A dense, melancholic novel about an unforgettable summer
A summer vacation at the end of the 90s, two brothers with their parents at the seaside. One of them is almost 17, cheeky, athletic and already experienced in dealing with girls; the other one is 15, often lost in thought, shy and without a six-pack. But everything changes when the younger one meets the mysterious Frenchman Philippe on the beach. He fascinates him in a way that he finds difficult to categorize: with his smile, his big ears, his muscular body. On the last day of their vacation, the unthinkable happens, and yet something they secretly long for: they spend a night together. After that, contact ebbs, Philippe remains painfully unreachable, fading. Until the 15-year-old learns something about the Frenchman that makes him grow up overnight ..
Florian Gottschick tells fascinatingly direct, wistful and full of humor about the euphoria of first love and how an experience in youth can give life its very own twist.
Florian Gottschick graduated in film directing from Babelsberg Film University in 2013. The films he directed screened at over 70 international film festivals. His diploma film "Nachthelle" was nominated for the Grimme Award. His current projects include three series for ARD and ZDF as well as one (of a total of three) 2020 produced German Netflix Originals. He teaches film acting, screenwriting/dramaturgy and film directing as a lecturer
Born in Hamburg in 1992, Jannik Schümann is an actor, dubbing and radio play narrator. Well-known films and productions include "Sisi", "Die Mitte der Welt", "tatort: Gegen den Kopf", "Monster Hunter", "Charité (TV series)" and "Mein Sohn Helen".
"Damals im Sommer," 192 pages, will be published by Penguin on 4/26/2023