In the next installment of Murray State's Cinema International's Fall 2022 season, the program presents the 2018 German film All About Me. Austin Carter speaks to program director Dr. Thérèse St. Paul and Professor of German Dr. Roxane Riegler ahead of the screenings.
From the MSU Cinema International website:
"Ruhr Valley, Germany, 1971. Hans-Peter—or Hape Kerkeling, one of Germany's most beloved comedians and television stars—is a pudgy nine-year-old with a troubled family life who uses his natural comedic talents to heal his own wounds, all while making people laugh along with him.
Based on Kerkeling's best-selling autobiography and directed by Caroline Link (Oscar-winning director of Nowhere in Africa), All About Me—German title translates to "The Boy Needs Some Fresh Air"—is an entertaining coming-of-age story about the therapeutic potential of laughter."
"The film is a biopic, so it's about [Kerkeling's] childhood," Riegler explains. "He's a very popular and beloved comedian because his humor is benevolent. His grandmother told him that humor has to be generous, benevolent, and touching. And that's what he does. He goes to extremes sometimes, he impersonates characters, and they are very popular."
"We always have the impression that he's a fairly happy boy, but at a funeral, he loses it," Riegler continues. "There are rare moments where you can really see he is suffering. He's always trying to be a happy boy because there's this sadness in the family. He tries to entertain the whole family and decides very consciously to use humor to heal himself and others."
"This is an apparently lighthearted movie," St. Paul adds, "but it has a deeply personal touch that I think can reach everyone, whether it's Germany or elsewhere. I think psychological commonality is very important for people to appreciate this movie. It's uplifting. It's about the therapeutic value of looking positively at life."
MSU Cinema International presents All About Me this Thursday, October 13th, in the Barkley Room and Saturday, October 15th, in the Curris Center Theater. Both screenings begin at 7:30 pm and are on the third floor of the Curris Center. Screenings are free and open to the public.
For more information on the Cinema International program, including upcoming screenings and how to donate, visit its website.
