West Berlin-born Lars Eidinger is an artist in the truest sense of the word. He is perhaps first and foremost known for his work as a television and film actor. But he’s also a theater actor who has extensive experience with the works of Shakespeare, as well as a musician and a DJ. He can even border on a performance artist. Just this past fall he released I’ll Break Ya Legg, a compilation of his songs from 1998-2016. But this month I want to focus on Eidinger’s acting work. Let’s practice German with the film and television works of Lars Eidinger.
About Lars Eidinger
Eidinger was born in West Berlin in 1976 to a pediatric nurse mother and an engineer father. The acting bug bit Eidinger early on prior to his teen years. By his early twenties he was an ensemble member at the Berliner Schaubühne. His performances in Shakespeare productions garnered international acclaim.
Controversy
But in late 2017 Mathilde, a film starring Eidinger as Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas II, caused international controversy. The film depicts a love affair between Nicholas, before he became Tsar, and a ballerina. To say the film was highly controversial in Russia is an understatement. Nicholas II has been canonized by the country’s Orthodox Church. The Church has been outraged with the very human depiction of Nicholas II not to mention that he’s being portrayed by a German actor. The film was ultimately released in Russia but Eidinger chose not to attend the premiere due to safety concerns.
Die Blumen von gestern (The Bloom of Yesterday)
Written and directed by Chris Kraus, Die Blumen von gestern (The Bloom of Yesterday in English) is a romantic comedy. Eidinger stars at Toto, a Holocaust researcher. Toto has a complicated history as he is the grandson of a prominent SS general. As he works on research while struggling with those and other personal problems and challenges, he encounters an eccentric French woman who is the granddaughter of a Holocaust victim. They make an unlikely pair as they learn from each other’s experiences.
In addition to numerous nominations for the German film prize, the 2016 film was awarded the Grand Prize and Audience awards at that year’s Tokyo International Film Festival.
Alle anderen (Everyone Else)
In 2009’s Alle anderen (or Everyone Else), Eidinger and Birgit Minichmayr portray boyfriend and girlfriend Chris and Gitti. The seemingly happy couple travel to Sardinia for a vacation. But Chris is not as happy as he seems. When they spend time with another couple, Chris and Gitti’s problems boil to the surface. They have to face their difficulties.
Was bleibt (Home for the Weekend)
Eidinger stars as Marko in 2012’s Home for the Weekend. A writer, Marko has just published his first book. You would think that he’s on top of the world from his success. But when he reluctantly makes his annual trip to visit his parents, things become difficult. Marko and his parents do not see eye to eye. And things become more difficult after his mother, Gitte, decides to stop taking medication she needs for mental issues.
Practice practice practice! Discover other great German language actors and actresses previously featured.
Top photo by Siebbi [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. This post contains affiliate links.
