NOWHERE IN AFRICA
Directed by: Caroline Link.
Produced by: Bernd Eichinger, Peter Herrmann, & Michael Weber.
Written by: Link, based upon the novel by Stefanie Zweig.
Director of Photography: Gernot Roll.
Edited by: Patricia Rommel.
Music by: Niki Reiser.
Released by: Zeitgeist.
Country of Origin: German. 141 min. Not Rated.
With: Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Regine Zimmermann, & Sidede Onyulo.

DVD Special Features: Commentary. Delected Scenes. Interviews. Featurette: "The Making of Nowhere in Africa". Score Selections. Photo Montage. Storyboard Comparison. Trailers. English Subtitles.

Beginning in the 1930s, Jettel Redlich (Köhler) and her young daughter Käthe (Zimmermann) leave Nazi Germany to join her husband Walter (Minidze, a lithe Maximilian Schell) in British-controlled Kenya. As a Jew, Walter has lost his legal position and is now the overseer of an arid and impoverished farm. Tensions between the parents begin immediately when Jettel brings the family china and a new expensive dress rather than necessities for the African outback. Unlike her mother, Käthe immediately takes to her new home. What sets this film apart from Out of Africa, also set in Colonial Kenya, are the episodes of culture clash, whether between this German Jewish family and their African neighbors or when a teenaged Käthe attends a Protestant English boarding school. In a poignant scene, Jettel comforts a sick and frail African woman who has been left to die in the wilderness by her family. The film comes to a stop, however, as the parents’ marriage disintegrates. The actors are too complacent even though the marriage is at stake. The dialogue doesn't help. “Why don’t you talk to me about this,” Jettel demands before sauntering away from Walter after he's made a surprising life-changing decision. More than once, one of them walks away resigned from a conflict; the scene ends in a whimper. Although not romanticizing the colonial system, the loving relationship between Käthe and the African cook Owuor (Onyulo) may seem patronizing to some. But with its historical backdrop, this film will appeal to those who enjoyed the BBC miniseries The Flames Trees of Thika and the film The English Patient.
April 24, 2003

Extras: The informative commentary, by the director, producer, and actress Juliane Köhler, will give you a greater appreciation for this well-made genre film. The most informative interview is of the strongly opinionated author Stefanie Zweig, who separates fact from fiction. And even the caterer gets a moment to shine in the overly thorough “The Making of...” featurette. KT
October 10, 2003