About the film
Sommersturm aka Summer Storm (International English title) was released in 2004 at the Munich International Film festival. It has been screened in cities such as Berlin, London, Montreal, and Sydney, among others. The film has received critical acclaim and has already garnered several awards:
Best Feature Audience Award, Munich 2004 Best Feature Audience Choice, Melbourne 2005 Best Leading Actor at the Montreal Film Festival, 2001 back
Film Synopsis:
Tobi and Achim have been best friends for years. As stroke and 7 seat, they have helped their team win several rowing cups in the past and are now looking forward to the big regatta in the countryside. But this trip is no summer camp anymore and the first problems soon arise. As Achim's relationship with Sandra grows more serious, Tobi starts to realize that his feelings for Achim run deeper than he’s willing to admit to himself. He feels confused, unsure of himself and increasingly left out. When Sandra’s girlfriend Anke shows interest in him, this only adds to his anxiety. Then it turns out that the much-anticipated Berlin girls' team has been replaced by a team [queerSchlag] of athletic, cliché-bursting young gay men . Tobi and his teammates are suddenly forced to grapple with their prejudices, their fears, and, perhaps, their hidden longings. As the tension grows, Tobi, Achim and the others head towards a confrontation as fierce and, ultimately, liberating as the summer storm gathering over the lake...
Notes:
queerSchlag does in fact exist! It is a gay rowing group based in Berlin. The producers of Summer Storm originally wanted to call the film QueerSchlag but the Berlin rowers did not want to yield the rights and ownership of their clubs name. As a result, the film title was changed to Summer Storm. However, the name of the gay rowing club used in the film is in fact queerSchlag. An interesting note is that some of the actors in the film actually trained with the queerSchlag crews to develop their rowing skills for the film.
queerSchlag serves to exchange information between gays, lesbians and their supporters rowing in various clubs in Berlin/Brandenburg, and to develop joint social and training activities (regattas).
queerSchlag just recently completed a “trip to the country” (01 May 2005) where the rowers enjoyed a 3-day long rowing excursion along the rivers ‘Spree’ and ‘Dahme.’ The 100 km rowing trip crossed romantic lakes and included some fun adventures passing through the locks. Rowers enjoyed lots of swim breaks and some wonderful evening BBQ’s. It is funny how reality seems to parallel the film’s story.....
Community Collaboration:
Featuring Summer Storm at a film festival provides a wonderful opportunity to promote rowing in the local area. Many people who want to row have no idea where to go or who to see, or more importantly if they will be welcome.
If you don’t see your city’s name on the list, please contact your local film festival organization and ask if Summer Storm is on the programming list. If you don’t know if a film festival exists in your area, send us an email and we’ll have our people call their people!
If you need help with the whole idea of being a community collaborator, send us an email!
Rowing Club Events:
Miami - Miami Beach Rowing Club partnered with the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to produce a special after-party at the Ronald Shane Watersports Center. Now that’s promotion. You Miami rowers rock!
Washington DC - DC Strokes Rowing Club collaborated with Reel Affirmations Pride Festival to promote the film and rowing in the community. Contact the DC Strokes.
New York City - GLRF and Crew New York collaborated with NewFest to promote the film and rowing in Manhattan. Rowers handed out brochures at the closing night screening of the film. Ticket holders were invited to attend the closing night after party at Bogart’s from 10 pm to 1 am.
San Francisco - The San Francisco Bay Blades organized a team dinner event before the screening of Summer Storm at Frameline 29 on Saturday, 18 Jun. Afterwards, they met with the director, Marco Kreuzpainter.
Los Angeles - GLRF was on hand to talk up rowing at the Outfest 2005 gala night screening of Summer Storm. The screening was held at the John Anson Ford Theater, which can hold 900 seats, and is always the most popular film venue because it is an open-air venue and is a favority date night movie destination. People row in LA? Oh yeah!
DVD Availability:
The movie has now been released theatrically worldwide and is available in DVD format in most markets, coded for that country, and with the appropriate language subtitles. Use these links to obtain authorized DVD’s and benefit GLRF at the same time.
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