Bright Day -Chicago International Film Festival 194
I saw "Bright Day" by chance during the Chicago International Film Festival screenings in 1994. The film was nominated as a German competition entry for the Golden Hugo main prize. Important American critics wrote in the Chicago Tribune and in the film festival catalog that this film would be an astonishing debut and that "Bright Day" would prove to be one of the most important German films of recent years.
I am not quoting my own private opinion here. At the time, I found the film to be incredibly sad and stressful. Shot in a lyrical black and white, it put a considerable strain on my otherwise cheerful disposition, but left a lasting impression. There are films that you have to, should, watch several times. There are films that divide viewers and critics. There are films that you can watch again after several years. "Bright Day" is definitely one of them for me.
This film is not available for purchase in Germany, it was never distributed, and there is no DVD. I absolutely can't understand it. Bruno Ganz shines in this film. Lighting, camera, direction and cast - all very professional. And how it was received by the festival audience in Chicago was indescribably good. For me it is therefore very incomprehensible that this film is completely unknown in Germany. I was also able to find out that it was made by a team of students and that it was the director's diploma film. That deserves my great respect and recognition. I haven't been able to discover a new feature film by the director yet. I'm excited to see what's next.
D. P.
