Sehnsucht In Sangerhausen
A German comedy-drama in which the life paths of, amongst others, a heartbroken waitress and an Iranian YouTuber with a broken arm cross in an East German town boasting the world’s largest collection of roses.
In the medieval East German town of Sangerhausen, there is both a gigantic mountain of mining waste and the world’s largest collection of roses, serving as a reminder of better times. In this unique place, Ursula seeks a way out of her gruelling existence, characterised by two jobs and an unhappy marriage. She hopes to find that way out with the touring musician Zulima. Meanwhile, Neda, a YouTuber who has fled Iran, strikes up a friendship with the Korean city guide Sung-Nam. Separate from all this is the unhappy housekeeper Lotte, who, in the nineteenth century, finds herself inspired by the French Revolution.
Director Julian Radlmaier weaves these different storylines together in this drama, which is characterised by a gentle sense of humour and surrealist touches. It is immediately clear where his sympathies lie from the titles of his previous films: Selbstkritik Eines Bürgerlichen Hundes (2017) and Blutsauger – Eine Marxistische Vampirkomödie (2021). Radlmaier would like to see the proletariat of all countries (and all eras?) united, however much right-wing populism tries to pit them against one another.
Written by MDV