Das Licht (The Light) review – mystical satirical romp channels German anxiety over refugees
Here is a weirdly incoherent and very long aria of semi-comic dismay from white-liberal Europe, and from a Germany whose bold 'Wir schaffen das' – or 'We can handle this' – Angela Merkel-era attitude to refugees has turned to anxiety. Veteran German director Tom Tykwer has created a heavy-footed magical-realist romp lasting two hours and 40 minutes about a complicated extended family in Berlin whose painful lives are turned around by a magic refugee whose purpose is to salvage their happiness. The film twice uses Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody to provide a jukebox blast of energy – the second time at the very end, worryingly indicating that the classic track is being brought on to save the day because the film is out of ideas.
Lars Eidinger gives a muscular, unselfconscious performance as Tim, a thoroughly modern cool dad who writes advertising copy for environmentally conscious brands, cycles everywhere in the driving rain and has a disconcerting habit of stripping naked when he gets back to his bohemian apartment. Nicolette Krebitz plays his wife, Milena, who is trying to establish a community theatre in Africa with a German government grant. But their teen children, eco-protester Frieda (Elke Biesendorfer), who has just had an abortion, and VR gamer nerd Jon (Julius Gause) are unhappy. There is also Dio (Elyas Eldridge), Milena's son by Godfrey (Toby Onwumere), with whom she co-parents.
When their cleaning lady drops dead one day in their kitchen, a very peculiar thigh-slapper of a comic moment that is evidently intended to satirise (and yet also ultimately forgive) their entitled prosperous arrogance, the family has to get someone else in; this is Syrian refugee Farrah (Tala Al Deen), who is wise and all-knowing, with a private grief in her own life.Farrah turns the family on to an experimental treatment for depression: a throbbing, flashing light you gaze into that helps your body to release endorphins. Tim's family are coming into mystic alignment with Farrah's …
There is quite a bit of energy in this film, but it's shapeless and undirected, and seems to be making an unearned claim on our affectionate regard for how chaotically adorable and yet meaningful the whole thing is. The final sequence, though initially very striking, raises serious ideas and moods which the film itself is unable to absorb.
Das Licht (The Light) screened at the Berlin film festival.
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Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I met ISIS bride Shamima Begum in prison camp – I felt sorry for her but saw true colours when I gave her wrong ‘gift'
SHAMIMA SHAM I met ISIS bride Shamima Begum in prison camp – I felt sorry for her but saw true colours when I gave her wrong 'gift' AS Andrew Drury made his way through a Syrian camp looking for notorious ISIS bride Shamima Begum, his mind began to race. Although the intrepid filmmaker had been in far more perilous situations - his nerves started to get the better of him. Advertisement 7 Andrew Drury with Jihadi bride Shamima Begum Credit: Supplied 7 The filmmaker said his view of Begum changed as he got to know her Credit: Supplied 7 The Al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria where Begum lives Credit: AFP But when he was introduced to Begum - who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS a decade ago in 2015 - he was taken aback. "She was very shaky, very nervous, very shut, emotional, tearful," Andrew told The Sun. Advertisement Father-of-four Andrew met Begum, who grew up in East London, for the first of six times at the Al-Roj camp in Syria in June 2021 while filming for a documentary, Danger Zone. He initially felt sorry for Begum, then 21, and became a close confidant of the Jihadi bride - even securing a Bafta-nominated live interview with her for Good Morning Britain. In less than two years his view of Begum - accused of serving in the feared IS "morality police" and helping make suicide vests - completely changed, however. He saw a colder side when she talked about how the death of her three children no longer upset her and even expressed support of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi. Extreme adventurer Andrew, who has made treacherous journeys to North Korea and Iraq, said at first Begum was a "thin, ill-looking, sad character" who was "very apologetic". Advertisement "We took a long walk around the camp, She started to relax, and she said she used to take this regular walk right around the perimeter of the camp to clear her head," he said. "After the interview finished, we walked back to the room. Normally she'd go off to a tent, but she wanted to come back to the room to get a cold drink. "Then I didn't want to insult her at that point, I wanted to say goodbye - I thought I'd never see her again. How Shamima Begum camps are fermenting twisted next generation of ISIS as kids make 'cutthroat' gesture & hurl firebombs "I said, 'Can I shake your hand?' and she asked for a hug. "So she gave me a hug and started to cry." Advertisement Andrew, from Surrey, said he felt they had formed a connection and believed she regretted turning her back on Western society to join the murderous death cult. "At that point I kind of believed that she was sincere," he said. I actually don't think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it Andrew Drury "I kind of felt sorry for her. I thought at that point she'd been radicalised online, sent out as a prescribed bridge to somebody. "She said she'd made a real bad mistake and really regretted what she'd done. "She owned up to being this person that everybody hates in the UK. Advertisement "And I felt sorry for her, I've got young daughters, not a lot of difference in age, so I thought people do make mistakes, and I should give her a chance." Andrew - whose book Trip Hazard details his experience in dangerous areas - returned to the camp months later after GMB asked for his help to get an interview with Begum. The author, who has exchanged hundreds of messages with Begum, said he noticed a "subtle change" in the former Brit. Begum, who was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019, appeared to have undergone a more "Western" makeover - ditching her hijab and abaya. 7 Andrew secured the Bafta-nominated live interview with Begum for Good Morning Britain Credit: Alamy Advertisement 7 Begum, then 19, pictured in 2019 Credit: Times Media Ltd 7 The former Brit at the camp in 2021 Credit: Getty "She had changed as a character," Andrew said. "She was more short. She wasn't this nervous-cry sort of character. "She looked assured, and she didn't seem such a waif character, and she seemed to be in control of herself and her emotions." Advertisement Andrew told how Begum spent the night before the live interview "rehearsing" with three of her friends In the camp, which is controlled by armed guards. He added: "Her friends said they'd had their music playing and they were tutoring Shamima what to say. "They seemed pretty together about what she should say, and they were schooling her." Begum married an IS fighter soon after arriving in Syria and went on to have three children, none of whom survived. Andrew - who said he had formed a "bond" with Begum - told how after the interview, Shamima opened her purse and showed him photos of her children. Advertisement The tragic loss of his own brother Robert as a child made him sympathise with Shamima's plight. "One of them was a scene where the child must have been eight, nine months old, had chocolate around his face," he recalled. "I said, 'What's that?' and she said, 'Oh we used to like baking cakes'. "And it actually makes me quite sad. It was really quite sad knowing the child had died. "She made it sound like an honour that she had shared these pictures with me, which I guess it probably was, because she hadn't shared them before she said." Advertisement 7 But it was Begum's attitude after Andrew returned to the UK that shocked him - and began to shatter their relationship. "I said to her, 'Those pictures you showed me really upset me, I hope you're okay'," he said. "She messaged back and said, 'Oh, they don't bother me anymore. That doesn't make me sad'. "I thought, was that because she's been traumatised so badly? Advertisement "But I think she is that hard. I think she's calculated. "I actually don't think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it." After meeting Andrew a couple of times, Begum started asking him to bring stuff into the camp for her - including clothes. The dad said he felt "at a crossroads" about whether to take what she wanted. "I felt bad and guilty that I'd be taking somebody that carried out what could have been some atrocities, clothes," he said. Advertisement "But then, probably on the soft side of me, and the fact is, she was a young girl, so I was playing with these emotions, but I took her the clothes from Primark. "We had a bundle of stuff, we took some toys for the children because it's not their fault." But then Begum's requests started turning into demands, Andrew said. "The messages continued," he added. Camps breeding next ISIS generation Exclusive by Henry Holloway, Deputy Foreign Editor and Alan Duncan A CHILD no older than eight draws his hand across his neck in a chilling throat-slitting gesture - the message is clear, "You are not welcome here". Other kids hurl stones, shout and scream - while one exasperated camp official shows us CCTV of two youngsters hurling a firebomb. Welcome to camps al-Hol and al-Roj in northern Syria - the fates of which remain uncertain after the fall of tyrant Bashar al-Assad. It is warned these stark detention centres are now the breeding ground for the next generation of the bloodthirsty cult. And much of this new wave of radicalisation is feared to be coming from the mothers inside the camps. Senior camp official Rashid Omer said: "The reality is - they are not changing. This is not a normal camp - this a bomb." He went on: "They are saying it was ISIS who 'liberated' Damascus - and soon they will be coming here." "And then they want to spread to Europe, to Africa, and then to everywhere." The two sprawling sites hold a total of nearly 60,000 including ISIS fighters, families and children. At least 6,000 Westerners are still held among them - including infamous jihadi bride Shamima Begum, the 25-year-old from London. READ MORE HERE "This time they became slightly more angry, slightly more direct." Advertisement Before he planned to return to Syria again, Begum told him she wanted two books - Guantanamo Bay Diaries and Sea Prayer - which is inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis. Andrew said she was also being schooled by her lawyer about her media presence. He added: "What she declared by then is that she was hostage in a prison camp - where they were legally held. "That's how she started to see herself. All apologies had gone. "She'd done a documentary with the BBC and was on the front of The Times magazine. Advertisement "She'd become a celebrity and was loving all the attention. She'd read all the newspaper articles." Andrew - who returned to the camp with a friend and no crew - took some clothes for Begum with him. I could see things in her I didn't like. I didn't trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive Andrew Drury But it was his decision not to take the books she had demanded that revealed her true colours. "I did go back again, but my feelings were already changing towards her," Andrew said. "It was a little boy's birthday, and I felt so sorry for him. Advertisement "He wanted a Superman outfit, so I would have gone just for that, because I spend a lot of time in refugee camps. It's not fair for these kids. "I didn't take the books Shamima wanted because I didn't want to. I didn't want her to have that opportunity to what I saw as studying how to be a victim. "She opened the clothes, said she didn't like them. I mean, this is a girl in a prison camp. "She said, 'I didn't really care about the clothes, it was the books I wanted'. So she became quite aggressive in her nature." Begum's attitude then worsened when Andrew became interested in another girl's story. Advertisement It was one of the final nails in the coffin in the bond Andrew believed they had initially formed. "Shamima had a tantrum that the attention had been taken away from her," he said. "She was like a child that was pretending they were ill. "So during this period of time I was beginning to feel like the connection was gone. "It was broken, and I was beginning not to like her. Advertisement "I could see things in her I didn't like. I didn't trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive. "I had found out from other girls what she was accused of, and they told me the same thing that I had heard before, like sewing suicide vests "Things were ringing in my head like she said early on that the Manchester bombing was legitimate because of what happened in Iraq and Syria. "So I didn't trust her." Andrew's last contact with Begum was around two years ago in a fiery text exchange. Advertisement She accused Andrew of "selling her out", to which he shot back: "You've sold your country out." Begum last year lost her final appeal challenging the removal of her British citizenship. She can now no longer fight to overturn the revocation of her citizenship within the UK legal system. Andrew said: "I think she's a danger for what she stood for, and I don't think she could ever come back. "I think she needs to go on trial in Syria for the crimes she committed against the Syrian people."
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New babies announced in unusual way in Switzerland as people left baffled
A woman who has moved to Switzerland has shared interesting insights she has discovered since moving - and people are only just finding out about the sweet way that new babies are celebrated The arrival of a newborn is always a cause for celebration, with baby showers, 'welcome to the world ' parties, and an array of gifts, balloons, and cards marking the occasion worldwide. Yet, many have only just cottoned on to the charming tradition that heralds the birth of babies in Switzerland. Curiosity has been piqued among travellers to Switzerland who've spotted curious signs adorned with animals or characters, alongside a name and date of birth, leaving them puzzled about their meaning. An Australian woman, now residing in Switzerland and known as Aussie Spat mum online, has taken to sharing fascinating customs she's encountered since her move. In a video, the mum revealed: "In Switzerland, when a baby is born, the whole village gets the news... literally!". She elaborated: "Birth signs with the baby's name and date of birth pop up on buildings, balconies and front yards to welcome the newest little one!". These birth announcements, referred to as 'Geburtstafeln', are essentially birth signs usually mounted on poles or trees. They remain on display until family and friends have visited to fete the new arrival, after which they are removed. Commenting on the Instagram post, an individual explained: "Let me share how it's done in central Switzerland: you get them from friends, family, godparents or your 'verein'. After one year, the parents are supposed to take them down with a 'Täfelifescht'. This means you organise a barbecue or similar social gathering event where all the people are invited who got you a sign." Another Swiss person chimed in: "We use this as an open competition for the worst baby names." While one commenter was charmed by the tradition: "I need to experience this land of joy and happiness." One user shared that they follow a similar custom in the Netherlands, while someone else noted: "In Germany some people show it by hanging newborn clothes or a little wooden stork outside as well." On Reddit, a Nidwalden resident mentioned: "I live in Nidwalden, close to Lucerne and they're so normal here that it's seen as odd when people don't do it. They're called 'Geburtstafeln', so literally 'birth signs'. They are hanged on the balcony when a child is born and they have the name of the child and its birth date written on them." Another Reddit user added: "This is common in Switzerland especially in the German speaking part. They have this and later on the kids keep them." Someone else pointed out former US practices, stating that although this used to be more common stateside, "police recommend against it because it puts your child at risk of abduction." Meanwhile, Welcome Switzerland highlighted the unique cultural practice on Facebook, saying: "In Switzerland, welcoming a newborn means more than just cards and social media posts!". "Families proudly announce the arrival with cute front yard signs, especially in rural areas! Does your country have a unique way to celebrate new arrivals?". According to website Geburtstafeln Schweiz, these signs can be quite expensive, costing between £90 and £120 for one.
Channel 4
a day ago
- Channel 4
‘Art is nowadays completely commercial'
She was the star of the original Paris production of Cabaret, winning an Olivier Award for her Broadway role in Chicago. German singer Ute Lemper, whose family was divided by the Berlin Wall, performed alongside Pink Floyd to mark its collapse. Her career has been defined by her love of the music of the Weimar-era, and the composer Kurt Weill. 125 years after his birth, she's released a new album adapting his music for the modern age – and she'll perform it at Cadogan Hall in London next weekend.
