Opening 4 Oct 2007
Directed by:
Maggie Peren
Writing credits:
Christian Bayer, Maggie Peren
Principal actors:
Florian Lukas, Sebastian Bezzel, Gustav-Peter Wöhler, Herbert Knaup, Kostja Ullmann
Stellungswechsel (job change) is a light-hearted treatise on the seriously bad job situation in Germany. Frank (Florian Lukas, who played Daniel Bruhl's friend in Goodbye Lenin) has a doctorate but no job. His friend Gy works as a policeman but still has problems making ends meet. Olli's (Gustav Peter Wöhler) gourmet food shop is not attracting customers and he is in danger of going bankrupt.
When Frank is mistakenly approached by a woman who offers pretty good money for sex, the idea occurs to Gy and Olli that they could all start a lucrative "escort service". At the Arbeitsamt (unemployment office) they also latch on to Giselher, too old at 50 to become reemployed, and Lasse, young and unqualified and not excited about any training possibilities. They spend days preparing: workouts at the gym, learning how to give compliments, and setting up a website which even guarantees orgasms, although Giselher is still under the impression that the "escorts" will be accompanying women to operas and theaters. However, the phone never rings.
Only after one of Gy’s colleagues maliciously tells the press about the group does the phone ring off the hook, bringing interesting results. The best result is that Olli's delicatessen becomes busy and successful enough to be able to provide employment for the other men. It is fun watching the five, totally different, men – all good actors – getting to know each other under some pretty strange and silly circumstances. (Thelma Freedman) (Thelma Freedman)
