(Jonas Dassler and Fatih Akin, © Lindsay Bellinger 2019)

By LINDSAY R. BELLINGER

Many journalists were grumbling as they chatted with one another about their first impressions of Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin's Der Goldene Handschuh (The Golden Glove), which runs in competition this year at the Berlin International Film Festival. It seems that some felt that there was unnecessary gore and violence with a plot that was not that substantial. That makes me wonder if they realize that this film is based on a book and a real German serial killer who author Heinz Strunk extensively researched. There are even rumors floating around that Strunk had disagreements with the final cut because he felt that it was being watered down too much. I wish that I could watch the 3-hour version that is supposedly even grittier and darker. 

(Author Heinz Strunk and Berlinale moderator Anatol Weber, © Lindsay Bellinger 2019)

(Fatih Akin, © Lindsay Bellinger 2019)