The Quiet Trabants: Episodic drama about people on the fringes of society in search of love who meet at night
Plot and background
“The Quiet Trabants” follows the individual storylines of unassuming characters who, despite their different backgrounds, strive for the same desires and hopes and pursue a common goal. With each new working day, they try to get a little closer to seemingly unattainable happiness. Far from the hustle and bustle of the big city on the outskirts, three people return night after night to their places of longing to escape everyday life for a moment.
The snack bar owner Jens (Albrecht Schuch) falls in love with his neighbour Aischa (Lilith Stangenberg), a young woman who has converted to Islam and lives a very traditional life with her boyfriend Hamed (Adel Bencherif), while having a nightly cigarette in the stairwell. The lonely security guard Erik (Charly Hübner) develops feelings for the young Marika (Irina Starshenbaum) during his night shift at the hostel for foreigners. Cleaning lady Christa (Martina Gedeck) is resigned and unhappy about her precarious work situation. In search of love and affection, she finds solace after work at the side of hairdresser Birgitt (Nastassja Kinski). All three longings find something in the dark night that gives them hope. “Die stillen Trabanten” tells the story of people like we might meet every day, without knowing what really moves them.
“The silent satellites” – cast, background, cinema release
Based on the novel of the same name by Clemens Meyer, director Thomas Stuber films three selected short stories with “Die stillen Trabanten”, creating a moving portrait of three people on the fringes of society. The film offers an unembellished look at the characters’ lives, which is why the unexpected glimmers of hope are all the more touching and leave a significant impression. Martina Gedeck (“Das Leben der Anderen”), Nastassja Kinski (“Paris, Texas”), Albrecht Schuch (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”) and Charly Hübner (“Mittagsstunde”) can be seen in the leading roles of this melancholic drama. Andreas Döhler, Peter Kurth, Lilith Stangenberg, Adel Bencherif and Irina Starshenbaum were in front of the camera in other roles.
“Die stillen Trabanten” will be released in German cinemas from 1 December 2022