The dusitD2 baraquda pattaya — in collaboration with
the Goethe-Institute and the Embassy of Germany is currently hosting the
“Pattaya Rooftop Film Fest 2012” in honour of the 150th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between Thailand and Germany.
The month long festival continues this Friday, March
9, with a showing of “Tough Enough – Knallhart” with subsequent movies
to be shown each Friday until March 30, 2012. Next Friday’s movie will
be the acclaimed 1998 release “Run Lora Run”. A brief synopsis of both
movies can be found on this page.
There is no admission fee for The Pattaya Rooftop
Film Festival; guests can simply enjoy a selection of drink packages
available on each night.
For more information or reservations please contact
Tel. 038 769 999 or Email: d2pa@dusit.com.
Tough Enough – Knallhart (2006), Director: Detlev
Buck, colour, 98 min
The tragic story of a fifteen-year-old who longs to
escape the violence at his school and his miserable private life. He
starts working as a drug runner and is forced to commit murder.
Young Michael Polischka wanders lost yet purposefully
through the streets of Neuk๖lln until he enters a police station. Blood
clings to his shoe and he proceeds to tell Police Commissioner Gerber
his story as the film flashes back to earlier events. On Michael’s
fifteenth birthday his mother has a nasty quarrel with her partner. The
dispute escalates and a short time later mother and son are standing on
the roadside with their suitcases. His mother’s rich lover has chucked
them out of his house. He has the money and the power. He graciously
stuffs some banknotes in the boy’s hand and asks him not to call him
“Klaus” any longer, but “Dr. Peters”. The two castaways “relocate” from
the classy neighbourhood of Zehlendorf to Neuk๖lln.
Michael also has to change schools and ends up in a
class in which both teacher and pupils have lost all optimism.
Exasperation with the hopeless situation leads to aggression and
violence. A Turkish boy named Erol and his pal have a habit of
blackmailing anyone weaker than them and victimize Michael. Michael
looks to his new friends Crille and Matze for help.
To get money, the three of them break into Dr.
Peters’ villa, making off with everything they can carry. While pawning
off the loot, Michael’s unflinching manner catches the eye of Hamal, the
head of a drug gang.
Following his last two relatively insignificant
comedies, Love Your Female Neighbour (Liebe Deine Nไchste) and Bundle of
Joy (Liebesluder), director Detlev Buck makes a radical about-face and
risks a fresh start. The resulting work addresses a burning topic of the
day, telling a brutal tale of suffering yet with an unrelenting
sensitivity, something which was not necessarily to be expected from a
director known for his laid-back and brash approach to filmmaking.
Rare, abrupt flashes of humour only serve to prevent
the film from becoming an exercise in melodramatic self-pity, yet these
cheery moments are always smothered as quickly as they arise.
Russell Hancock tips back
a beer with Ian Sherratt.
Paul Strachan
The Dusit d2 was the excellent venue for the first
Lighthouse Club Pattaya Networking for 2012 on March 2nd and was
sponsored by the Global Tower Group.
Although the LHC had a gala dinner last month, it is
really these monthly networking events that people come out to support
and despite the heat over 250 guests gathered by the poolside, enjoying
the cold beer, wine, soft drinks and a variety of finger foods.
Dave Davis and Michael
Barricelli look smart in their casual attire.
Staff from Global Tower Group were also on hand,
taking the opportunity to let people know that they are the company
behind the highly successful City Garden Pattaya development and are
currently promoting a low rise boutique residence in North Pattaya
called Paradise Ocean View.
With no overly long speeches the Lighthouse Club has
become the benchmark of how to run networking that can be fun, smart and
perhaps even trendy.
The success lies not just in the venues and the
people that attend but also the sponsors who comprehend how their brand
can be enhanced by supporting the LHC, and of course not forgetting that
the entrance money for the evening goes straight to the charity side of
Lighthouse which in turn goes to the Melissa Cosgrove Children’s
Foundation, which helps kids in our community and beyond who have been
orphaned or disadvantaged by the building trade.
Julian Stanley has a good
chat with Tony Malhotra.
Valentina Katastrofa and
Earl Brown enjoy the poolside ambiance.
Derrick Kane from Freedrop
Apartment
Bee Bauiai and Dermot
Latham test the wine together.
Bee Bauiai and Dermot
Latham test the wine together.
Woranut Anusuriya and Jan
Bert Nuyten begin to brighten as the lights dim.
Jutharat Champawong and
Joe Cox pose for the paparazzi.
Nam, Amy and Vee add
pulchritude to the evening.
Aphinya and Else share the
wine.
Kieth Harrison, Matthew
Raspin, Dan Cheeseman and Toby Scott are certainly enjoying themselves.
Derrick Kane, Andrew
Boyett-Camp, Rob Tomlin, and Zimvz Samillano enjoy the cooling night
air.
