Der Spätkauf
(Late Night Shop)
Synopsis
Spätkauf is a father-son story set in the betting shops and kiosks of Berlin. Metin has lost a betting slip, which would help him to pay back his gambling debts. He doesn't know that his own sixteen year old son has found and embezzled the winning ticket. Akin has to make a decision - should he follow his own dreams or help his father's attempt to save his late night shop.
Directors' commentary
The story of Spätkauf is one that is deeply rooted in the environment it takes place in. What thrills us are the mainly unknown back-rooms and the people populating these places. These are people on the edge of society desperately trying to make the best of their destinies.
On another level we are eager to reveal some of the cultural habits in deadlock, such as the attempt to maintain a masculine image in a desperate attempt to conserve bygone times. While the father and his generation hand the problems down to the younger ones, it is also important to show that Akin's dreams are not really different of the ones his father has.
Bringing together father and son is only one part of the story. The different perspectives we like to show in our work do not only concern the generational but also a cultural divide. As two directors – a Turk who grew up in Germany, and a German who grew up in Turkey – this film is our attempt to bring an understanding for the people living in between these two cultures..
Written by Ilker Çatak & Johannes Duncker
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