Themes: Facing Death, Death of a Partner, Unrequited Love
Main Cast: Philippe Graber, Johanna Bantzer, Andrea Burgin, Michel Voita, Emilie Welti
Release Year: 2008
Country: CH
Run Time: 87 minutes
Plot
A young man makes a commitment to a pop singer on whom he has a crush - only to run headfirst into unforeseeable circumstances - in Swiss director Micha Lewinsky's gentle, offbeat seriocomedy Der Freund. For Emil Funk (Philippe Graber), Zurich-based musician Larissa Mahler (Emilie Weltie) is the essence of appeal and desirability; after watching her perform, he dreams of meeting her. The young man sees his wish come true in the form of a brief encounter with Larissa, but must contend with a bizarre request: she asks him to "pretend" to be her boyfriend. Emil obliges but grows understandably confused when Larissa disappears, then suddenly dies the next day. Recognizing the value of a commitment, he insists on standing by her family as an emotional anchor and guiding them through a period of intense sorrow - which draws him into a close and unexpected bond with Larissa's sister, Nora (Johanna Bantzer). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Cast
Philippe Graber - Emil Funk
Johanna Bantzer - Nora Mahler
Andrea Burgin - Maria Mahler
Michel Voita - Jean-Michel Mahler
Emilie Welti - Larissa Mahler
Therese Affolter - Edith Funk; Patrick Serena - Gion; Christopher Novak - Barmann; Urs Jucker - Bestatter; Oriana Schrage - Floristin; Michèle Müller - Studentin 1; Vera Bommer - Studentin 2; Pascal Holzer - Student; Catriona Guggenbühl - Pfarrerin; Verena Zimmermann - Grossmutter; Elisabeth Graf - Krematorium-Angestelite; Hirondelles Marseille - Schule Frankreich; Raphelson - Band
Credit
Ruth Hirschfeld - Casting, Carola Ruckdeschel - Costume Designer, Charlotte Willi - Costume Designer, Adriane Stalfort - Continuity, Florian Engelhardt - First Assistant Director, Micha Lewinsky - Director, Marina Wernli - Editor, Sophie Hunger - Composer (Music Score), Marcel Vaid - Composer (Music Score), Milena Pfleiderer - Makeup, Connie Sacchi - Makeup, Pierre Mennel - Cinematographer, Bernard Lang - Producer, Anne-Catherine Lang - Producer, Olivier Zobrist - Producer, Laurent Barbey - Sound/Sound Designer, Peter Braker - Sound/Sound Designer, Patrick Becker - Sound/Sound Designer, Micha Lewinsky - Screenwriter, Adriane Stalfort - Screenwriter, Sabina Ritzmann - Production Assistant, Martin Birnstiel - Musical Performer, Oliver Schmid - Musical Performer, Fabienne Helfer - Second Assistant Director, Urs Schmid - Steadicam Operator, Bruno Stalder - Assistant Makeup, Julie Fischer - Clapper Loader, Benjamin Weiss - Runner, Thomas Kissling - Title Design, Luca Zuberbühler - Assistant Editor, Orit Teply - Assistant Camera
