Comedian Harmonists

Feature. 126 min. German with Engl. subt.
Director: J. Vilsmaier
Life in Berlin in 1927 was overshadowed by deep economic crisis and a drastic rise in unemployment. The flourishing cinematic and theater productions turned the city into the cultural capital of the world. Harry Frommermann, a talented, penniless musician, decides, in a sudden moment of inspiration, to start a vocal group that will specialize in popular repertoire. Many tens of singers answer his advert, all crowding together in the staircase leading up to the tiny, frozen attic in which he lives, but none fit the bill. His despair vanishes at the moment Robert Biberti, an ambitious cafe singer, bursts in. Soon, a former opera singer from Poland, a former Bulgarian army officer, and a 19-year old pianist join the group. Long months of rehearsals, unavoidable tensions, then the first concert - a dizzying success which leads to a crowded performance schedule. Popularity brings blindness to the political changes taking place at the time in Germany. The official anti-Semitic policy of the Nazi Party doesn't create a panic among the Jewish members of the group, nor does the authorities' unequivocal ultimatum.