Dorfpunks

Summary

It′s the summer of 1984 in the Baltic coastal village of Schmalenstedt. Seventeen-year-old Malte Ahrens, who prefers to be known as "Roddy Danger blood", lives in a farmhouse with his leftie parents. An apprentice potter, Malte has just ′discovered′ punk, which has just arrived in Schmalenstedt – albeit several years after the fact. Being a punk doesn′t just mean hanging out with your mates and talking about music and bands; it also means being provocative and having the odd clash with farmer′s boys.

"Is that punk?" asks his father when Roddy comes home, evidently after having been involved in a punch up. One day, the four lads are invited to a party. The question arises of how to get a girl and the quartet hit upon an idea that gets them all going: "Let′s become musicians and form a band!" Their elated mood is positively euphoric when, after a long search, they settle on a name for their group – "Warhead". At the same time, Roddy meets Maria, and is utterly smitten. The band′s rehearsals prove to be a lot more difficult than they envisaged; worse still, their first gig is a complete disaster. Moreover, when Roddy′s mates trash everything in sight at Maria′s party, Maria refuses to have anything more to do with Roddy.

Roddy finds solace and support from Paul Mascher, a somewhat unorthodox barkeeper. But the band′s disintegration is inevitable, and Roddy senses that the four friends are drifting apart. It′s not until he meets a neighbour′s son, Schwaster, that Roddy finds his own definition of punk and with it, a bit of freedom.

Source: 59. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)