Germany 2019
Opening October 3, 2019

Directed by: Rainer Kaufmann
Writing credits: Kathrin Richter, Jürgen Schlagenhof
Principal actors: Gisela Schneeberger, Rosalie Thomass, Bettina Mittendorfer, Matthias Ransberger, Franziska Schlattner, Felix von Manteuffel, Tristan Seith, Johann Schuler, Jorge Gonzalez, Hardy Krüger Jr., Günther Maria Halmer

A young woman named Lena (Rosalie Thomass), wearing a bikini, weaves out into a field on a tractor; round and round she goes. “I want a baby,” she says. “I’m 30.” A young man rides by on a bicycle. Otherwise: void, emptiness, nothing. Where are we? This practically empty village is Marienzell in Bavaria, Germany. The residents are fleeing, due to lack of any internet. The remaining men in the village begin to dig a long ditch in order to lay down cables for connection to the internet. Lena’s friends are Maria (Bettina Mittendorfer) and Waltraud (Gisela Schneeberger). Waltraud is a hairdresser, as well as a barber; she is married to Heinz. Maria works at the supermarket. Lena lives with Will and when they argue, she walks out the door, dragging along her pet pig. All are preparing for the event of the year called “Mein Dorf tanzt” (My village is dancing). This is a dance contest and the girls practice with the help of actor Jorge Gonzalez, who arrives from Berlin in a Mercedes. They call themselves the High Speed Ladies. Their competition is the wife of the town mayor, Moni (Franziska Schlattner), who leads a group proudly dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes.

This is a sequel to the film which appeared in 2011 and was quite successful in Germany, both based on the book by Andrea Sixt. The German population, now eight years later, will happily watch this film, too, and identify with the cast. Marienzell has definitely not improved its critical situation since the original came out, but the inhabitants in this small-town, country life enjoy each day all the same, facing the same basic problems of anywhere else in the world. (Becky T.)