At a late evening screening at the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, I saw Summer Window (Fenster zum Sommer), a plot-driven romantic drama written & directed by Hendrik Handloegten. The movie begins as our heroine enjoys an idyllic holiday in Finland with her lover. Without explanation, she wakes to find herself 6 months in the past, back in the time before she met her lover & before a tragic accident befell her best friend. It might be the worst case of déjà vu ever, but as the fatal day approaches she tries determinedly to make sure that some things happen & others don't. Though I did not like the apparent inevitability of fate, the ending is satisfying. I enjoyed the film's occasional lapses into Finnish & the character of Otto, a little boy of premature independence.
The screening was introduced by festival director Sabine Erlenwein. She noted that 4 of the film's actors also appear in other films in the festival & then reassured us that Germany has more than 4 actors. She also told us that the movie is based on a novel of the same name but has a completely different ending than the book.
Germany, Finland (2011), 96 min. (35mm film projection)
Director: Hendrik Handloegten
Wednesday, October 3, 9:00 pm
Castro Theatre
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