Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany): 3

The period thriller, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), follows the life of notorious murderer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Directed by Tom Tykwer and written in collaboration with Andrew Birkin and Bernd Eichinger, the film is based on Patrick Süskind’s novel of the same name. Grenouille’s story is told through flashbacks, beginning with his sentencing for his crimes. Abandoned at birth in a French fish market ...

Barefoot (2005) is a romantic comedy film by German actor and director Til Schweiger. The protagonist, Nick Keller, leads a chaotic life, constantly moving from one temporary job to the next. He also faces challenges with his wealthy stepfather, Heinrich, and his brother Viktor. When he is abruptly let go from his role as a cleaner in a psychiatric clinic, he meets Leila, a patient who was about to end her life before Nick intervened. However, Leila’s background is just as tumultuous – she spent the first nineteen years of her life isolated at home under her mother’s control. After her mother’s ...

Amélie (2001) is a French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The titular character is born in 1974 and raised by eccentric parents who, believing she has a heart defect, choose to homeschool her. To combat her isolation, Amélie develops a vivid imagination and mischievous nature. Tragically, her mother Amandine is killed when a suicidal tourist jumps from Notre-Dame de Paris. As a result, Amélie’s father Raphaël retreats further into seclusion. At the age of 18, Amélie leaves home and starts working as a waitress at the Café des 2 Moulins in Montmartre – a haven for an eclectic ...