''Short Sharp Shock'' (german: Kurz und schmerzlos) is a 1998 film directed by Turkish-German director
Fatih Akın
Fatih Akin (Turkish: Fatih Akın, born 25 August 1973) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent. He has won numerous awards for his films, including the Golden Bear (award), Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival ...
.
The film, which according to Rekin Teksoy, writing in ''Turkish Cinema'', "focuses on the identity crises faced by German youth from various ethnic backgrounds," was the feature debut of the German-born director of Turkish descent and is said to have "represented a new German-Turkish cinema."
Plot
Gabriel the Turk, Bobby the Serb and Costa the Greek are three friends who used to form a neighborhood gang in Altona district of Hamburg. Following his release from prison Gabriel is ready for a new start on life. Bobby however has been doing jobs for crazed Albanian mobster Muhamer and his girlfriend Alice turns to Gabriel for comfort. When Costa who has turned to petty theft and is dating Gabriel's sister Ceyda also joins Muhamer's gang, Gabriel intervenes to save his friends, an action which puts his dreams of retiring to Turkey at risk.
The film's director, Fatih Akın, makes a cameo appearance as the drug dealer Nejo.
Cast
*
Mehmet Kurtuluş
Mehmet Kurtuluş (born 27 April 1972) is a Turkish-German actor. He is best known for his work with German director Fatih Akin.
Life and career
Kurtuluş was born in Uşak, Turkey, and moved at the age of 18 months to Germany, where he grew up ...
Adam Bousdoukos
Adam Bousdoukos ( gr, Αδάμ Μπουσδούκος; born 25 January 1974) is a German actor of Greek origin. He has appeared in more than 50 films since 1995.
Life
Growing up as the son of Greek parents in the Hamburg district of Altona, B ...
as Costa
*Regula Grauwiller as Alice
* İdil Üner as Ceyda
*Ralph Herforth as Muhamer
Production
Fatih Akın had been working on the screenplay for this film, which was his feature debut, while he was studying at the Hamburg College of the Arts (HFBK) and working on his earlier shorts ''Sensin... You're the One!'' and ''Weed''. The success of these shorts allowed him to secure funding from the Hamburg-based film production company Wüste Filmproduktion for this film, which was shot on the streets of Altona in his hometown of
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
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.
Release
The film was premiered at the 1998
Locarno International Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, ...
and was screened at the 1998 Hamburg Film Festival before going on general release across Germany on 15 October 1998.
Following the release Akın said of the film, inspired by the work of Italian-American film director
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...
, that, “It took Scorsese and the other Italo-Americans 70 years to start making their films. The Maghribi-French needed 30 years for their cinéma beur. We were much quicker. We’re already doing it!”
Reception
Reviews
Katja Nicodemus gave it a favorable review in ''Magazin-Deutschland'', saying the film "represented a new German-Turkish cinema".
Awards and nominations
*1998
Locarno International Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, ...
** Best Actor: Aleksandar Jovanovic, Adam Bousdoukos & Mehmet Kurtuluş (won)
**
Golden Leopard
The Golden Leopard () is the top prize at the Locarno International Film Festival, an international film festival held annually in Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. Directors in the process of getting an international reputation are allowed to be ...
: Fatih Akın (nominated)
*1998
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), organized by the cultural institution of the same name under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, is held every November in Thessaloniki.TIFF features international competition secti ...
**Best Actor: Mehmet Kurtuluş (won)
**Golden Alexander: Fatih Akın (nominated)
*1999
Bavarian Film Award
The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the ...
for Best Young Director: Fatih Akın (won)
*1999 German Film Award in Gold
**Outstanding Feature Film (nominated)
**Outstanding Individual Achievement in Direction: Fatih Akın (nominated)
*1999 Angers European First Film Festival Jean Carment Award: Aleksandar Jovanovic (won)
*1999 Festival de Film d'Adventures de Valenciennes Distribution Award (won)
*2001