Rivale

Local title
Rivaal
Title in Russian
Соперник
Original title
Rival
Director
Markus Lenz
Country
Germany
Year
2020
Programme
In Focus: New German Cinema

A boy and a gun. We see this image right in the beginning of the film, and without doubt, the world of 9-year-old Roman is a dangerous and endangered one. He follows his Ukrainian mother to Germany, where she starts working illegally for 62-year-old Gert with whom she becomes romantically involved. Gert tries to befriend the boy, but Roman keeps his distance. When his mother falls ill, Roman stays alone with his Rival. A short period of coming closer follows, then Roman remains alone…

Marcus Lenz deals with topics like dependence and freedom, and the lack of possibility for self-expression through language or action – seen in a most existential way from a child’s eye.

Christoph Gröner

Director
Markus Lenz
Screenwriter
Marcus Lenz, Lars Hubrich
Cast
Yelizar Nazarenko, Maria Bruni, Udo Samel
Producer
Gunter Hanfgarn, Andrea Ufer
DoP
Frank Amann
Editor
Bernd Euscher, Hansjörg Weißbrich
Music
Caroline Siegers
Production
Hanfgarn&Ufer, Wildfilms
Runtime
Language
German, Russian, Ukrainian
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Markus Lenz

Close (2004), Rivale (2020)

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Trailer