Another German Tank Story finds something funny, sad and human in a village disrupted by an American production. Jannis Alexander Kiefer's feature debut has rough edges and considerable heart.
A US streaming series about the Second World War arrives in Wiesenwalde with tanks, props and questionable German accents. Mayor Susanne sees a chance to put the village on the map. Her son Tobi drives the catering van despite having no license, while her journalist ex-husband Bert returns looking for a story. Then a tank turns up outside a house.
The characters make the film work. Meike Droste's Susanne balances practicality and desperation. Tobi is neither a hero nor a complete fool, just someone who wants to participate instead of always watching. Monika Lennartz is delightful as Rosi, quietly pursuing her own plans.
Kiefer's laconic humor grows from pauses, glances and situations that invite both laughter and a sigh. At times it resembles an East German cousin of a Coen brothers film: odd, melancholy and attentive to people.
Some supporting characters stay pale, and a few conflicts are introduced without being fully developed. Yet the director's feeling for place, timing and character is clear.
This is no loud political statement or sweeping drama. It observes how a small community reacts when the wider world barges in, finding stubbornness, naivety and humor without losing its affection for the people involved.