Nowhere in Africa
| Nowhere in Africa | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Caroline Link |
| Produced by | Peter Herrmann |
| Written by | Caroline Link |
| Based on |
Nirgendwo in Afrika by Stefanie Zweig |
| Starring |
Juliane Köhler Merab Ninidze |
| Music by | Niki Reiser |
| Cinematography | Gernot Roll |
| Edited by | Patricia Rommel |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
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Release date
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Germany: December 27, 2001 United States: November 10, 2002 |
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Running time
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141 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German English Swahili |
| Budget | €7 million |
Nowhere in Africa (German: Nirgendwo in Afrika) is a 2001 German film that was written and directed by Caroline Link. The screenplay is based on the 1995 autobiographical novel of the same name by Stefanie Zweig. It tells the story of the life in Kenya of a German-Jewish family that immigrated there in 1938 to escape persecution in Nazi Germany. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as well as five German Film Prizes (Deutscher Filmpreis), including best feature film of 2001.
In 1938, the Redlich family flees to Kenya from Leobschütz in Silesia, Nazi Germany, to escape the increasing persecution of the Jews. Walter, a former lawyer, finds work as a farm manager and sends for his family. His wife Jettel has trouble adjusting to life in Africa, although their daughter Regina quickly adapts to her new environment, easily learning the language of the country and showing interest in local culture. Regina soon forms a close friendship with the farm's cook, Owuor, who helped save Walter's life when he had malaria. The only German contact that Jettel has is through a friend of Walter's named Süsskind, an ex-German who has lived in Africa for years. Jettel asks Süsskind why he was never married, and he states that he had a habit of falling in love with married women.
When war breaks out, the British round up all German citizens, and hold them, whether Jew or gentile, separating men from women. The Redlichs' marriage begins to deteriorate and Walter accuses Jettel not wanting to sleep with him since he is only a farmer. Jettel sleeps with a German-speaking British soldier to secure work and a home on a farm for the family, and Regina and Walter both find out.
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