Berlin's Gropiusstadt has been a social hotspot for 40 years. The residents are either poor or criminals or both, with over half having a migrant background. David Wnendt's young adult drama, based on the successful novel by podcaster and comedian Felix Lobrecht, declares all social control to be pointless; neither the police, nor teachers, nor parents understand the reality on the streets. This is explored through a vulnerable 15-year-old during a hot summer at the turn of the millennium. You witness how he and three neighbor boys try to counter the daily violence with their wit and friendship. For a while their lives turn into a thriller as they steal some new computers from their school, but ultimately this act leads them to a sort of happy ending.

In the very first sequence, it is made vividly clear what everyday life can be like in Gropiusstadt: Lukas, 15 years old, skips school together with his friends Julius and Gino. Despite Lukas' efforts to avoid trouble, Julius provokes a fight with a gang of Turkish and Arab small-time dealers, and the boys get quite injured. But what's even worse is that one of the leaders demands 500 euros from him, otherwise Lukas will be pursued by his gang in the future.

Lukas tries to find the money, a daunting task for a teenager. He has 24 hours, and his friends reluctantly assist. You can see their circumstances at home, which are harsher than typical German cinema portrays. Julius lives with his brother, who has guns and drugs, but no furniture. Gino's father is an alcoholic who regularly beats up his mother. Lukas' father is unemployed, closes his eyes to the world and would rather have his son out of the apartment. Their trio is joined by Sanchez, who has just moved into the neighborhood. He at least has a mother who looks after him.

With the four boys, you experience the neglect in the family and on the streets, the chaos in school, musically accompanied by German gangster rap. But you also see the fun they have. They smoke pot, go to parties under highway bridges, they try to impress girls, or they hang out together on the roof of a high-rise building. Their friendship is their protection, but also their motivation to improve their situation, because none of their friends are short of stupid ideas.

Julius in particular is constantly causing problems; thanks to his big mouth, they are usually on the run. You wonder with them whether Julius is just stupid or on a reckless path to revolt. But it's Lukas, the most anxious of the four, who makes the decisive suggestion to get their daily lives back on track: His school just got new computers by the Berlin Senate. If they would to steal and sell them, they would have even more than the 500 euros that the drug dealers continue to demand ruthlessly.

At night Sanchez, Julius and Lukas break into the Gropius School. Gino is absent due to domestic violence at home. It gets quiet exciting, they almost get caught, but in the end, they return with a shopping cart full of packed computers. The loot is hidden in their respective homes, which is not the best idea. Over the next few days, the boys try to sell the stolen goods to pawnbrokers, once collecting 800 euros, they immediately spend the money on shoes and clothes.

Soon the whole neighborhood suspects who stole the computers. Lukas becomes so scared that he tells his brother Marco everything. Marco is seriously criminal; besides, he also urgently needs money. He promises to help the boys, but who can you trust in Gropiusstadt? Only the mothers still have enough power to keep order, and at least the relationship between Lukas and the clan is pacified by strict mothers.

SUN AND CONCRETE gives no indication as to whether the four boys will become criminals, drug victims or unemployed in the future. But in the end, they have another summer in Gropiusstadt behind them, which has casually shown them education as a way out. Perhaps they will be lucky for a few more years. The greatest help, as Wnend's film makes clear, is each other. Together they could grow up.

Doris Kuhn (20.12.2023)

Production Country

Germany (DE)

Production Period

2021-2023

Production Year

2023

color

color

Duration

Feature-Length Film (61+ Min.)

Type

Feature Film

Genre

Drama

Topic

Violence, Coming of Age, Friendship, Precarity

Target Group

Youth film (12-17)

Available Media

DCP, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital Film

Original Version

German (de)

DCP

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Indonesisch (id), Romanian (ro), Croatian (hr), Ukrainian (uk)

Note on the Format

Version File mit ukrainischen Untertiteln nur mit DCP digital per Download verfügbar

DVD

Subtitles

German (full), German (partly), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Indonesisch (id), Romanian (ro)

Note on the Format

DVD-Vertrieb erst ab dem 01.07.2024 möglich!

Blu-ray Disc

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Indonesisch (id), Romanian (ro), Bosnian (bs)

Digital Film

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Indonesisch (id), Romanian (ro), Bosnian (bs), Greek (el)