Prora (2012)
Prora (2012)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Prora, on the Baltic Sea. Mysterious, endless. In this deserted former Nazi holiday camp, teenagers Jan (Tom Gramenz) and Matthieu (Swen Gippa) embark on an adventure that puts their friendship at risk.
Review:
Prora is a 22-minute short film by Swiss director Stéphane Riethauser. It tells the story of two friends, Jan who is German and Matthieu who is French, as they drunkenly explore Prora at sunrise after a night out. Prora is a vast building complex built by Nazi Germany as a beach resort, but never fully completed and now in a state of disrepair and abandonment. It’s a really interesting setting for a film with some incredible aerial shots of the buildings, beach and sea – you not only get a scale of Prora’s vastness but also how haunting and deserted it is, and how alone the two boys are there. I think it’s the setting that really makes this short film a bit different, the plot itself isn’t anything new, but overall it’s a decent watch.
Matthieu and Jan speak in mostly German, with a bit of French here and there. They have good chemistry and there’s a playful air to their friendship. Matthieu talks a fair bit about girls but it is clear that Jan is more interested in his friend - Jan looks at Matthieu with a certain longing. The two play around on the beach before Matthieu decides he wants to explore inside the dilapidated, decaying buildings, although Jan is hesitant. Among the hallways of flaking paint and broken glass, they find a room with Nazi ideology spray-painted on the walls.
The two boys start playing around, running through the endless corridors and rooms, and smashing windows. Jan accidentally rips Matthieu’s shirt by jumping on him and then pins him to the ground. Jan then kisses Matthieu, and while Matthieu at first seems unsure, he soon kisses back and starts to undress Jan. It’s a moment of exploration of sexuality. For Jan he is fulfilling desires as he clearly has feelings for his friend, whereas for Matthieu it is unexpected, but he gets caught up in the moment.
Afterwards Matthieu seems shocked and walks away from Jan, who follows. Matthieu just wants to leave the labyrinth-like building as quickly as possible and he gets frustrated. As Jan tries to calm down his friend, Matthieu punches him and tells Jan not to touch him. Jan falls on some broken glass and badly cuts his leg. Matthieu runs away leaving him.
In our final sequence, the two boys meet at the beach at a later date, with Jan’s leg sporting a prominent scar. They sit beside each other in silence, with Matthieu looking like he’s trying to find the right words to apologise as he looks at the scar. He eventually gives Jan a hand up and the two splash each other playfully in the sea – their friendship is restored. The two hug goodbye and while Jan still has that longing look in his eyes, Matthieu kisses him on the cheek and leaves.
This is the story of a straight crush and the confusion in discovering our sexualities. Jan is very much into his friend, whereas Matthieu is most likely straight. In the moment Matthieu reciprocates his friend’s advances, as Jan has literally thrown himself at him, but afterwards he has regret. At the end of the film, while the two boys understand that what happened did happen, all is forgiven, as they acknowledge each other for what they truly are, good friends, and there are no hard feelings. It can be awkward regaining friendship when uncomfortable events occur between parties, but if two people value each other enough, situations will work out in the end and people will recognise the friendship for what it’s worth. I like this ending, I think it’s mature and while not a lot is said, the two boys communicate all they need to.
Prora hasn’t got the most creative plot in the world, the story of straight crushes and investigating sexuality has been told before, but the setting is what makes this short stand-out. The acting is strong, and the story is told well, but it will be the location that lives longest in the mind. Overall a pretty solid short film and worthwhile giving a watch.
Favourite Quote:
“Someday, I’ll move to Berlin.” – Jan
“I want to go to Paris.” – Matthieu
“Berlin is the place, man! They’ve got the best clubs.” – Jan
“Really? Then I’ll visit you.” – Matthieu
“Really?” – Jan
“Yeah. Yeah man.” - Matthieu
“That’d be awesome.” – Jan
Tone: Playful
Score: 7/10
Other observations:
The music, Maintenant by David Perrenoud and Benoît Mayer, fits the film perfectly.
I really liked the scene with the two boys playing at the beach, jumping through the life-ring. It felt like a very real moment of two best mates having fun.