Learn German with Films of Nora Tschirner

Nora Tschirner has experience in many different areas. After getting her start in the early 2000s as a moderator and VJ for German MTV, she transitioned to acting. In the subsequent years, Tschirner has taken on additional roles as director, producer, writer, and musician. She has graced both the silver screen and the small screen, showing off her talent has no limits.

But let’s focus on the films and use them to practice German language skills! This month, get to know Nora Tschirner better with her films Soloalbum, Keonohrhasen, and Gut gegen Nordwind!

Get to Know Nora Tschirner

Nora Tschirner was born on June 12, 1981, in East Berlin. Her father was a documentary filmmaker and her mother was a radio journalist.

The acting bug bit Tschirner at a young age. During her school days, Tschirner was involved in theater groups. Her first role on television came while she was still a teenager. By 2001, she was a VJ on MTV and starting to win film roles, including her big-screen debut in “Wie Feuer und Flamme.”

In addition to acting in front of the camera, Tschirner has directed a documentary (2011’s “Waiting Area”). And until 2015, she sang and played guitar in the pop-rock band Prag.

Soloalbum

Soloalbum is the 2003 film version of Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre‘s debut novel of the same name.

Matthias Schweighöfer stars as Ben, the neurotic narrator who is unlucky in love and desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend. But his Katharina, his ex-girlfriend portrayed by Tschirner, has already moved on. Silliness and hilarity ensue in this romantic comedy that may remind of High Fidelity. There are artistic liberties, shall we say, between the book and the film but I recommend both.

Keinohrhasen

Tschirner has a starring role opposite Til Schweiger in one of Germany’s most successful films, 2007’s Keinohrhasen. After being too aggressive as a celebrity journalist looking for his next scoop, Ludo (Schweiger) begins a court-appointed job in a daycare center. There he meets Anna (Tschirner), the manager of the daycare.

An awkward and nerdy child, Anna knows Ludo from their childhood when he picked on her. Needless to say, things do not get started too well as Ludo begins his court-appointed job. Anna decides to take revenge, using her position to her advantage. She assigns Ludo to the less enjoyable jobs at the daycare. The film becomes a romantic comedy with the unlikely couple starting to fall for one another as Ludo’s mandated hours at the daycare begin to run out.

Gut gegen Nordwind (The Space Between the Lines)

It is a modern twist on mistaken identities and crossed wires in 2019’s Gut gegen Nordwind (also known as The Space Between the Lines in English).

In the film, Emma (portrayed by Tschirner) mistakenly sends an email that ends up in the inbox of linguist Leo (Alexander Fehling). Instead of disregarding and deleting the email, Leo responds. The pen pals quickly develop a friendship. But could it be more? And given that they have never met face to face, what don’t they know about each other?