A young man set in black and white stands in front of an ATM, pressing buttons. His short hair is unkempt and his jacket is clean but uninteresting. He finds himself unable to take money out of the ATM, pressing buttons in vain. Accepting defeat, he looks over his shoulders, and kneels down to the man sitting on the sidewalk, a small single use cup in front of him. Our protagonist cautiously attempts to pull a few coins out of the cup, as a woman walks up behind him, wallet in hand. He slowly turns as he hears her approach, looking up to her horrified face as she watches him place the coins back into the man’s cup, and dash away.
Niko is a young German man living in Berlin. As he meanders through his life, he is drawn into conversations, typically while pursuing a cup of coffee, with various people, be it strangers or persons he knows very intimately, such as his best friend or father. Through each conversation, we glean more insight into Niko’s troubled existence.
OVID.tv Chooses a Black and White Film for Its Collection
The movie is set in black and white, and focuses on daily scenes heavy with dialogue, juxtaposed with scenes of long, pensive silences. Sometimes two characters sit and watch each other, sometimes they shout, and sometimes the only noise is the sound of high heels in a hallway. In certain moments, jazzy trumpet music livens up the background of a scene. These various levels of noise and silence create a solemn, pensive tone. Most shots are heavily focused on the characters and the conversations between characters.
