Victoria by Sebastian Schipper: Without cutting through the night – STERN

D ieser film was the big surprise at the Berlinale: At the press conference there were several minutes of applause from the journalists present, it was even of the Golden Bear rumored. In the end it was, after all, a Silver Bear for the cameraman Sturla Brandth Grøvlen. A decision that was not otherwise possible. Because the film was shot in a single take. 140 minutes without a cut. An incredible feat for the actors, but especially for Grøvlen, who was with his camera more than two hours on the move, its protagonists still remained on his heels and huge events captured. Such a thing has never been available in this form and radicalism.

The man who triggered this enormous project, the German director Sebastian Schipper, since “Gigantic” a specialist Jung friendships and underwent nights. Also “Victoria” plays in the hours since the day dawns, but tells a lot more than merely of exuberant youthfulness. It’s about a bank robbery in the middle of Berlin.

Now it’s always been like that movie critics may festivalgoers experiments because they find new ways to expand the language of film and future generations of directors new provide opportunities at hand. For the audience that’s usually not a good sign, however: In rare cases such experiments give for a good movie. Even Alfred Hitchcock was working to make a movie in one setting. Because the film reels were recorded in 1948 just ten minutes, he had to make concealed cuts. The film is unfortunately noted the desire filmtechnisch try something new -. “Rope” is one of the weaker works in Hitchcock’s oeuvre

Exactly this is the wonderful thing about “Victoria” : The film adheres to nothing Experimental, he comes on the contrary therefore incredibly powerful and exciting. It starts around 4 clock in the morning in a Berlin techno-disco where the young Spaniard Victoria (Laia Costa) get to know four Berlin boys (Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit and Max Mauff). All are lively and playful, naturally is alcohol involved, you are young and enjoying life. As in “Gigantic” begins Schipper these youthful light-heartedness wonderfully. But then these mood shifts suddenly, the boys are involved in a bank robbery, Victoria can be persuaded to drive the getaway car. And already we are in the middle in a thrilling genre film where the audience followed in real-time planning and execution of rape – always accompanied by Sturla Brandth Grøvlens feverish Handheld. How this turns exuberance into anxiety, euphoria to panic, all motivated by the real-time action, is masterful.

A total of three times let Sebastian Schipper his actors and the cameraman, the ordeal of 140 minutes through work. A mistaken concentration work: happens just a mistake, all the work has been in vain. After every take, all participants looked at the results and improved the story. The third Take sat then. To see this film, Schipper said at the Berlin International Film Festival, was a moving moment for him was.

But how do you get the idea to implement such a madness projects? “We had a hare-brained charge of exaggerated self-confidence,” said the director. A Golden Bear has not earned him this hare-brained idea. But he has won the hearts of festivalgoers. And now perhaps the hearts of moviegoers.