DVD Fenster zum Sommer

I was lucky to get to see this one so early, during Zurich Film Festival. The story (based on a novel from the sixties) and resulting questions – what if I could live a part of my life again and get a second chance to get things right, what would I do differently? …and is everything determined by fate, or is it possible to change anything at all? – may not be entirely fresh, but it was executed very well, with nice camera work and a superb cast. Nina Hoss as strong main character Juliane and Fritzi Haberlandt as Emily were excellent and pretty much carried the movie. I won't say much about the plot to avoid spoilers, the available plot summary is pretty accurate. Just let me say it's interesting to watch how Juliane handles the situation and is trying to win August's heart who still doesn't know her… and while the story that unfolds is sad in parts, there are also funny and romantic scenes, so "Summer Window" successfully strikes a balance.

After the screening the director answered a few questions and came across as refreshingly open, natural and down-to-earth ("you know, depressing endings, um, depress me"). IMHO he certainly has shown talent with "Summer Window", and I wish him all the best for his future work.