At Eye Level (Auf Augenhöhe)
Ajyal Competition
Joachim Dollhopf, Evi Goldbrunner / Feature Narrative / Germany / 2016 / 98 min / Colour / DCP
In German / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Comedy, Youth, Family, Children
Qatar Premiere
Synopsis
Ten-year-old Michi never knew his father, and for the five years since the tragic death of his mother, he has lived in a rough-and-tumble group home for orphaned children. Like many of the other kids in the home, Michi wonders what life would be like with his father – whom he imagines to be a jet pilot, or some exciting thing along those lines. When he chances upon an old, unsent letter from his mother announcing her pregnancy to a man named Tom, Michi thinks his dream has come true. When he finally meets Tom, however, the man is not quite what Michi expected.
Embarrassed by his father, and bullied by the other kids, Michi goes to live with Tom, but he is resentful of his dad and invents a life without him. Eventually Michi comes to learn that accepting people for who they are is better plan than pretending otherwise.
‘At Eye Level’ is a wonderful, at times humorous coming-of-age tale about acceptance and compassion. As Michi and Tom negotiate their relationship, the film also addresses very contemporary questions about what makes up a family, what love means, and the role of the state in determining the lives of its citizens.
About the Directors
Joachim Dollhopf was born in Munich in 1971, and Evi Goldbrunner was born in Landshut in 1975. Both are graduates in Scriptwriting/Dramaturgy and Film Directing from the Film University Babelsberg. Their films have been shown in 50 countries at 200 festivals, among them the Berlinale and the Festival de Cannes. Their work has won more than 20 awards, including a Cinema for Peace Talent Award, a Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Filmpreis and a First Steps Award, the German film industry’s most prestigious young talent award. ‘At Eye Level’ is their feature-length directorial debut feature film.
Credits
- Director
- Joachim Dollhopf, Evi Goldbrunner
- Screenwriter
- Joachim Dollhopf, Evi Goldbrunner, Nicole Armbruster
- Producer
- Martin Richter, Christian Becker
- Editor
- Maja Stieghorst
- Associate Producer
- Alexandra Prochazka
- Production Designer
- Bettina Zirngibl
- Composer
- David Ossa
- Cinematographer
- Jürgen Jürges
- Sales Company
- ZDF Enterprises GmbH
- Production Company
- Rat Pack Filmproduktion
- Cast
- Luis Vorbach, Jordan Prentice, Ella Frey, Marco Licht, Mira Bartuschek, Anica Dobra