Alles auf Zucker!
Encyclopedia
Alles auf Zucker! is a German
comedy film
, released internationally in 2004. It can be seen as part of the "Ossi
-Wessi
" confrontation within Germany. Directed by Dani Levy
, the cast includes Henry Hübchen
, Hannelore Elsner
, Udo Samel
, Gołda Tencer
and Steffen Groth.
Director Dani Levy, himself Jewish, has made an ironic comedy about modern Jewish identity in present-day Germany. Henry Hübchen stars as Jaecki Zucker.
in the GDR when he was young. Therefore when he learns of the death of his mother, he does not care. However he has to care, since his younger brother pays him a visit with his own family. According to Jewish tradition, they have to observe the seven-day Shiv'ah
period of mourning and their Mamme's will requires them to reconcile in the presence of the rabbi
and the family. If they fail, her assets will be bestowed upon the Jewish community of Berlin, and not them.
Most of the scenes were shot at Tegel Airport, Karl-Marx-Allee
, Alexanderplatz
, Oranienburger Straße and the Jewish Cemetery Weißensee in Berlin. The Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit
makes a cameo appearance
as himself.
Polish
actress Golda Tencer does not speak German, even though she spoke her own lines fluently. She had the German text written down on small pieces of paper, hidden in her purse. During the movie she can sometimes be seen looking down into her purse.
The soundtrack is light and jovial, featuring some klezmer
music as well.
and the WDR. It is one of the very few movies about German Judaism that does not have the Shoah
in the centre, but is a comedy about the crazy twists and turns of fate that befall a family that finds itself again. The two Jewish families are more symbolic of the current problems and past tragedies of the division of Germany between East and West, and how the country and its people are struggling to find to each other again. This division affected every German, regardless of their religion. The film depicts in a comic manner the divisions within Judaism between a secularised Jew from the former GDR who has to reconcile himself with his Orthodox brother from the West.
The movie was critically acclaimed in Germany and won a number of awards, most notably the 2005 Deutscher Filmpreis
.
Cinema of Germany
Cinema in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema has made major technical and artistic contributions to film.Unlike any other national cinemas, which developed in the context of relatively continuous and stable political systems, Germany witnesses major changes to its...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, released internationally in 2004. It can be seen as part of the "Ossi
Ossi
-Organisations:*OSSI-Safenet Security Services - a private military company and a joint venture between US-based Overseas Security & Strategy Information, Inc...
-Wessi
Wessi
Wessi is the informal name that people in Germany call former citizens of West Germany before re-unification, while the counterpart for former citizens of East Germany is Ossi. These names represent the lingering differences between the two pre-reunification cultures, and Germany's popular culture...
" confrontation within Germany. Directed by Dani Levy
Dani Levy
Dani Levy is a film maker, theatrical director and actor.-Work:Dani Levy's films include RobbyKallePaul, I Was on Mars, Meschugge, Du mich auch and Väter. Väter starred Christiane Paul...
, the cast includes Henry Hübchen
Henry Hübchen
Henry Hübchen is a German actor who played the title character in the award-winning 2004 film Go for Zucker. That performance earned him a Lola, Germany's equivalent of an Oscar and critical praise at home and abroad...
, Hannelore Elsner
Hannelore Elsner
Hannelore Elsner is a German actress. After finishing drama school she worked in theatres in Berlin and München. Later she starred in films and TV series such as Die Schwarzwaldklinik...
, Udo Samel
Udo Samel
Udo Samel is a German actor. He has appeared in over 80 films and television shows since 1977. He starred in the 1994 film Back to Square One, which was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
, Gołda Tencer
Gołda Tencer
Gołda Tencer is a Polish-Jewish actress and singer.Gołda Tencer was born to a Jewish family, the daughter of Szmul and Sonia Tencer. In 1971 she graduated from Actors Studio in Warsaw...
and Steffen Groth.
Director Dani Levy, himself Jewish, has made an ironic comedy about modern Jewish identity in present-day Germany. Henry Hübchen stars as Jaecki Zucker.
Starring
- Henry HübchenHenry HübchenHenry Hübchen is a German actor who played the title character in the award-winning 2004 film Go for Zucker. That performance earned him a Lola, Germany's equivalent of an Oscar and critical praise at home and abroad...
Jakob "Jaeckie Zucker" Zuckermann - Hannelore ElsnerHannelore ElsnerHannelore Elsner is a German actress. After finishing drama school she worked in theatres in Berlin and München. Later she starred in films and TV series such as Die Schwarzwaldklinik...
Marlene Zucker - Udo SamelUdo SamelUdo Samel is a German actor. He has appeared in over 80 films and television shows since 1977. He starred in the 1994 film Back to Square One, which was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
Samuel Zuckermann - Gołda TencerGołda TencerGołda Tencer is a Polish-Jewish actress and singer.Gołda Tencer was born to a Jewish family, the daughter of Szmul and Sonia Tencer. In 1971 she graduated from Actors Studio in Warsaw...
Golda Zuckermann - Steffen Groth Thomas Zuckermann
- Anja Franke Jana Zuckermann
- Sebastian Blomberg Joshua Zuckermann
- Elena Uhlig Lilly Zuckermann
- Rolf Hoppe Rabbi Ernst Ginsberg
- Inga Busch Irene
- Andreas Herder Gay male nurse
- Renate Krößner
- Klaus WowereitKlaus WowereitKlaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
Himself
Plot and Other Details
Jakob Zuckermann alias Jaeckie Zucker is Jewish. But he says he's got nothing to do with "that club", ever since his mother and his little brother left him behind the Iron CurtainIron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
in the GDR when he was young. Therefore when he learns of the death of his mother, he does not care. However he has to care, since his younger brother pays him a visit with his own family. According to Jewish tradition, they have to observe the seven-day Shiv'ah
Shiv'ah
Shiva is the week-long mourning period in Judaism for first-degree relatives: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, and spouse. The ritual is referred to as "sitting shiva." Immediately after burial, first-degree relatives assume the halakhic status of "avel"...
period of mourning and their Mamme's will requires them to reconcile in the presence of the rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and the family. If they fail, her assets will be bestowed upon the Jewish community of Berlin, and not them.
Most of the scenes were shot at Tegel Airport, Karl-Marx-Allee
Karl-Marx-Allee
The Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 in Berlin Friedrichshain and Mitte. Today the boulevard is named after Karl Marx....
, Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin, near the Fernsehturm. Berliners often call it simply Alex, referring to a larger neighborhood stretching from Mollstraße in the northeast to Spandauer Straße and the City Hall in the southwest.-Early...
, Oranienburger Straße and the Jewish Cemetery Weißensee in Berlin. The Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as himself.
Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
actress Golda Tencer does not speak German, even though she spoke her own lines fluently. She had the German text written down on small pieces of paper, hidden in her purse. During the movie she can sometimes be seen looking down into her purse.
The soundtrack is light and jovial, featuring some klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
music as well.
Overview
The movie was co-funded by the television channels ArteArte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
and the WDR. It is one of the very few movies about German Judaism that does not have the Shoah
Shoah
Shoah may refer to:*The Holocaust*Shoah , documentary directed by Claude Lanzmann * A Shoah Foundation...
in the centre, but is a comedy about the crazy twists and turns of fate that befall a family that finds itself again. The two Jewish families are more symbolic of the current problems and past tragedies of the division of Germany between East and West, and how the country and its people are struggling to find to each other again. This division affected every German, regardless of their religion. The film depicts in a comic manner the divisions within Judaism between a secularised Jew from the former GDR who has to reconcile himself with his Orthodox brother from the West.
The movie was critically acclaimed in Germany and won a number of awards, most notably the 2005 Deutscher Filmpreis
Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
.
External links
- Official site
- DVD at artfilm.ch