Zwischen Flieder wandern und singen

"Zwischen Flieder wandern und singen" is one of the five short films by IJ.Biermann that are available on DVD, and it's pretty much the best one. His other films, "Coda" (with Sebastian Suba), "Scherzo", "Prélude", and the cult film "Deed Poll" (with Andre Schneider and Barbara Kowa) are also very good and deserve a second (and third) look.

In "Zwischen Flieder wandern und singen", a sort of surreal musical, Biermann once more explores the decline of human relationships: A young man (beautifully played by Maxim Mehmet) has to confront himself after the break-up with his girlfriend. It's a painful journey into his mind, a journey into the dark night...

A high art film that can be compared to Ingmar Bergmann's early films, or even to the ones Hal Hartley did in the mid-1980s. Entertaining and deep - and maybe the most personal film of the director so far.

As usual, this Biermann film is extraordinarily good photographed and edited. The music is dark and moody, and the performances (including the one of the late Ovo Maltine) are intriguing. Watch this twice!