“By the end you know the characters in it so well that you can’t believe you’ve seen the movie only once, yet on a second viewing it seems completely new. And that may be because the world they inhabit is immediately recognizable — until we get to heaven, it’s where we live — and like no place you’ve been before.”

I definitely will!

Long time reader, first time commenter.

Auf der anderen Seite (”The Edge of Heaven”) is most certainly a film that grows upon multiple viewings. I’m of the opinion that Fatih Akin is Europe’s most important filmmaker for the time being. “Head-on” is my favorite film from the ’00s, and expectations for Seite was through the roof when I caught it in Karlovy Vary last summer. I loved it to death, but wasn’t sure if I actually was drawn enough into it.

Three viewings later, I’ve yet to be able to write about the film - but in my view, it is a perfect countarpart to “Head-on”; completely different, yet emotionally as devoted and tender. I think the film’s most important quality is that it manages to tell an engaging story about people who unconsciously help eachother find themselves in the most unlikely places. After seeing it again, you’ll (hopefully) find the connections between people and places as emotionally involving as (I think) they’re ment to be. Besides the obvious brilliance of its screenwriting and directing, I’ve grown to love the subtle qualities in the editing of Seite (by Andrew Bird). Concerning some of those too neat connections… look again.

Now, you’ve inspired me to finally get those words down on blog paper. ‘Later.