''Der Bunker'' is a 2015 German horror-comedy film by Nikias Chryssos, in his feature film

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

. The film had its world premiere on 7 February 2015 at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

and was released to

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, and VOD, alongside a limited theatrical release, in December of the same year. Filming for ''Der Bunker'' took place in an abandoned house in

Kleinmachnow Kleinmachnow is a municipality of about 20,000 inhabitants in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated South-West of the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf and East of Potsdam. First mentioned in the Landbuch of Karl ...

. Chryssos has stated that despite the film's absurd nature, it is also a serious film, which he felt was personalized in the characters of Klaus and the Student.

Plot

The film centers upon a nameless student (Pit Bukowski) who has rented a room at a lake-side home with the expectation that he will find peace and quiet. However, when he arrives, he finds that the room was far from what he expected, as the home is actually a

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...

. He chooses to stay despite this. Soon after, his bizarre landlords (Oona von Maydell and David Scheller) begin to insist that he tutor their son Klaus (Daniel Fripan), who they believe will become

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, despite being born in Germany. Stranger still is their insistence that an alien lives within the mother's leg, and that Klaus is only 8 years old, despite looking far older.

Cast

* Pit Bukowski as Student * Daniel Fripan as Klaus * Oona von Maydell as Mother *

David Scheller David Scheller (born October 12, 1972) is a German actor. Since the early 1990s he appeared in many German TV- and film productions and also participated in a few international movies like ''Fay Grim'' or ''Extreme Ops''. In series and films Da ...

as Father

Reception

Critical reception has been positive and

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators. Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...

felt that the movie was "A unique piece of work, ''Der Bunker'' is twisted yet engaging, abstract and parabolic, funny yet flippant." ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' praised the film, writing "Though the story’s anything but realistic, this doesn’t mean that it has nothing to say; Chryssos’s well-paced screenplay suggests something, for example, about the dangers of burdening a child with unrealistic expectations, such as the parents’ insistence on Klaus's preparation for his future in the White House (the fact he's a German citizen is the least of this kid's problems, as Klaus can't even remember the capitals of Belgium and France)."

Exberliner ''Exberliner'' is an English-language magazine published in Berlin that was launched in 2002. It is published monthly (except for the July/August double issue) and available for €3.90 at newsstands around the city or by subscription. The magazi ...

also praised the film, calling it "Funny, horrifying, theatrical, abstract, allegorical, and mysterious."

Awards

*''Next Wave Award for Best Film'' at Fantastic Fest (2015, won) *''Prix du Jury'' at the Mauvais Genre Film Festival (2015, won) *''Prix du Jury de la Critique'' at the Mauvais Genre Film Festival (2015, won) *''Jury Award for Best Actor - International Film'' at the Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival (2015, won - Daniel Fripan) *''Honorable Mention'' at Lund International Fantastic Film Festival (2015, won) *''Best Director'' at Ithaca International Fantastic Film Festival (2015, won) *''Best Film'' at La Mano Festival (2016, won)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bunker, Der 2015 films German comedy horror films German drama films 2010s German films Films set in bunkers