OTOMO, 1999, Germany, 85 min.
Language(s): German
(Subtitled)
Genre: Drama
Release Data: November 2006
Selected Recognitions: Won: Diversity in Spirit Award, Vancouver, 2000; Nominations: Tiger Award, Rotterdam, and Crystal Star for Best European Feature, Brussels, 2000.
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Director(s): Frieder Schlaich
What It's About: Based on the true story of Frederick Otomo (Isaach de Bankolé, most recently seen in Lars von Trier’s Manderlay) is an impoverished and illegal refugee from Cameroon, West Africa, living in Stuttgart, Germany. On a hot August day in 1989, Otomo was confronted by an intolerant and racist subway conductor who questioned the validity of his ticket. At the end of his tether, he hit the conductor… and ran. A man-hunt was mounted and when Otomo was tracked down later that same day, he stabbed five police officers before being gunned down. This thought-provoking drama speculates on what may have been behind this real-life event.
On the morning of what would be his last day in this strange and unwelcoming land, Otomo goes to a temporary employment agency where he is rejected because he doesn’t have papers – or proper shoes. He then decides to travel across town to the job exchange at the Ministry of Labor, but on the way has the above-mentioned encounter with the conductor regarding his ticket. The conductor files a complaint for bodily harms and police start their manhunt with two young officers who gladly give up their routine duties, hoping for promotion.
The immigrant hotel where Otomo lived tells the police that their quarry has been in Germany for eight years and that his rent was paid by a Catholic charity organization. As they search his room, the camera pans to Otomo praying at a church while a young minister delivers a sermon on the small gestures that can make a difference – but all that Otomo receives is a woman’s cold stare. He wanders from the church to sit sadly by the river where, surprisingly, a little girl gives him a flower. Her grandmother is sympathetic and takes Otomo to her daughter’s apartment, eventually giving him the money he needs to get out of Germany and go to Holland. He tells her it is the first time in eight years he's ever been inside a German home. Touchingly, he shares his dream of becoming a helicopter pilot with these wonderful, warm people. Then he has to leave and, on the way to freedom, he is picked up by the police.
What to Look For: This is a fictionalized reconstruction of the last day in the life of a man no-one knew and no-one cared about. The director depicts the despair and hopelessness of his life yet does not excuse his violent actions. The story is closely based on accounts from those who knew Otomo and presents a strong indictment of the dehumanized attitudes towards refugees found in many countries. They arrive, full of hope, seeking asylum, work, and a little hospitality, but find only hostility, racism and a generally cool welcome. The director’s minimalist style is amplified by the Freundeskreis electronica score which increases its pulse as the manhunt for Otomo progresses.
Why It Matters: The film is a chilling exploration of xenophobia – the fear of the strange and unknown, of that which is different from ourselves, and which therefore poses a threat. This attitude forces the “stranger” to live in a prison built by prejudice. That last day, it turns out, was Otomo’s birthday, and the ridicule for his scuffed shoes, the racial remarks and the general harassment were unbearable as he moved about the city with his backpack that contained – as always – some soil from his native Cameroon. This is a morally provocative film that anyone interested in the politics of human rights should see.
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