Poll

After the death of her mother, young Oda von Siering (Paula Beer) brings her remains to the Baltic Sea coast on the Poll estate in the summer of 1914. Here her father Ebbo (Edgar Selge) lives and works as a doctor and brain researcher. In the region on the verge of disintegration, Oda barely manages to find her place. It is not until she accidentally meets a wounded Estonian anarchist, who only calls himself "Schnaps", and helps him hide from the Tsarist troops and heal his wounds, that her fate at Poll is permanently changed.

With "Poll", Chris Kraus delivers a follow-up to his acclaimed "Four Minutes" that is both impressive and takes some getting used to. Based on the memoirs of Berlin author Oda Schaefer (1900 - 1988), Kraus spent a full 14 years developing the project, with three years spent on pre-production. With 24 national and international television editors and film sponsors as partners, filming finally began in the summer of 2009. Filming took place in an almost entirely natural, unspoilt area of the southern Estonian Baltic coast. This in turn brought with it major logistical problems, as over 1000 extras, hundreds of costumes, lots of building materials and finally the 150 crew members from various parts of Europe would have to be transported to the set and accommodated there.

The effort that was put into this film is also positively evident in the work in every way. The beautiful Poll estate alone, ominously fascinating in its own way, is a real tour de force. Kraus succeeds brilliantly in creating a kind of deceptive paradise in the midst of this backdrop, over which hangs the ever more threatening cloud of the impending First World War. Even the language barrier, or rather the intermingling of the different languages, does a very good job of highlighting the brokenness of the region and its people. It is to Kraus' credit that he has done this consistently and very authentically, even if it makes the film difficult for the viewer to access, especially at the beginning.

This, on the other hand, can also be seen as positive, as the viewer is virtually transported into the role of Oda, into the role of an outsider, making Oda an important identification figure. However, unfortunately, there aren't many viewers who are willing to engage in such a difficult way of enjoying a movie, even if they are rewarded for their efforts in the end with an overall very impressive cinematic experience. "Poll" is sophisticated arthouse cinema that demands the viewer, but in return spoils the senses especially in the visual area. For those who don't necessarily specialize in light cinema fare and appreciate historical dramas of the ilk of "The White Ribbon", "Poll" can be warmly recommended.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp