"Königin von Niendorf" is a German kids film that actually had its wide release today here in Germany. It was written and directed by Joya Thoma and as this is her very first full feature movie I think she did a pretty good job. It's the story of a young girl whose friends are entering puberty, which is why she perceives them as a bit weird, and she is not yet at that point. She is still a girl wanting to do kids things and not wanting to do things that kids do when they are turning into women like talking about which boy they'd rather want to date. Instead of going to camp, she stays at home and spends the summer with a group of boys hanging out and doing all kinds of fun and silly stuff. At slightly over an hour, this was a pretty short film indeed and I think given the material they easily could have added another half hour. It did feel a bit rushed at times. The child actors were okay all in all and it should be interesting to see which of them, if any, will manage to have an acting career also when they are adults. The lead actress was pretty good I think, the others had their weaker moments here and there, but as a whole they were fine too I guess. One thing I liked is that they did not offer 100% happy solution with the musician guy for example as authorities are too powerful to be beaten by a bunch of kids and we get the realistic outcome instead, even if the kids scene with all these files finding the right one was a bit unrealistic too, but it was also fun, so they are forgiven there. Another thing I liked was that the train and rails scene near the end actually was executed in a way where she pulls through and where there is no higher power or random coincidence stopping it from happen. Two references I did not like was the almost expected inclusion of a completely bizarre storyline about a gay character and about the main character's friend being a mix between German and African apparently. It fits in very well with the political climate off 100% blind tolerance here in Germany. I don't think there's any need to push that into the heads of our children. None of them is born prejudiced or evil. Aside from that, I felt it was a good movie too for the most part. The story and the ending sure offer the possibility of a sequel or of a television show followqing up on this movie and if they make a second film, then I guess I'll watch it as this one here did indeed convince me. A good watch for the young and young at heart. I give it a thumbs-up.
2 Reviews
Königin von Niendorf
y-6847912 September 2022
One of my favorite movies and deserves a place in my top-10 list,absolutely.
As a German low-budget, crowd-funding movie, which could be learnt from its official website, it impressively stands out from many commercial movies nowadays, from my perspective at the very least. Obviously, Queen of Niendorf lays great emphasis on the adorable and spellbinding depiction of memorable childhood experiences, featuring the juxtaposition of thrilling adventures and idyllic sceneries.
For the adventures, childish as they may seem in our eyes, it's exactly they that trigger the genuine interest and thrill of kids. Besides, they bear perfect witness to Lea's coming of age, from a "follower" to the "queen" of boys. The "railway test" vividly demonstrates the resilience, unyieldingness, recklessness and masculinity of our little Lea. So dangerous? Oh please just interpret the whole movie in children's mind--they are just as care-free as that way, and Lea is just full of guts, bravery and charm.
For the bucolic countryside scenery, it's more refreshing and intoxicating than that in most movies (comparable to Heidi, Under the Tuscan Sun, Flipped, etc). From the azure sky to bright sunshine, from emerald meadows to golden fields, from dazzlingly transparent swimming pool to smooth country road perfect for riding......What else should I covet if living in such a picturesque paradise?
It's also a wonderful movie without the boundary of time and space. Whenever you're born and wherever you're from, as long as you're watching it, an invisible bond comes into being with each and every one of other audience, empathizing with this romantically lovely children's world, which, more or less, we are nostalgic about, yearned for, infatuated with and dreaming of. Every once in a while throughout the movie,a knowing smile may dawn on our faces: isn't that proud boy or persistent girl I used to be? Didn't I once build a similar secret base like that tree house? Didn't I take daring adventures and play naughty tricks as they do? In this sense, rather than simple viewers and receivers, we, at least to some extent, collectively create this movie.
At last, this one, together with many other children's movies, reveals at a deeper level an underlying, easily-neglected yet frustrating truth, that is, when you can fully understand and admire a children's movie, you're no longer a child any more. Conversely, a real light-hearted, free-of-worry-and-care child may never identify with them, since the life and the experience depicted in them is literally the same as theirs, thus having nothing to be envious of or longing for--they just aloofly put them away: a record of my life? So boring and tedious! They prefer animations of fancy plots and characters. Decades later, when looking back, however, they will possibly have a dawning comprehension that the life they used to is actually the most treasurable at all. But what on earth can you do about it? Just getting more wistful yet lost. After all, such is human nature, that we are always unaware and oblivious of what we currently own but retrospective and reminiscent of what we used to have, that we can only cherish what is gone.
Anyway, should I've got a chance to relive the dreamy childhood, which is as splendid and iridescent as that in this movie, I'll go for it at any cost.
As a German low-budget, crowd-funding movie, which could be learnt from its official website, it impressively stands out from many commercial movies nowadays, from my perspective at the very least. Obviously, Queen of Niendorf lays great emphasis on the adorable and spellbinding depiction of memorable childhood experiences, featuring the juxtaposition of thrilling adventures and idyllic sceneries.
For the adventures, childish as they may seem in our eyes, it's exactly they that trigger the genuine interest and thrill of kids. Besides, they bear perfect witness to Lea's coming of age, from a "follower" to the "queen" of boys. The "railway test" vividly demonstrates the resilience, unyieldingness, recklessness and masculinity of our little Lea. So dangerous? Oh please just interpret the whole movie in children's mind--they are just as care-free as that way, and Lea is just full of guts, bravery and charm.
For the bucolic countryside scenery, it's more refreshing and intoxicating than that in most movies (comparable to Heidi, Under the Tuscan Sun, Flipped, etc). From the azure sky to bright sunshine, from emerald meadows to golden fields, from dazzlingly transparent swimming pool to smooth country road perfect for riding......What else should I covet if living in such a picturesque paradise?
It's also a wonderful movie without the boundary of time and space. Whenever you're born and wherever you're from, as long as you're watching it, an invisible bond comes into being with each and every one of other audience, empathizing with this romantically lovely children's world, which, more or less, we are nostalgic about, yearned for, infatuated with and dreaming of. Every once in a while throughout the movie,a knowing smile may dawn on our faces: isn't that proud boy or persistent girl I used to be? Didn't I once build a similar secret base like that tree house? Didn't I take daring adventures and play naughty tricks as they do? In this sense, rather than simple viewers and receivers, we, at least to some extent, collectively create this movie.
At last, this one, together with many other children's movies, reveals at a deeper level an underlying, easily-neglected yet frustrating truth, that is, when you can fully understand and admire a children's movie, you're no longer a child any more. Conversely, a real light-hearted, free-of-worry-and-care child may never identify with them, since the life and the experience depicted in them is literally the same as theirs, thus having nothing to be envious of or longing for--they just aloofly put them away: a record of my life? So boring and tedious! They prefer animations of fancy plots and characters. Decades later, when looking back, however, they will possibly have a dawning comprehension that the life they used to is actually the most treasurable at all. But what on earth can you do about it? Just getting more wistful yet lost. After all, such is human nature, that we are always unaware and oblivious of what we currently own but retrospective and reminiscent of what we used to have, that we can only cherish what is gone.
Anyway, should I've got a chance to relive the dreamy childhood, which is as splendid and iridescent as that in this movie, I'll go for it at any cost.
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