Hedi Schneider is Stuck

A model family's happy life unexpectedly goes off the rails when the carefree Hedi, played by Laura Tonke, suddenly starts having panic attacks. First mental illness and then drug dependency – the happiness that these happy-go-lucky thirty-somethings once took for granted suddenly seems unattainable, and their world fragile and uncertain.

Sonja Heiss takes quite a risk with her second feature film, tackling a serious subject with an unerring grasp of comedy. But the director masters the balancing act between tragedy and comedy with bravura. It’s not just Laura Tonke’s performance that is splendidly on the brink, such as when Hedi gets stuck in a lift at the beginning of the film and begins a nonsensical conversation with the man who responds to her emergency call. Throughout the film’s 90-minute running time, the dramatic structure and editing equally allow for the most absurd ruptures and mood changes, which still always end up leading somewhere. The film repeatedly challenges the audience to revise their hasty judgements, reallocate their sympathies and reassess the plot and actors. Underestimate "Hedi Schneider steckt fest" at your peril.

Source: 65. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)