Die Reise nach Kafiristan (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Directors:

Donatello Dubini
Fosco Dubini

Writers:

Donatello Dubini (writer)
Fosco Dubini (writer)

Release Date:

7 November 2002 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In 1939, the author Annemarie Schwarzenbach and the ethnologist Ella Maillart travel together by car to Kabul...

Plot Keywords:

Journey | Literature | Female Nudity | Lesbian | Afghanistan

Cast

Jeanette Hain	...	Annemarie Schwarzenbach
Nina Petri	...	Ella Maillart
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monika Arnó	...	Dame auf dem Schiff
Vassilios Avgouteas	...	Barkeeper
Jochen Baumert	...	Deutscher 1
Senta Bonneval	...	Dame 2
Christine Buck	...	Dame 3
Matthew Burton	...	Joseph Hackin
André Dahms	...	Barkeeper
Christoph Frass	...	Diener
Len Haddad	...	Frau an der Reeling
Carlheinz Heitmann	...	Deutscher Botschafter
Rania Kurdi	...	Ria Hackin
Thomas Morris	...	Deutscher 2
Madeen Mustafa	...	Zahlmeister
Wolf Pahlke	...	Kapitän
Joachim Polex	...	Herr 2
Wolfgang Rau	...	Bibiothekar
Helene Ruthmann	...	Dame 1
Hebrahin Schischani	...	Peter
Katharina Schütz	...	Ärztin
Othamann Shamayleh	...	Türkischer Grenzbeamter
Anika Unterburg	...	Helferin
Christof Wackernagel	...	Engländer
Oliver Weichmann	...	Helfer

Also Known As:

The Journey to Kafiristan (International: English title)

Runtime:

101 min | Argentina:106 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Japan:105 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Company:

Dubini Filmproduktion

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Kinomagazin: In der Wüste - Dreharbeiten zu 'Die Reise nach Kafiristan'" (2000)

A very nice psychological road movie

When the movie started and after reading the title, the first thing that I was thinking was: Where could Kafiristan possibly be situated? I really didn't have a clue and I didn't think that it had something to do with the language. I know German and since my own language (Dutch) is very close to it, I was convinced that it wouldn't be a country or a region that we use a completely different name for. But than again, this was only one of the many mysteries about this movie...

"Die Reise nach Kafiristan" tells the story of two women who decide to travel together by car to Afghanistan in 1939, but each is in pursuit of their own project. Annemarie Schwarzenbach is an author who wants to find out more about herself and Ella Maillart is a Swiss ethnologist who has traveled the entire world to meet and study new tribes and people. Both women have a completely different nature and there is only one thing that really bonds them: Their eternal restlessness and the urge to leave the world of politics and a possible war behind them. But history keeps catching up and they never really can escape.

I'm convinced that many people will not like this movie and if I'm honest, neither did I in the beginning. The reason for that is quite simple. This movie isn't some easy entertainment that offers at least one solution to every question that it asks. No, the makers of the movie have decided to stay very vague by only giving you a hint of what they are trying to say. Dialogs are left uncompleted and sometimes the women don't even speak at all, feelings are never really expressed, but are always present and obvious for the viewer who wants to see them... That's of course not something that you will see in every movie and it sure takes some time to get used to.

After a while I really started to like this movie. The landscapes look nice, but they are only there to emphasize the feelings of desolation and complete isolation. In my opinion you have to try to see the beauty of the touching psychological 'landscapes'. It's in their minds that the women go through deep valleys and over high mountain tops as their feelings sometimes clash, but are very parallel at the same time. I know that sounds a bit weird, but that's about the best explanation I can give to it. I guess you just have to watch it for yourself to fully understand what I mean.

As a conclusion I would like to say that this is a very nice psychological road movie that will be loved most by an audience who is used to watch 'alternative' cinema. Don't try this movie when you are only used to watch Hollywood blockbusters, because you just will not like it then. Personally I'm quite used to watch this kind of movies and I must say that this is definitely one of the better in the genre. It's too bad that it sometimes was a bit slow, but I still give it a 7.5/10.