Premiere of “Oh Boy”, by Jan Ole Gerster
The film, one of the most critically acclaimed films in recent German cinema, opens on the 7th of March
Set to a jazz soundtrack and clearly influenced by French Nouvelle Vague and film makers the likes of Woody Allen and Jim Jarmusch, the German film Oh Boy is one of the season’s biggest surprises.
Directed by first-timer Jan Ole Gerster and filmed in black and white, the film is a comic representation of twenty four hours in the life of a somewhat aimless young man in his late twenties. His girlfriend has become tired of his insecurities, his father has cut off his monthly allowance, he has given up his studies, is out of work, and his psychologist has just declared him emotionally unstable. Despite repeated attempts, he is incapable of acquiring so much as a cup of coffee to substitute the alcohol he has been using to placate his anxieties. Always hopeful of finding his place in the world, albeit by chance, he roams the streets of Berlin in an attempt to clarify what he should do with his life.
Oh Boy features a brilliant performance by promising young actor Tom Schilling, using comedy and generous doses of sarcasm to portray both the superficial nature and the social, emotional and work-related insecurities of the younger generations in contemporary Europe. The film won six German Film awards, including best film, as well as three nominations for the most recent edition of the European Film Awards.