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German Films continue with "Head On"

Sept. 16, 2006

KALAMAZOO--The German Film Series at Western Michigan University continues its fall schedule of seven films with "Head On" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, in 3209A Kohrman Hall.

Directed by Fatih Akin, "Head On" ("Gegen die Wand") stars Birol Unel and Sibel Kekilli. It is the story of Cahit Tomruk (Unel) an alcoholic, cocaine-addicted German of Turkish roots, who lives like a pig in a small dirty apartment and survives by collecting empty bottles from a night club.

One night, Tomruk gives up on life and crashes his car into a wall. He survives the crash and is sent to a clinic, where he meets Sibel Guner (Kekilli), a younger German Turk also with suicidal tendencies. She comes from a conservative Turkish family and proposes a fake marriage to Tomruk in order to escape her family's control. In return, she agrees to share the rent for the flat and to cook and clean while they continue to have independent lives.

"Head On" won the Golden Bear award for Akin at the Berlin International Film Festival and won best director and best film at the 2004 European Film Awards.

All films in WMU's German Film Series are free and open to the public. All are presented in German with English subtitles and begin at 7:30 p.m. in 3209A Kohrman Hall.

Fall 2006 German Film Series

Tuesday, Sept. 12, "Downfall" ("Der Untergang")

Tuesday, Sept. 19, "Head On" ("Gegen die Wand")

Monday, Oct. 2, "Yasemin"

Monday, Oct. 16, "Ali: Fear eats the Soul" ("Angst Essen Seele Auf")

Monday, Oct. 30, "The Blue Angel" ("Der Blaue Engel")

Tuesday, Nov. 14, "Run Lola Run" ("Lola Rennt")

Tuesday, Nov. 28, "The Educators" ("Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei")

For more information about the German Film Series, contact Dr. Olivia Gabor-Peirce, assistant professor of German, at olivia.gabor@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3036.

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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