Heute bin ich blond
Germany/Belgium 2013

Opening 28 Mar 2013

Directed by: Marc Rothemund
Writing credits: Kati Eyssen, Sophie van der Stap
Principal actors: Lisa Tomaschewsky, Karoline Teska, David Rott, Alice Dwyer, Peter Prager

First there was a blog, then a book translated into 17 languages and making it to Nr. 2 on the Spiegel bestseller list – and Marc Rothemund has created an entertaining tragic comedy based on the true story of Sophie van der Stap.

She is 21, full of energy and looking forward to life at university with parties and flirting. Because of her continuous coughing she agrees to get a medical check-up. Totally unprepared she listens to the result of the tests: “You have cancer”. What now, what about all her plans for the future? Will she still have a future? She is frustrated, she is scared, and she wants to live.

Sophie (played by the talented newcomer Lisa Tomaschewsky) starts a lengthy chemotherapy. She is strong and tries to prepare herself for the “fight”. With ironical self-mocking we see this young woman suffer the clinical procedures. We watch her mood changing from angry and aggressive to making the most of her days by trying to have fun. She starts writing a blog about her experiences. With the help of her girlfriend Annabel (Karoline Teska) she even enjoys choosing a wig after her hair starts falling out. Walking out of the wig shop as a “sexy blond”, young men whistle after her. She loves the reaction. From now on she decides to wear different coloured wigs, depending on her mood. With a new wig she feels like a different person. She enjoys playing with the reaction of the people around her. It is also a way of finding out who she really is, who and what is important in her life. It is a way of fighting her insecurities.

Not only Sophie’s life has suddenly changed. Her mother (Maike Bollow) spends days with her in hospital, her father (Peter Prager) surfs the internet for new medications and drives the doctors crazy. Her sister (Alice Dwyer) cooks her favourite meals and her friend Annabel is by her side when Sophie escapes from the hospital bed to a disco. Her efforts to find a man for the night are more comical than tragic. When her good friend Rob (David Rott) falls in love with her, she is scared of commitment declaring he should date other women too. Poor Sophie, when she sees Rob with another woman she regrets her decision. Too late, Rob reminds her that he will always be her “good friend”. Sophie has won the fight against cancer with determination and humour. The challenge of a “new life” awaits her. (Birgit Schrumpf)