Aus der Tiefe des Raumes

A Pass From the Back

The Rhineland in the 60s. Hans Günter is a rather shy young man in his mid-20s who has an unusual hobby: he plays Tipp-Kick, a tabletop soccer game with little metal figures used for kicking goals. Hans Günter is one of the top players in the country.

At an important qualifying match for the German championships, he meets Marion, a press photographer his same age.To their great surprise, their tender encounter ends up that very night in Marion’s bedroom.
This act has the strangest of consequences. Through a series of accidents, Hans Günter’s favourite Tipp-Kick figure, Number 10, lands in Marion’s bathtub in which her various photo chemicals have merged together into a kind of primordial soup. Inexplicable chemical reactions during the night awaken Number 10 to a full-grown, living being that not only causes havoc in his owner’s life, but is obviously destined for greater things. Number 10 gradually matures into an imposing young man named Günter with perfectly parted, long blond hair and shoe size 47 with the miraculous power to shoot goals from a standstill like no one ever before. One of the most famous football stars of the 70s is born…
In his first feature film, "A pass from the back", well-known stage director Gil Mehmert conjures up a grotesquely humorous explanation for the origins of football legend Günter Netzer.

Source: 55. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)