Cindy liebt mich nicht
Germany 2010

Opening 10 Jun 2010

Directed by: Hannah Schweier
Writing credits: Hannah Schweier
Principal actors: Clemens Schick, Peter Weiss, Anne Schäfer

Barkeeper Franz (Clemens Schick) lives happily with Cindy until she disappears. In his search for her, he meets David (Peter Weiss). Franz is aghast to learn that Cindy was also simultaneously David’s girlfriend. Not only is her mysterious double life a shock, but David, a lawyer in a suit and tie, is so completely different from Franz in every way. How could she? David knows a bit more about Cindy, but not much. At this point the film takes off as a road movie. Two unlikely young men travel to Cindy’s mother, a psychiatric clinic and then to Denmark, in search of their missing love; they must cooperate and even become wary friends.

Director Hannah Schweier showed her film at the 2010 Berlinale in the category “Perspektive Deutsche Kino,” a venue for young German directors to meet the public. In the post-film press conference Schweier said that most of the actors had worked together in a theater ensemble. She worked on the script for two years, held castings for eight months, and wrapped up the movie in 33 days. She found it most difficult to cast a very overweight young man as the clinic caregiver; he had never been in movies before and was one of the highlights, I thought. The film is fine for what it is; Schweier certainly has promise of a successful film future. I expected the film to go straight to TV, and the fact that it is opening in local cinemas shows that people have faith in its qualities. I shouldn’t be so negative, considering that in Berlin the cinema was absolutely packed with people – and that in the middle of the week in a city full of many options. I especially enjoyed the theme song: “Willst du mit mir gehen?,” an oldie from 1971 by Dahlia Lavi. (Becky Tan)