Holunderblüte

Today is the birthday of the great Volker Koepp, one of the very few filmmakers like none other with a humanitarian cause that set him apart from others. His works captivate with plots dealing with the Post-soviet, East-Germany, Communism and makes you think about the past vicissitudes of human destinies that the present and future has to pay. Holunderblüte (2007) is my most favourite in his filmography, perhaps, more than all of Volker Koepp's films shot on this topic of East Prussia. This is one of the simplest and most truthful coverage of the region that shows the Children who are a victim of the errors of the past and a Neighbourhood made up entirely of alcoholics. The kids dream of going to music school, grow up to be a teacher, they truly wish that the place will be better if the elders stop drinking and sink into alcoholism. When Koepp peer the faces of these kids, who tell the camera what they felt about Post-Soviet Childhood and East Prussian Memory and you see the sadness in their face, but they still want to live every moment. The kids pass time by painting, one of the girl paints her mother, some spend time by playing in swing, plucking fruits as few dream of getting away to Slavsk, Kaliingrad. The story of the girl Luda and the happy kid who reads from the books beside the lake is so real and fortunately, it does not dive deep into melodrama like how so many other documentaries do for the sake of awards. Even the music is subtly conveyed sense of the atmosphere, with a pinch of sadness resonating with the mood of the changing seasons. There are children of different types, some are perky, energetic, cheerful while others keep things to themselves in a desolated and forgotten place in the earth. It is sad to look at harsh reality, the innocent smiling faces of the kids looking for a peaceful life of harmony in chaos. All they have left is hope, laugh at each other, how they rejoice at small joys despite the fear of future.

Holunderblüte (Elder Blossom) is a soulful film with that leaves a bittersweet feeling at the end of the viewing. I recommend this to everyone to watch it atleast once. If you end up loving this, i highly suggest you to check out Stanislaw Rozewicz's Swiadectwo urodzenia (1961) and Viktoras Staros's I Love the Headmistress (As myliu direktore).