Auf der Anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (On the Other Side) poster & wallpaper
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Baki Davrak, Tuncel Kurtiz, Nursel Köse, Nurgul Yesilcay, Hanna Schygulla ... see more see more... , Patrycia Ziolkowska

The winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, director Fatih Akin's deeply humanistic, multi-layered drama follows the stories of six people -- four Turks and two Germans -... read more read more...- as they realize the meaning of love while facing the harsh realities of the world we live in. Nejat is a second-generation Turkish immigrant living in Germany. His father Ali is a retired widower. When lonely Ali invites pretty prostitute Yeter to move in with him, Nejat makes no attempt to mask his disapproval. Nejat's opinion of Yeter begins to soften a bit, however, when he learns that she regularly sends tuition money to her daughter Ayten in Turkey. Suddenly, Yeter is dead, the unfortunate victim of Ali's violent temper. In the wake of Yeter's death, Nejat is determined to do the right thing for Ayten, and prepares to travel to Turkey to find the girl. But Ayten is a political activist who has recently fled from Turkey to Germany, where she befriended a German student named Lotte. Lotte's conservative mother Susanne isn't comfortable with her daughter's decision to invite a fugitive to live with their family, and when Ayten is arrested by German police and deported back to Turkey, the rebellious daughter rejects her mother and sets out in search of her friend. Later, in Istanbul, Nejat and Lotte are brought together by fate and Susanne is prompted to reexamine her values while searching for her daughter and being confronted with life on the other side. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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89% liked it

14,849 ratings

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89% liked it

73 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Fatih Akin

Release Date: May 23, 2007

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DVD Release Date: October 14, 2008

Stats: 1,446 reviews

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Nurgül Yesilçay and Patrycia Ziolkowska Nurgül Yesilçay and Patrycia Ziolkowska Auf der anderen Seite poster Auf der anderen Seite poster Baki Davrak in The Edge of Heaven Baki Davrak and Hanna Schygulla Baki Davrak and Nursel Köse Auf der Anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (On the Other Side) Auf der Anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (On the Other Side)
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Flixster Reviews (1,446)

  • dunmyer
    August 31, 2008
    dunmyer
    [size=3]"The Edge of Heaven" is a magical film that must be seen. It didn't receive a strong distribution deal in the United States (big surprise), so it will take effort to find it. But it is so worth the work. [/size]

    [img]http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/1/17989/14_200... read more8/heaven.jpg[/img]

    [size=3]Germano-Turkish writer/ director [b]Faith Akin [/b]is one of the true greats. He and Joachim Trier ("Reprise") are the two most exciting young filmmakers in Europe today (one born in 1973, the other in 1974). "Edge of Heaven" sneaks up on you. It starts out matter-of-factly and slowly builds. Its superb sense of cinematic rhythm is a throwback to the age of Ingmar Bergman. The film gradually gathers emotional power until it bursts like a storm cloud. The last 20 minutes contain some of the most moving images of redemption and grace as you are likely ever to see in the cinema.[/size]

    [size=3]"The Edge of Heaven" is the third-best film I've seen so far this year and is a must-see for anyone who cares about art. Immense thanks to Strand Releasing for getting this film into at least a few American movie theaters. What a terrifying statement about the current climate in America that a film of this quality can only find a distribution deal from the (heroic) micro-mini outfit Strand. Cinephiles all around the world are talking about this film, and America is barely interested.[/size]

    [size=3]The film opens in Germany, where we meet an elderly working-class man of Turkish descent and his highly educated son, who is a professor of German Literature. Both are single and lead a quiet life together.[/size]

    [size=3][img]http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/04/24/edge_of_heaven_wideweb__470x312,0.jpg[/img][/size]

    [size=3]The older man frequents a Turkish-born prostitute, who eventually becomes his live-in companion. The son quickly develops a deep respect for this woman, who was forced to abandon her daughter in Turkey and has struggled mightily to keep herself out of poverty in a foreign country and without education.[/size]

    [size=3]A terrible accident occurs, the details of which I won't reveal, and the young professor begins a fascinating journey back to his homeland. This journey involves a search for the prostitute's daughter, whom we get to know as well. She is involved in radical politics in Turkey and becomes a fugitive, escaping to Germany to try to find her mother. [/size]

    [size=3][img]http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/lff/files/images/edge_of_heaven_01.jpg[/img][/size]

    [size=3]In Germany, she falls in love with a young German woman, and we get to know this woman and her mother as well. The mother is played by legendary German actress [b]Hanna Schygulla[/b], who was Rainer Werner Fassbiner's muse, appearing in almost 25 of his films. [/size]

    [size=3]Casting Schygulla, who does a remarkable job in "Edge of Heaven," was a perfect way for Akin to pay tribute to the New German Cinema that Fassbinder and Schygulla launched in the 1970s.[/size]

    [img]http://cache.thephoenix.com/secure/uploadedImages/The_Phoenix/Movies/Reviews/The_Edge_of_Heaven4_inside.jpg[/img]

    [size=3]"Edge of Heaven" is a film about suffering, poverty, overcoming, and forgiveness. Every character left standing at the end of the film (there is a considerable amount of violence) bears some blame and must be forgiven for something. Watching these characters wrestle with grudges and grace is tonic for the soul. [/size]

    [img]http://tiff07.ca/images/films2007/705291553291386.jpg[/img]
  • gor41
    August 16, 2008
    gor41
    Gorgeously shot tale with sumptuous locations and a pleasing symmetry to the narrative. A variety of atypical actors and scenarios give it a real freshness.
  • gator681
    June 15, 2008
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]Starting with a brief prelude at a gas station in Turkey, "The Edge of Heaven" is an exquisite movie that unfolds in three overlapping sections - Yeter's Death, Lotte's Death and The Edge of Heaven.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Ye... read moreter(Nursel Kose) is a prostitute from Turkey making her living in the red light district of Bremen where she meets a fellow Turk, Ali(Tuncel Kurtiz), who hires her out for a half hour. Ali is a widower and pensioner whose son, Nejat(Baki Davrak), is a professor at the university. Feeling lonely, Ali offers Yeter a more permanent arrangement which she accepts after being threatened by two of her fellow countrymen on the street.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Lotte(Patrycia Ziolkowska) is a university student who runs into an activist, Gul(Nurgul Yesilcay), from Turkey who is in the country illegally after most of her group were arrested by the police after a protest. At first, Lotte feeds her new friend, then shelters her, much to the dismary of her mother(Hanna Schygulla).[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Written and directed by Fatih Akin, "The Edge of Heaven" is a thoughtful examination of two countries whose governments may be very different(The first two sections start with a Communist protest in each country. Germany's is peaceful. Turkey's is not.) but whose peoples are remarkably similar, giving great hope for the future, even if there is heartbreak in the present. As Turkey seeks to become a member of the European Union, the characters' perpetual movement causes the boundaries to blur which is expressed in the Turks who threaten Yeter in Germany and the German bookstore in Istanbul. [/font]
  • divinetrash
    May 31, 2011
    divinetrash
    There are three very good stories to tell here, but the problem is they each deserved their own movie because as it is none of them feel fully realized; the characters aren't so much developed as they just change according to what the plot needs. Nevertheless, it becomes more and... read more more interesting as it goes along.
  • sportsphenom1
    May 3, 2009
    sportsphenom1
    Brilliant, a masterpiece! One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Fatih Akin creates a tour de force Alejandro González Iñárritu style. Superior to "Crash" and "Babel", other films in this non-linear genre, "Edge of Heaven" doesn't use the non-linearity as a vehicle, but... read more rather fits into it like a glove. This film has joined good company, along with "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams" for setting the standard for this style of film-making. The difference between this film and "Amores Perros" is that despite's "Amores Perros" more focused theme, "Edge of Heaven" flows more smoothly and is has a more multi-faceted set of themes. I can't say enough good things about this movie, other than it's as brilliant of a film as they come.
  • littlecharmer1959
    March 15, 2009
    littlecharmer1959
    A beautiful film about the overlapping lives of six people. Very thought provoking, with an excellent ensemble cast. After watching this I'm even more eager to watch Akin's Head-On.
  • InaHH
    September 24, 2007
    InaHH
    Quiet, subtle and emotional narration about family, death, radicalization and Turkish identity in Germany, Turkey and Europe. Slowly unfolds and then steadily increases in emotional impact, another excellent film by Fatih Akin. His use of time lines to convey the feeling of coinc... read moreidence and fate is excellent, the acting and wonderfully simple dialogue (mostly in Turkish and English) is perfect.
  • scrambledegg7
    May 27, 2012
    scrambledegg7
    I really liked this movie as I watched it, but I just have this sense that it's not going to stick with me beyond today, so my overall opinion of it may go down over time. It's a good story with interesting characters, though, and I especially liked how they handled the ending. I... read more'm just not sure how much it stands out in comparison to other dramas. Good watch, though.
  • kylegarvey6
    May 23, 2012
    kylegarvey6
    Globalization's capacity to frustrate and confuse is described here through several cycles of environmental, national, and personal anguish. A cast of six works in a slew of two- and three-person sub-plots, at various levels of realism, to illuminate this theme.

    Most of the stor... read moreies succeed admirably, but the larger film doesn't completely come together. The story is expertly scripted, but it's still a mammoth of awkward, hit-or miss dramatic irony that lacks a consistent, overarching je-ne-sais-quoi. Two hours of tenseness starts to feel like a torturous, day-long expedition.
  • Chapsky
    July 24, 2011
    Chapsky
    Amazing ! There are lots of movies brings related lives together but the stunning thing about this movie is related lives cant connect. And while people focusing on their ideals they are neglecting loved ones. This movie is a punch to stomach. I warned you!

View All Auf der Anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (On the Other Side) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Amy Biancolli
September 5, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

What we don't suspect, going in, is that a film of such plain-speaking admonitions can exploit the element of surprise. Yet this heartfelt and precisely assembled drama does just that. Full Review

Tom Maurstad
September 5, 2008
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News

Propelled by the beautiful camerawork and scenery that moves back and forth between pastoral idyll and urban chaos as it takes the viewer on a journey that ends with a final image as quiet and beautif... Full Review

Colin Covert
August 8, 2008
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Loneliness, loss and capricious love guide the fortunes of three families in this powerful, beautifully realized drama by German-Turkish writer/director Fatih Akin. Full Review

James Berardinelli
July 31, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The Edge of Heaven explores topics as varied as the tensions that accompany multiculturalism and globalization to the simpler human drama of how individuals cope with losses for which they bear a port... Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann
June 29, 2008
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

The care that Akin expends on his people is skimped in the structure of his screenplay. Full Review

Wesley Morris
June 27, 2008
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

In a single two-hour film, Akin strikes the notes of emotional distress, geographical dissonance, generational discord, and nearly divine convergence that Kieslowski orchestrated over nearly six hours. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
June 19, 2008
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

The Edge of Heaven is the movie Babel so badly wanted to be. Full Review

Roger Ebert
June 13, 2008
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Akin's purpose, I think, is a simple one: He wants us to meet these people, know them, sympathize with them....I found them fascinating. Full Review

Michael Phillips
June 13, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The film has a bit of the overdetermined, cosmic-coincidence quality you find, for example, in a work like Babel. These are troubled people caught in the grip of fate, yet Akin, I think, has the skill... Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
May 30, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

An exquisitely mysterious feature by the German-born Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin. Full Review

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