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PRODUCTION Germany

Fatih Akin bringing German cult novel Tschick to screen

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- Principal photography for the vivid road movie Goodbye Berlin will start in September

Fatih Akin bringing German cult novel Tschick to screen
Director Fatih Akin

With Goodbye Berlin, the adaption of compelling cult novel Tschick [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, German-Turkish writer/director Fatih Akin (The Cut [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Fatih Akin
interview: Tahar Rahim
film profile
]
, Head-On [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, Soul Kitchen
 [+see also:
film review
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]
) is going back to the roots. In his bestselling novel, late German author Wolfgang Herrndorfs tells the story of Maik Klingenberg, a 14 year-old misfit who grows up in a wealthy, dysfunctional family in Berlin. During the summer holiday, Maik’s mother goes to rehab while his father takes off with his young assistant on a “business trip.” The adolescent is home alone at the pool until his classmate, Tschick, a young Russian immigrant, shows up with a stolen car. Together, they hit the road without any plan or trepidation. 

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With his Berlin-based production outfit Lago Film, German producer Marco Mehlitz (Mr. Nobody [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaco Van Dormael
interview: Jaco Van Dormael
film profile
]
, Palermo Shooting
 [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) acquired the film rights for this award-winning book which was sold more than two million copies and has been published in over 30 countries. Originally, German filmmaker David Wnendt (Combat Girls [+see also:
trailer
interview: Jella Haase
film profile
]
, Wetlands
 [+see also:
trailer
interview: David Wnendt
film profile
]
) was supposed to direct the film adaptation, but he and Mehlitz later decided not to continue their work together on this project.

Lago Film’s production duo, Mehlitz and Susa Kusche, have contracted German broadcasters BR, ARD DEGETO and RBB, as well as German distributor and world sales agency Studiocanal. The thrilling project received production support from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, German Federal Film Board and the German Federal Film Fund. The principal photography for Goodbye Berlin will start in September.

Studiocanal, which is responsible for the film’s worldwide sales, has scheduled the German release for September 15, 2016.

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