The Cloud (film)

Last updated
The Cloud
Die Wolke.jpg
Poster
Directed by Gregor Schnitzler
Written by Marco Kreuzpaintner
Based on Die Wolke
by Gudrun Pausewang
Produced by Markus Zimmer  [ de ]
Starring Paula Kalenberg
Franz Dinda  [ de ]
Release date
  • 16 March 2006 (2006-03-16)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryGermany
LanguageGerman

The Cloud (German : Die Wolke), is a 2006 German science fiction thriller drama film based on the 1987 novel Die Wolke by Gudrun Pausewang. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot

Due to a malfunction in the fictitious nuclear power plant Markt Ebersberg near Schweinfurt, Bavaria, an MCA occurs and the whole area is evacuated extensively by the authorities. Hannah's school is also located in the affected area. She has to take care of her younger brother on this day since the mother is in Schweinfurt because of business matters; exactly where the disaster has occurred. Since there is no other way to get home to the East Hessian town of Schlitz, where her little brother Uli is already waiting for her, Hannah accepts the offer of her classmate Lars and lets herself be driven home by him and his friends. During the trip, the teenagers learn about the events on the radio, but they do not really understand - until they arrive in Schlitz, where Lars' mother drags him out of the car and tells the others that her son can not take them with him because he has to flee with his family. Hannah finally goes home on foot, where Uli is already waiting for her. Since their mother is at a cosmetics congress, the two children are on their own. As recommended by the emergency management, the children want to go to the cellar for protection, while all neighbors are already fleeing. There, Hannah wants to wait with her younger brother for Elmar, a schoolmate from whom she got a kiss shortly before the alarm and who has promised her help in the escape. In the midst of the panic, the two finally receive a call from their mother: she does not want the children to go to the cellar, because the radiation reaches them there, but flee to Bad Hersfeld with the neighbors, from where they take the train to Aunt Helga in Hamburg. But since all the neighbors have already fled and Elmar has not appeared (he grapples with the car at home, wants to hot-wire it because he can not find the car keys of his parents), the children decide to go to Bad Hersfeld by bike alone. Uli is killed in a hit-and-run on the way there. A little later, a family with several children takes Hannah to the Bad Hersfeld station after the family's father places Uli's body in a nearby cornfield. Since the motorways are crowded, many others want to flee with the trains, so Hannah has to pay attention to the little daughters of the family on the platform since the parents still have to fight their way through. Hannah however discovers her friend Elmar during the human masses and runs in his direction - but does not reach him. The couple who took Hannah to know where their children were, who she left behind in search of Elmar, but because she is still in shock, she does not reply. While the father finally finds the children, Hannah leaves the train station as if in a trance and enters the emptied station forecourt, where a few seconds later, the cloud burst happens. Hannah walks into the fallout and collapses shortly afterward. She wakes up in a hospital near Hamburg. Beside her is Ayşe, a girl of the same age, with whom she makes friends. Hannah feels tired and sick; shortly afterward she suffers from hair loss. A little later, Elmar comes to the hospital because he has found Hannah in a tracing file and wants to see her. Elmar is also contaminated, but his health is apparently much better than Hannah's. A month later, Aunt Helga comes to pick up Hannah. She tells her that her mother is dead, and not missed like she'd been told in the hospital all the time. In Hamburg, where Aunt Helga lives, Hannah goes back to school but remains isolated there because her radiation damage is too obvious because of her baldness and the people avoid her. Only Elmar, whose family also escaped to Hamburg, keeps to her. Elmar's parents want to go to America with their son, but he refuses because he thinks he has no chance and will soon die from the radiation. He lets himself be admitted to the hospital like Hannah finds out from Ayşe, who is also treated there. Hannah wants to see her friend; she finds him just at the moment he wants to commit suicide, but can stop him at the last minute. When the (least-radiated) Zone 3, in which Hannah's hometown is located, is opened, she goes there with Elmar, mainly to bury her brother. After they have buried Uli in the cornfield, the two continue the journey to Schlitz. Elmar says he feels a fluff on Hannah's bald head, and Hannah sticks her head out of the sunroof of the car "to let her hair fly in the wind".

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond</i> 1958 novel by Elizabeth George Speare

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a children's novel by American author Elizabeth George Speare, published in 1958. The story takes place in late 17th-century New England. It won the Newbery Medal in 1959.

<i>The Rules of Survival</i> 2006 novel by Nancy Werlin

The Rules of Survival is a 2006 novel written by Nancy Werlin. It depicts the story of a boy and his two siblings trying to survive vicious emotional and physical abuse by their mother, Nikki. This book was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It also received recognition as a 2007 Best Book for Young Adults from the American Library Association.

Danny Valentine is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by David Judge. He first appeared in 2007 and made his final appearance in 2008.

<i>Bunty</i> British comic

Bunty was a British comic for girls published by D. C. Thomson & Co. from 1958 to 2001. It consisted of a collection of many small strips, the stories typically being three to five pages long. In contrast to earlier and contemporary comics, it was aimed primarily at working-class readers under the age of 14, and contained mostly fictional stories. Well-known regular strips from Bunty include The Four Marys, Bunty — A Girl Like You, Moira Kent, Lorna Drake, Luv, Lisa, The Comp, and Penny's Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudrun Pausewang</span> German writer (1928–2020)

Gudrun Pausewang, less commonly known by her married name, Gudrun Wilcke, was a German author of children's and young adult literature. She was known for books such as The Last Children of Schewenborn and Die Wolke which became part of the German school canon. Her key interests included peace and protection of the environment, and she warned of the alleged dangers of nuclear energy. Her books have been translated into English and received international recognition and awards.

<i>Main Teri Parchhain Hoon</i> 2008 Indian TV series or programme

Main Teri Parchhain Hoon is an Indian soap opera produced by Rajshri Productions. It aired on NDTV Imagine between 21 January 2008 and 12 February 2009. The series was rebroadcast on Dangal TV beginning on 8 March 2021.

<i>Mandy</i> (comics) British comic book for girls

Mandy was a British comic book for girls, published weekly by DC Thomson from 21 January 1967 to 11 May 1991. The majority of the stories were serialized, typically into two or three pages per issue, over eight to twelve issues.

<i>Just Dont Make a Scene, Mum!</i> 1995 novel by Rosie Rushton

Just Don't Make a Scene, Mum! is a young adult novel by Rosie Rushton. It is the first book in her popular Leehampton Series. It was first published in 1995 by Piccadilly Press.

<i>Does Anyone Ever Listen?</i> 1998 novel by Rosie Rushton

Does Anyone Ever Listen? is a young adult novel by Rosie Rushton, first published with this title in 2006 by Piccadilly Press. It is the fourth and last part of her Leehampton series. It was first published under the title Where Do We Go From Here? by Piccadilly Press in 1998 and was reissued as Does Anyone Round Here Ever Listen? by Puffin Books in 1999.

<i>Totally True Love</i> 2011 Norwegian film

Totally True Love, also known as Jørgen + Anne er Sant, is a 2011 Norwegian film based on the 1984 novel Jørgen Anne er Sant by Vigdis Hjorth.

Der kleine Vampir – Neue Abenteuer is a German children's television series made in 1993. The series counts 13 episodes and is based upon the books The Little Vampire Takes a Trip and The Little Vampire on the Farm, which are part of the Der kleine Vampir series written by German author Angela Sommer-Bodenburg.

<i>Young Lucretia and Other Stories</i> 1892 collection of short stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

Young Lucretia and Other Stories is a collection of thirteen short stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman. The stories were originally published individually in literary magazines such as Harper's Young People and St. Nicholas Magazine between 1887 and 1892. They were later collected and reprinted by Harper & Brothers in 1892. These stories primarily feature children who learn moral lessons after misbehaving.

<i>Die Wolke</i> 1987 novel by Gudrun Pausewang

Die Wolke is a German novel for young adults by German author Gudrun Pausewang, published in 1987. The story was written after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, with a 14-year-old girl having to deal with the consequences of a fictional similar disaster in Germany. It was translated into English by Patricia Crampton, published in 1997, as Fall-Out. Die Wolke, which received several awards, became a popular book for reading in class and was adapted for film and stage, has been regarded as Pausewang's signature work.

<i>Three Who Loved</i> 1931 film

Three Who Loved is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by George Archainbaud from a screenplay by Beulah Marie Dix based on a story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Martin Flavin. The film revolves around a love triangle. It was produced by RKO Pictures, which also distributed the film, releasing it on July 3, 1931.

"Family Business" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on November 2, 2014.

<i>Mere Meherbaan</i> 2014 Pakistani television series

Mere Meherbaan is a 2014 Pakistani romantic drama serial that aired on Hum TV. It was directed by award-winning director Farooq Rind, written by Maha Malik and produced by 7th Sky Entertainment. It stars Ayeza Khan, Neelam Muneer, Sanam Chaudhry, and Madiha Rizvi. The show concluded its final, 28th episode on November 17, 2014.

Quicksand is the first novel by American author Nella Larsen, first published in 1928. Out of print from the 1930s to the 1970s, Quicksand is a work that explores both cross-cultural and interracial themes. Larsen dedicated the novel to her husband.

<i>Khamoshi</i> (TV series) 2017 Pakistani TV series or programme

Khamoshi is a Pakistani romantic drama television series aired on Hum TV during 2017–2018. It is produced by Momina Duraid under their banner MD Productions. It stars Zara Noor Abbas, Bilal Khan, Iqra Aziz and Affan Waheed. It received critical acclaim and was one of the most-watched Pakistani series of 2017.

References

  1. Breitsamer, Florian. "Die Wolke: Ein Gespräch mit Regisseur Gregor Schnitzler" (in German). Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  2. "Review: ‘The Cloud’". Variety.