
And so they all wander aimlessly through the huge amusement park called Asia.
Director Sonja Heiss travelled through Asia for several months with her protagonists. The result is a hilarious film, which blurs the line between reality and fiction and takes the audience on an exceptional trip.

Production

Komplizen Film in co-production with ZDF – Das Kleine Fernsehspiel and HFF München, funded by FFF Bayern, FFA and BKM.

Cast

Josh

Ricky Champ

Adam

Gareth Llewelyn

Marion

Eva Löbau

Liam

Chris O`Dowd

Svenja

Svenja Steinfelder

Team

Directed by   

Sonja Heiss

Screenplay     

Sonja Heiss

Nikolai von Graevenitz

Director of Photography 

Nikolai von Graevenitz

Editing   

Natali Barrey

Vincent Pluss

Patric Lambertz

Costume Design       

Nicole von Graevenitz

Original Sound

Andreas Prescher

Original Music

The Festival

Christian Garcia

Sound Design

Daniel Iribarren

Mixing

Hubertus Rath

Line Producing  

Mareike Lueg

Hannah Maag

Commissioning Editors

Christian Cloos (ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel)

Co-producer   

Dirk Engelhardt

Producers    

Janine Jackowski, Maren Ade, Sonja Heiss (Komplizen Film)

Awards

First Steps Award 2007

Abendfüllender Spielfilm

Berlinale 2007

Prix Dialogue en Perspective: besondere Erwähnung

Brussels European Film Festival 2007

Prix Cinédécouvertes

Festival des deutschen Films Mannheim/Ludwigshafen 2007

Zuschauerpreis und besondere Auszeichnung der Jury

Fünf Seen Festival 2007

Star Preis

Birds Eye View London Film Festival 2008

Bester Nachwuchs-Spielfilm

Festivals

Berlinale 2007

Perspektive Deutscher Film

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2007

Variety's Critics Choice

Festival des deutschen Films Mannheim/Ludwigshafen 2007

Brussels European Film Festival 2007

Sarajewo International Film Festival 2007

Riga International Film Festival 2007

Vancouver International Film Festival 2007

Copenhagen International Film Festival 2007

Viennale – Wien International Film Festival 2007

Sevilla International Film Festival 2007

Kinofest Lünen 2007

Tromsø International Film Festival

Mumbai International Film Festival

Birds Eye View London Film Festival

Tiburon International Film Festival

German Film Festival in Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa

Palm Beach International Film Festival

41st Annual WorldFest-Houston

Newport International Film Festival

Los Angeles Film Festival