Ethical issues worry German youth: Lass brothers

KOCHI: The urge for collectivity is now slowly replacing the mindless self-aggrandisement that was predominant among German youth in the 1990s and early 2000s, according to German filmmakers Jakob Lass and his brother Tom Lass, who are here to attend the Kochi International Film Festival (KIFF).
"The youth in our country and, probably, in several parts of the western world are now increasingly realising that many of the issues that bother them defy solutions at the individual level and require collective responses," Jakob told TOI here.
"The Holocaust, fascism, unemployment and similar crises which were the concerns of previous generations and they no longer affect the youth of Germany. They are now more worried about ethical questions at the social and interpersonal levels, and they are trying to explore and articulate these concerns through films and other medium," he said. We are frustrated by the usurping of political space by selfish and vested interests. Our youngsters want to create a political system which is more transparent, accountable and inclusive. The market has failed to deliver. Even the money that was sanctioned to bail out debt-ridden banks in some western countries were appropriated by the top brass in those banks," Tom said.
"Disparity has been on the rise in Germany in the past couple of decades. We want a more equitable and just order. There are some in our country who want to bring back socialism that was prevailing in erstwhile East Germany. But there are a large number of others who want to look beyond socialism or capitalism , and evolve fresh solutions to social issues," he said.
Jakob, who is 31, started making films at the age of 21 while his 29-year-old brother Tom made his debut film at the age of 22. Jakob had already made two feature films and 14 documentaries and Tom has directed one film, produced two and acted in over 30 movies.
Jakob's film 'Hitting Cotton Wall' and Tom's 'Papa Gold' are being screened at the Koch film festival. "My film is about the plight of those who feel their life is akin to running against a hard wall and falling down softly. Franz, Adrian and Anastasia stumble through a pointless world. They kill time by viewing apartments, jaw operations, incest and poetry slams. Their search for identity become a search for the best fitting role," said Jakob
"Papa Gold explores the challenges of the youth in present day Germany in terms of interpersonal relations. The protagonist, Denny, is living the high life in Berlin and having sex with a lot of girls. Denny's mother has just found a new husband: Frank. Denny has not spoken to his mother in 10 years. And Frank wants to change this," Tom said about his film.