Director Volker Schlöndorff's latest film, Visitation, adapts Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel 'Heimsuchung' to chronicle a century of German history through events surrounding two lakeside buildings near Berlin. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film features a strong cast including Martina Gedeck and Lars Eidinger.
Historical Context
Visitation intertwines personal and political narratives, showcasing how broader historical forces impact individual lives. The film uses archival footage to depict the rise and fall of the Third Reich and the Communist-controlled German Democratic Republic, paralleling these with the stories of the people living in the two houses.
Notable Performances and Setting
The cast includes Martina Gedeck, known for The Lives of Others, and Lars Eidinger from Dying. Much of the film was shot at Albert Einstein’s actual summer home in Caputh, a Bauhaus-style structure designed by Konrad Wachsmann. In the film, this house becomes a home built by Eidinger’s character, the Nazi architect.
Narrative Details
The story highlights the contrasting lives of the residents. A Jewish cloth manufacturer, played by Ulrich Matthes, constructs a modest summer hut nearby. As Aryanization laws take effect in 1933, the architect acquires the manufacturer's land, altering the fates of both families.
Schlöndorff's Approach
Schlöndorff handles the tragedy of the Jewish family with dignity, drawing from letters of a real girl named Doris Kaplan. The narrative remains unsentimental, even as Doris and her family disappear in the Holocaust, leaving only echoes of their existence.
The film continues through WWII and the post-war period, concluding with a left-wing writer, portrayed by Gedeck, who gains access to the house. Her granddaughter, Marija, discovers Doris' letters, adding depth to the historical narrative.
Though the 87-year-old Schlöndorff may not consider this his best work, Visitation is a serious, well-crafted film that encapsulates a significant piece of German history.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/visitation-review-volker-schlondorff-1236597667/
