Learn German with Films of Tom Schilling

With roles in The Baader Meinhof Complex, Elementarteilchen, and Das Adlon. Eine Familiensaga, a made for television mini-series about the famous hotel in Berlin and its founding family, you may already be familiar with German actor Tom Schilling.

Schilling has a remarkable number of titles to his name and his star continues to rise rapidly. There is nothing that can stop him. And he isn’t merely an actor. Schilling is also a talented musician who records music with his band Tom Schilling & The Jazz Kids.

In this month’s German-language film feature, I’m highlighting some exciting and interesting films that Schilling has lead roles in — Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk!, Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter, and Oh Boy!.

Get to Know Tom Schilling

Tom Schilling was born on February 10, 1982, in East Berlin. He grew up an only child in Berlin’s Mitte neighborhood.

Schilling seemed to know early that his calling was in acting. As a preteen, he became involved with the Berliner Ensemble theater company. A couple of years later, in 1996, he made his on-screen debut with an appearance on a German television series.

Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk!

The 2015 film Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk! from Oskar Roehler (who also directed films like Jew Suss: Rise and Fall, Elementarteilchen, and Quellen des Lebens) stars Schilling as a teen looking for adventure and excitement. Set in the legendary West Berlin of the 1980s, the film follows the underground scene of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Sorry, make that sex, drugs, and punk. It’s a brash and in-your-face comedy that does not hold back.

Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter

While the BBC and HBO seem to have cornered the market on high-quality television mini-series, German broadcaster ZDF has been getting in on the act in recent years with some German television series of their own. Case in point the ZDF produced Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter.

Known as Generation War internationally, the three-part miniseries follows the lives of a group of 20-something German friends as they navigate through a world centered on World War II. The friends go in their own directions as some head to war and others do whatever they must to survive.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the film has been highly controversial in Germany for its depiction of Nazi-era Germany. It’s a serious and moving program that shows the war from multiple perspectives.

The series also stars Ludwig Trepte, Katharina Schüttler, Miriam Stein, and Volker Bruch as members of the group of friends.

Oh Boy! (A Coffee in Berlin)

Also known by its international title A Coffee in Berlin, Oh Boy! follows Schilling as he portrays Niko. After dropping out of university, Niko wanders the German capital city. He eventually finds himself while on a journey of self-discovery. Shot in black and white, Oh Boy! is an award-winning film that blends comedy and drama.