Read our review of A HANDFUL OF WATER by C. Sterling for The Sound View...
A Handful of Water is a beautifully moving German drama directed by Jakob Zapf starring Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot, Dune) as Konrad, Pegah Ferydoni (Women Without Men) as Amal, and Milena Pribak as Thurba in her first film role. The film has captured the attention of critics worldwide, garnering many accolades through prominent festival participation.
Zapf’s directorial debut depicts the parallel existence of two people who are seemingly poles apart, while discovering their inevitable reliance on each other. Through a minimalistic shooting style and an ordinary, somewhat bleak setting, the acting prowess of this cast shines brightly, allowing the narrative to take center stage. The plot alluringly unfolds, culminating in life-altering events for the two main characters, as well as for those around them.
A lonely older man (Prochnow) finds himself intertwined with a young girl named Thurba (Pribak) through a series of events destined to become his turning point. He lives a solitary life, having little to occupy his time except caring for his fish which he keeps in a modest aquarium. Though his daughter stops by every so often, their relationship is strained and uncomfortable. His wife has passed, rendering him unable or unwilling to move on, while his daughter lives a life he doesn’t understand or seem to care much about.
Meanwhile Thurba, her siblings, and their mother Amal, (Ferydoni), live in a flat nearby. One evening they are disrupted when an immigration officer and the police forcefully enter their flat, since the family are in the country without proper documentation. Thurba flees, breaking into Konrad’s basement seeking shelter. She is eventually found and although initially hostile, Konrad begrudgingly offers her sanctuary. An unlikely friendship begins to form between the pair, as they undergo a reckoning of their respective pasts while moving towards a brighter future; one of freedom, hope, and love. Konrad tells her of a time when he too was a refugee, during what is assumed to be World War II to escape the horrors of Nazi-occupied Germany. “War makes us all broken.”
Kapf has done lovely, thoughtful work on this film with main themes emerging through the symbolism of water, set against scenes of police storming Thurba’s home which strike deep emotional chords. The heart of this story is found in what unites us as a society, rather than what divides us. No matter the country borders or cultural variants, we have more in common than we realize - a lesson more timely than ever.
The film demonstrates our potential for kindness, and how life can be changed by the influence of just one person. Even the most sullen individual can rise to the task of greatness when they choose to answer the call.
领英推荐
A Handful of Water is a triumph of compassion.
Highly Recommended - C. Sterling for The Sound View
Drama / IndiePix Films / $24.95 / 845637064540 / Release date: 4/11/23
PPR Avail? ?/?Amazon / Trailer / VUDU