Cinema for me is…
Kareem in 23 Frames
1. Describe yourself in ten words.
Patient, loving, non-cynical, impulsive, shy, out-of-money, creative, sleepy, restrained, hard-working.
2. Your best quality? Your worst habit?
I can invest myself very deeply into any task, but I’m also chronically late!
3. Your dream job?
A film director. If that doesn’t work out I’m ready to be a sheep farmer.
4. What do you like most about your country?
The language. I love German.
5. Your favorite dish in your country?
Käsespätzle (swabian noodles with cheese) with roasted onions are unbeatable.
6. Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
“Gell” – it’s used in the countryside in southern Germany and means something like “right?”.
7. What European capital have you visited lately?
Berlin.
8. Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
The Netherlands.
9. What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Solidarity, dialogue, peace. That’s what it should be about.
10. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001, US).
11. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
The Friedrichsbau in Freiburg, just because it accompanied me in the process of becoming a film lover during my teen years. It was always some sort of second home.
12. Who is your movie hero?
The dad from Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2015, DE).
13. Which movie director would you like to be?
Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
14. Briefly describe your favorite scene.
The last scene of Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999, FR) is an extended shot of Dennis Lavant’s character Galoup dancing to the iconic disco hit ‘The Rhythm of the Night’ by Corona. He gets carried away by the music more and more until he’s completely lost in it. His body seems to be freed of any physical limitations. It’s a beautiful catharsis.
15. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
Transit (Christian Petzold, 2018, DE)
Lazzaro Felice (Alice Rohrwacher, 2018, IT)
Un couteau dans le coeur (Yann Gonzalez, 2018, FR)
16. Which film character do you most identify with?
The pineapple-eating cop in Chung Hing sam lam (Kar Wai Wong, 1994, HK).
17. Your favorite soundtrack or song?
The soundtrack for Eden ( Mia Hansen-Løve, 2014, FR).
18. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
August in the Water (Sogo Ishii, 1995, JP).
19. Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
Frank Ocean.
20. Which talent would you most like to have?
I’d truly love to be a good singer.
21. What is your most treasured possession?
Probably my notebook. I’d be lost without it.
22. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Building up a website with my friends to write about film and being successful.
23. What is your motto?
It’s gonna be fine, just get your behind up!