The feature film “Nico” by director Eline Gehring, distributed by UCM.ONE on the Darling Berlin label and released in cinemas on 12 May 2022, is available everywhere as of today both on Blu-Ray and DVD. At the same time, it can also be purchased and rented from download portals.
“Nico“, for which Eline Gehring wrote the screenplay together with cinematographer Francy Fabritz and producer and leading actress Sara Fazilat, celebrated its German premiere at the Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival in January 2021, where Sara Fazilat won the award for “Best Young Actress“. She was also awarded the No Fear Award as producer at the First Steps Award 2021. Since then, “Nico” has had an impressive festival career with over 40 international festival participations and many awards.
Sara Fazilat went on to win the Bavarian Film Award for “Best Young Actress” for her acting performance in “Nico” in May 2022 and was among the four nominees at the German Film Award for “Best Female Lead“, which was presented in Berlin on 24 June.
“Nico” is an important and moving film whose stirring leading actress makes the audience feel every moment of her painful healing process.
Summary:
The self-confident and life-affirming German-Persian Nico (Sara Fazilat) loves her job as a geriatric nurse and is popular with everyone because of her easy-going and understanding manner. She enjoys the Berlin summer with her best friend Rosa (Javeh Asefdjah) until a racially motivated attack suddenly tears her out of her carefree everyday life. Nico realises that she doesn’t belong as naturally as she always thought, and how much racism actually surrounds her.
Plagued by flashbacks of the terrible attack, Nico withdraws more and more into herself. Not only Rosa loses touch with her, but also her patients do not recognise the once so cheerful young woman. Nico feels that things cannot go on like this and turns to the gruff karate world champion Andy (Andreas Marquardt). With him she begins a tough training programme and thereby manages to channel her anger and experience her own strength, but she also loses touch with herself and her old life. When Nico then meets the Macedonian Ronny, a connection develops between the two women that causes Nico to question the path she has chosen.
Equipment & technical data
Blu-Ray | Picture format: 1:1,89 – 16:9 | Running time: approx. 79 min | Sound format: German 5.1 and 2.0 | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German (TeilUT), German (SDH) | Extras: Trailer – Trailer show Darling Berlin- Slide show, Turning cover without FSK sticker | Rating: FSK 12
DVD | Picture format: 1:1,89 – 16:9 | Running time: approx. 79 min | Sound format: German 5.1 and 2.0 | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German (TeilUT), German (SDH) | Extras: Trailer – Trailer-Show Darling Berlin- Slide-Show, Turning cover without FSK sticker | Rating: FSK 12
Press reviews
“Nico succeeds in what only a few German productions manage: the effortless oscillation between touching scenes and fine humor.” (Zeit.de)
“One of the most touching films of the German cinema year.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
“A directorial debut with grit.” (Der Tagesspiegel)
“A refreshing, raw, strong piece of cinema. And a great discovery of the 2021 cinema year.” (Berliner Morgenpost)
“The partly improvised low-budget film impresses with its narrative force and the unpolished authenticity of its characters.” (Cinema)
“This fine, gripping debut [tells] a stirring story of friendship, self-empowerment and overcoming trauma, without Hollywood catharsis and beyond clichés, but still with a spark of hope.” (Epd film)
“Everything just fits here!” (ARD Morgenmagazin)
“Sara Fazilat is an absolute stroke of luck for German film.” (rbb Kulturradio)
“An encouraging, lively film about a self-empowerment […] One of the most beautiful Berlin films of recent years.” (Radioeins.de)
“The narrative fury of the film really blows you away. […] A very strong, angry, worth seeing film.” (Deutschlandfunk Nova)
“NICO is not only courageous, Eline Gehring’s feature film debut is above all angry. A rage that spills over in this strong, important film by a new generation of filmmakers*.” (NDR Info)
“Empathetic and highly emotional. […] The makers have succeeded in making a stirring, humorous and reflective film about a topic that is unfortunately still omnipresent.” (dpa)
“[Eline Gehring] shrewdly breaks stereotypes and sketches a world in which diversity is not a dirty word and which, despite all seriousness, remains permeable to humor and goodwill.” (Sueddeutsche.de)
“With its outstanding lead actress, who is convincing in every emotion, and its close look at people and their surroundings, NICO has achieved this goal [ of creating its own realities] in every respect.” (Kino-zeit.de)
“A remarkable work. A great cinematic experience.” (Programmkino.de)
“The drama about self-discovery and self-assertion is […] worth seeing, while also being strongly acted.” (Film-rezensionen.de)
More information about the movie: Nico
More Information about the label: Darling Berlin
