Volker Schlöndorff's 'Heimsuchung' Premieres
Volker Schlöndorff's film adaptation of Jenny Erpenbeck's novel 'Heimsuchung' begins its premiere tour. The film, starring Lars Eidinger and Martina Gedeck, traces the intertwined fates of a lakeside property's owners across 20th-century German history.
The film 'Heimsuchung - Eine Jahrhundertgeschichte' (Visitation - A Century Story) has launched its premiere tour. It is directed and written by Volker Schlöndorff. This is an adaptation of Jenny Erpenbeck's 2008 novel 'Heimsuchung'. A report from the German trade publication Börsenblatt confirmed the news.
According to the distributor Studiocanal, the plot follows a picturesque property by a lake near Berlin. It traces the stories of its successive owners. Their life paths are interwoven. They are shaped by the historical upheavals of the 20th century. The narrative begins in the 1930s. A Jewish cloth manufacturer buys part of the land for his family. He has to sell it again soon after.
Cast and Crew
The film features a large ensemble cast. It is led by Lars Eidinger, Martina Gedeck, Susanne Wolff, and Michael Maertens. Other prominent actors include Ulrich Matthes, Angela Winkler, and Detlev Buck. Supporting roles are filled by Ludwig Trepte, Wigand Witting, David Bennent, and Maria Matschke Engel. Volker Schlöndorff directed the film and wrote the screenplay. He is the Oscar-winning director of 'The Tin Drum'.
The Story's Historical Scope
After the cloth manufacturer's departure, an architect and his wife build a modern-style house on the neighboring plot. Following the Second World War, the architect tries to establish himself in East Berlin. He fails within the GDR system. He flees with his wife to the West. Their house is then transferred to a writer and her husband. They survived the Nazi era in Soviet exile. Their granddaughter spends her summers at the property. This is in the years leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story uses a single location. It connects these disparate lives across decades of German history.
Adaptation from Novel to Screen
The source material is Jenny Erpenbeck's acclaimed novel. Schlöndorff's adaptation condenses this multi-generational saga into a cinematic narrative. The film's premiere tour marks its initial release to audiences. The report did not specify the exact dates or locations for the tour's stops. The film's extensive cast list shows the scale of the project. It aims to bring Erpenbeck's interconnected characters to life. The production unites several major figures from German cinema.
