Goodbye Berlin (Tschick)

A screening of the award-winning film “Goodbye Berlin” will take place in the framework of the parallel programme of the “Young on a desert island” Draseis 2022-2023 event series by THOC. The programme is curated by Eirini Andreou, Giannis Karaoulis and Eleni Moleski. The film will be introduced by actor and director Diomedes Koufteros. This will be followed by a reading of excerpts from the book “Why We Took The Car” by adolescents who took part at workshops of the event series.

Goodbye Berlin is Fatih Akin's award-winning adaptation of the novel “Why We Took The Car” (original title „Tschick“). The cinematic adaptation of Wolfgang Herrndorf's highly celebrated novel tells the story of two teenage misfits from Berlin (played by Tristan Göbel and Anand Batbileg) who set off across eastern Germany towards Wallachia in a stolen car at the beginning of their summer vacation. Akin spontaneously stepped in as director for the coming-of-age story seven weeks before the start of shooting. “Goodbye Berlin” is the first screenplay since 2002 that he has not authored himself. A melancholically cheerful odyssey spreading a youthful, fresh lifestyle.

Fatih Akin, born 1973 in Hamburg, has established himself firmly in the German directing and film scene with films such as “Soul Kitchen”, “Head On” („Gegen die Wand“) and “In the Fade” („Aus dem Nichts“) and has been awarded numerous prizes for his work.
 
“Goodbye Berlin” („Tschick“) film synopsis
Drama, comedy // 93 minutes // 2016 // recommended for ages 12+

14-year-old Maik has rich parents, but at school he is a complete outsider, so the upcoming summer vacations threaten to be lonely and boring for him. But then his new classmate Tschick, who has just moved from Russia to Berlin, suddenly shows up at his door with a stolen car. He wants to travel to his grandfather in Wallachia and invites Maik to accompany him. Together, the two set off on an adventure full of surprises.

Directed by: Fatih Akin
Screenplay: Lars Hubrich, Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin
Producer: Marco Mehlitz
Music: Vince Pope
Cinematography: Rainer Klausmann
Film editing: Andrew Bird
Cast: Tristan Göbel, Anand Batbileg, Mercedes Müller, Aniya Wendel, Anja Schneider, Uwe Bohm, Xenia Assenza, Udo Samel, Claudia Geisler, Marc Hosemann, Alexander Scheer, Friederike Kempter