Summaries

Mélanie is a French musician in her late 30s living as an expat in Berlin. Though she finds some success, she still struggles to make ends meet with her art and is uncertain about the security of her career. After her grandmother's sudden passing, Mélanie is devastated and finds herself alone for the first time during Christmas, a season that she would usually spend with her. But Mélanie is not completely alone: unexpectedly, one week before Christmas, a friend asks her to look after her son Peter "the Magician," a strange boy who is unable to speak but is constantly filming with his little camcorder. Through the eyes of Peter's camera, Mélanie searches high and low for Christmas plans, but all efforts fail. Lonelier than she has ever been, she starts to escape into fantasies, following an attractive indigenous man through the desert of Castaneda, and ends up back in reality on Christmas Eve with her mechanic André. Together, they wander the surprisingly quiet streets of Berlin. This nocturnal journey becomes an adventure, made up of surprising encounters with fellow outsiders. As Mélanie roams the city, she discovers another kind of Christmas, another Berlin and--maybe herself.—Charlotte Roustang

Details

Keywords
  • christmas
Genres
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Release date Feb 6, 1995
Language English German French

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 40m
Aspect ratio

Synopsis

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