Mein langsames Leben

It's summer in Berlin. Two friends are sitting in a café. Valerie is quiet, reserved, and has short dark hair. She has just moved. Sophie, on the other hand, is a fun-loving blonde who is about to spend six months in Rome. PASSING SUMMER shows the everyday details of life. Conversations, encounters, and relationships. Between Berlin street cafés, apartments, and chance encounters, a quiet observation of everyday life unfolds. Friendships, relationships, and lonely moments coexist without a linear story. The characters move at their own pace, their gestures and pauses telling more than grand dialogues. The result is a cinematic mosaic that portrays a certain generation oscillating between a search for direction and everyday routines. PASSING SUMMER was made in 2001 by Angela Schanelec and is considered a key work of the Berlin School. With minimalist means, long shots, and a radically restrained narrative style, she created a film that consistently focuses on atmospheres and interstices. It is precisely this reduction that creates an intensity that many critics have described as characteristic of modern German auteur cinema. PASSING SUMMER premiered at the Forum of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001, where it received international attention.