Summer Storm (2004)

Tobi, a teenager in a rowing team, is about to discover his latent homosexuality and his love for his close friend Achim, during a rowing contest, under the catalytic presence of a gay rowing group from Berlin.

Although the film borrows many plot elements from movies like "Was nutzt die Liebe in Gedanken" and "Krampack" (i.e. boy loves boy who loves girls) it copes with creating an exceptional coming-out film composition. The admixtures of German eastern and southern dialects and accents, the comic characters like the coach, the simple humorous stereotypes resulting from clueless-Oberbayern meeting Gay-Berlin and finally the summer storm of sexual consciousness forcing Tobi and the groups of teenagers to seek new balances, create a unique and simple German version of these topics.

As remarks could be mentioned that too much of accents is not as funny for us foreigners, the end is relatively open and the main character depicts sometimes too selfish and ignorant.

Film is Excellent - 10 of 10.

Fmovies: I have seen many German films already, but this one beats them all! It's beautiful, it's sad, it's funny, it's tragic, it's warm, sunny and lovely. Just wonderful and a pleasure to watch.

The plot can be told very quickly: Tobi and Achim live in a Bavarian village, are the best of friends and also together in a rowing team. But Tobi has a secret: He is in love with Achim, doesn't dare to tell him of course and is jealous of Sandra, Achim's girlfriend. When Tobi, Achim and their team travel to a competition (which at the same time is a camp) and meet a gay rowing team there, the emotions boil over and soon Tobi has to face the truth and find out who he is.

To sum it up: This film is a masterpiece and in my opinion should be officially one of the best films of all times. It is filmed in a very quiet way, with calm shots of nature, of teenagers, their dreams, fears and emotions, but also their conflicts. It takes teenagers seriously without being too serious and deals with homosexuality, coming out and coming of age without drowning in clichés. Plus it has some hilarious comic situations and great one liners in it. One could say: The movie shows pure life, for life is sometimes fun, sometimes tragic, sometimes beautiful and sometimes hard. Also everyone, from the protagonists to minor characters is casted perfectly and you have some of the most talented young German actors of our time here: Robert Stadlober, Marlon Kittel, and Hanno Koffler. "Sommersturm" – a terrific piece of art that you can't help falling in love with.

Nevermind that this is a movie about same-sex adulation. The bittersweet movie features a stellar performance by its lead Robert Stadlober as Tobi and explores his road to self-discovery and identity through his long-standing secret admiration and love for his best pal, Achim. The dilemma that Tobi faced in trying to come to terms with his own sexuality is well-handled by Stadlober.

Set against a rowing competition camp trip, the movie isn't always hardhearted but offers some comedy along the way. Some moviegoers might have complained about the stereotypical gay characters in the movie, but actually, it's quite the opposite. There is a good mix of gay characters and contrast is definitely showcased. The cinematography is also splendid.

Summer Storm fmovies. A wonderful movie, being gay myself I really saw myself in the protagonist. It's been a long time that I have seen a German film, that is so authentic and honest, really it was nearly like a documentary, you really feel like being there as well.

It's one of the rare film in which everything fits together, the acting, the music, the dramatic art, the fun, the dialogs.

The acting is outstanding. Robert Stadlober is so convincing. You really can feel it when he's desperate or angry.

The music was touching and moving, there are wonderful scenes when the camera floats over the lake while it rains and this wonderful sad classical music is played. So beautiful...

I think the director did a wonderful job, he - being gay and young himself - of course also knew what it's like growing up and discovering your homosexuality as Tobi does.

Clichés and stereotypes are discussed by the actors themselves. :-)

For gay people it's a must as everyone surely can partly see oneself in Tobi and for straight people it's a great chance to broaden their horizons as they can learn about the difficulty of growing up while being "different".

It's a real honest film.

Go and see it! It's 10/10 from me!

today "sommersturm" is coming out on DVD in Germany, i already ordered it on amazon.de and have been in cinema two times. the movie is about a 18year-old boy who begins to feel for his best friend, who is already having a relationship to a girl. they are all in a boat team and go for a championship (the filming locations are in my town so its cool to see). in the camp the feelings of the actors are "coming out". before seeing it i could not imagine that this movie would feel so real an touch so much. but it is the working of the great actors, a beautiful soundtrack, very good camera and s strong story. the camera work supports the story in so many ways, the picture you see tells so much. but the movie is not only touching, its also extremely funny, but not in the way that its make fun of gay people, its understanding so its still touching. i cant wait to see this movie again. sad that only a few saw it, believe me, its one of the funniest, most touching and best filmed German movies. nothing else than 10/10

First of all, it's incredible that a movie about a summer camp would come out that has a group of teenagers acting like REAL teens, not the idiots you see either in gross-out summer comedies based solely on bathroom and bodily-fluid humor, or with a dozen or more skeevy slackers getting high, getting laid and then getting hacked to bits by some guy in a mask bought from Chammps Sporting Goods.

Viewed at the same Gay Pride Film Festival here in D.C., it was a good opportunity to compare this--a little more serious coming-of-age drama, to the light and fluffy French sex romp "Cote d'Azure." Too bad something like SUMMER STORM isn't made more often here in the States.

It's summer time, and Tobi (the engaging Robert Stadlober) is in a seething state of sexual confusion. He wants to have sex with a girl, but his strongest feelings are reserved for his best bud Achim, (Kostja Ullmann), who in turn is having a hot-and-heavy romance with girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern). Meantime, carrying the torch for Tobi is the heartbreakingly beautiful Anke (Alicja Batchleda-Curus), who has absolutely no idea where her intended's head is at. At least, not at first.

The four teens are all on rowing teams, and their coach takes them all to camp, to bond and train for the seasonal rowing trials. Among the rival teams is an all-gay team, the "Queerstrokers," who will soon prove instrumental in the awakening of Tobi, helping him realize who he is and eventually to reconcile the lopsided love triangle he is involved in, which can only produce consequences destined to bring about an unhappy ending.

Not to make the film sound too serious, but it deals with the themes of sexual confusion, exploration and discovery in a natural and non-judgmental way that is so lacking in most American features of this genre. The casting of the actors is just about perfect, as they all look, sound and perform like you would imagine German teens would, who are not that much different from any other young people their age anywhere in the world.

Even if the audience of SUMMER STORM isn't gay, it deals effectively with the kind of emotions and situations that all adults can relate to, back when they were younger, and kids who are the same age as the film's characters can identify with now.

A well-made coming-of-age tale for everyone (except for conservative prudes and pre-teens), definitely worth your time.