MEIN LANGSAMES LEBEN (MY SLOW LIFE)

Germany, 2001, 85 minutes, Colour.
Ursina Lardi, Andreas Patten, Anne Tismer.
Directed by Angela Schanelec.

My Slow Life is a slow portrait of a group of thirtysomething Germans. It introduces more female characters than male, concentrating on their personalities, their interactions, their need for relationships, their adequacies and inadequacies. The action of the film takes place over six or seven months from summer to winter. It also includes the theme of death.

The focus of the film is a young woman finishing her studies, Valerie. While other characters are introduced, the ultimate link is to Valerie and her experience. She is a seemingly contradictory character, rather introvert, yet able to establish friendships and, on the dance floor, extraordinarily extrovert. The overall style of the film is particularly female, and shows the sensibility of the writer-director and her actresses.

1. A portrait of life, of characters, of women, in Berlin?

2. The style of the film: the long takes, the slow movement, the interiors predominating over exteriors? The musical score?

3. The title, the irony for young people and life passing, slow and fast? The film's style and editing corresponding to the title?

4. Valerie as the focus of the film: the introduction with her discussing situations with Sophie in the café? Her life, her background, her studies? Wanting to find somewhere to stay? Getting to know Maria, the discussions with Maria and her husband, meeting Thomas? The attraction to Thomas, the growth of the relationship between the two? Her other friendships? Marie and her looking after the child? The discussions, her openness, reserve? Her father's illness, her going south, her meeting her brother, the visits to the hospital, her father's not recognising her? She and her brother and the vigorous dancing? The visit to the woman who had the affair with their father? The funeral? Her return to Berlin? Her future?

5. Maria and Alexander, their relationship, their relationship to their daughter, Maria and her devotion to her daughter, the revelation of her husband's affair, its effect on her? Her pregnancy, the abortion? Their going away on holidays? The discussions with her women friends? Her future? Alexander and his relationship with his wife, daughter, staying with his wife, yet the affair?

6. Thomas, his relationship to Maria as her brother, his own divorce, his relationship with his son? The friendship with Valerie, their sharing experiences together? The possibility of a union?

7. Marie, with the little girl and the swimming, looking after her, her own studies, her age, her fiance the writer, the build-up to the wedding, the ceremony itself? The speeches, the dancing? The other characters as guests at the wedding and their interactions there in the context of the wedding?

8. Sophie and the discussions about going to Rome, her return, in the café, discussions with the young man? Her meeting her friend in the street and his wanting her to ring the doorbell so that he could get into his apartment, hearing the male voice with his partner? Sophie's experience in Italy?

9. The father, his illness, the stories of his life, his relationships? The brother and sister and their relationship? Their attitude towards their father, his death? Valerie saying that her father took no interest any longer in his ailing body?

10. Psychological insight into characters? Female and male? German? Universal?