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Cyprus

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7:00 PM

All About Me

Film screening and discussion|GoetheKino: Questions of Family

  • Goethe-Institut Nicosia, Nicosia

  • Original dialogue with English subtitles. Discussion in English
  • Admission free
  • Part of series: GoetheKino

Scene from the film “All about me” © UFA Fiction 2018

Scene from the film “All about me” © UFA Fiction 2018

The GoetheKino: Questions of Family series begins with a screening of the award-winning film Der Junge muss an die frische Luft (“All About Me”), followed by a discussion with film scholar Olga Kourelou and comedian Constantinos Psillides.

Biography, Comedy, Drama // 2018 // Caroline Link // 100 minutes

Recklinghausen in the Ruhr region, in the early 1970s. Hans-Peter is nine years old and a little chubby. But that cannot undermine his great self-confidence, as he can make anyone laugh with his jokes and parodies – a talent that serves him well later in life when, as Hape Kerkeling, he becomes one of the most famous German comedians. This film by director Caroline Link is based on his memoirs.

For all its comedy, All About Me also offers an exacting study of a society of suppression and of people who, still traumatised by the Second World War, need to laugh as much as they need air to breathe. Something that Hans-Peter understands early on. But when it comes to the most important person in his life, he fails: his depressed mother commits suicide when he is nine years old.

With a flair for detail and a variety of affectionately drawn characters – such as the concerned and caring grandparents, the fun-loving relatives, and other people typical of the Ruhr region – the biopic provides a warm milieu study and a portrait of an epoch in the history of the Federal Republic.

EXPERTS

  • Olga Kourelou

    Olga Kourelou holds PhD in Film Studies from King’s College London. Having held teaching positions at King’s College London and Sussex University, she is now Research Fellow at the University of Nicosia and an independent film curator. She served as a member of the Cyprus Cinema Advisory Committee and has now been appointed to the Subcommittee for Script Evaluation.
    Olga’s research interests are in star studies, gender, race, and European cinema, with a particular focus on Greek-language film. She has contributed book chapters and articles to publications including New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film, Journal of Greek Media and Culture and Celebrity Studies Journal.  

  • Constantinos Psillides

    Constantinos Psillides is a podcaster, stand-up comedian and currently Head of Production at “Black Lemon TV”. Psillides has been working as a journalist for both English and Greek newspapers for over a decade, with an interest in politics and public life. Moving on to the advertising industry, he was employed -and miserable- as a copywriter and in 2024 made the decision to take a leap of faith and become a full-time podcaster. He currently co-hosts “HistoriCon”, a comedy history podcast with almost 1 million downloads, tours the island doing stand-up shows and helps other podcasters on the Black Lemon Podcast Network with their own shows.
     

Related links

All About Me – Trailer