Diane Kruger, Fatih Akin reunite for 'Amrum'
Apr 23, 2024
Washington [US], April 23 : Diane Kruger is collaborating again with director Fatih Akin, known for 'In the Fade,' on the new German period drama "Amrum," which started filming in Hamburg today, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The movie depicts a family's life in a small village on Amrum Island in rural northern Germany in early 1945, during the final days of World War II. The storyline is inspired by the childhood memories of Hark Bohm, co-screenwriter of "In the Fade" and a German author and director. Initially, Bohm intended to direct the film himself but later passed the helm to Akin, who also co-wrote the screenplay for "Amrum."
The film tells the story of Nanning, a 12-year-old boy portrayed by Jasper Billerbeck, and his best friend Hermann, played by Kian Koppke. Laura Tonke stars as Nanning's mother, Hille Hagener, while Diane Kruger appears as Tessa Bendixen, a farmer's wife. Matthias Schweighofer, Detlev Buck, and Lars Jessen also have supporting roles in the movie, with Hark Bohm portraying "the old man by the sea."
"What began as a Hark Bohm film now becomes my twelfth feature film and an extraordinary mission," said Akin. "Amrum is the journey of young Nanning, who in the last week of WWII every day uncovers a little more of the dark secret of his family, until he is driven out of paradise at the end."
Akin's production company, bombero international, is producing the film in collaboration with Warner Bros. Germany and Rialto Film. Warner Bros. will release the movie in German cinemas in September next year. Beta Cinema has acquired the international sales rights for the film and will present "Amrum" to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Market next month.
Diane Kruger, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2017 for her performance in Akin's "In the Fade," will star in the film. In "In the Fade," she portrayed a woman whose husband is killed by neo-Nazis in a German courtroom drama. Following the success of their collaboration, Kruger and Akin have been discussing potential new projects, including a planned TV mini-series about the life of Marlene Dietrich, in which Kruger is set to portray the iconic German cinema legend.
Kruger has another movie screening at Cannes this year. She stars alongside Vincent Cassel and Guy Pearce in David Cronenberg's horror thriller "The Shrouds," which will debut in competition.
Akin won the Berlin Golden Bear for "Head-On" in 2004 and received the Best Screenplay award in Cannes for "The Edge of Heaven" in 2007. His filmography includes successful German films like "Soul Kitchen" (2009) and "Rheingold" (2022).
