Salmonberries (film)

Salmonberries is a 1991 German drama film directed by Percy Adlon and written by Adlon and his son Felix Adlon. It stars k.d. lang as Kotzebue, an orphaned Eskimo and young woman of androgynous appearance who works as a (male) miner in Alaska, and Rosel Zech as Roswitha, an East German exiled and widowed librarian. The film takes place in Kotzebue, Alaska and Berlin, Germany, shortly after reunification; the dialog is mostly English but includes some German with English subtitles.

This article is about the film. For information about the berry, see salmonberry.
Salmonberries
DVD cover
Directed byPercy Adlon
Written by
  • Percy Adlon
  • Felix Adlon
Produced by
  • Eleonore Adlon
  • Jamie Beardsley
  • Beverly J. Graf
Starring
CinematographyTom Sigel[1]
Edited byConrad M. Gonzalez
Music byBob Telson
Distributed byCineplex Odeon Films (Canada)
Release date
  • 1991 (1991)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryGermany
Languages

Kotzebue and Roswitha share powerful lesbian love.[2]

The films title takes its name from the endless jars of preserved berries that line the walls of Roswitha's bedroom.[3]

Singer k.d. lang, who performs an evocative ballad, "Barefoot," in the film,[4] it was co-written by k.d. lang and Bob Telson.[5]

After Miss lang had asked Adlon to direct a music video for her, ("So in Love" for the AIDS-benefit Red Hot + Blue compilation album) he wrote the script of "Salmonberries" especially for her.[1]

Cast
  • Oscar Kawagley as Butch
  • Rosel Zech as Roswitha
  • k.d. lang as Kotzebue
  • Eugene Omiak as Gvy
  • Wayne Waterman as Ronnie
  • Jane Lind as Noayak
  • Chuck Connors as Bingo Chuck
  • Alvira H. Downey as Izzy
  • Wolfgang Steinberg as Albert
  • Christel Merian as Albert's wife
  • George Barril as Bingo attendant
  • Gary Albers as Tight rope walker

Awards

Salmonberries has won several awards:

Critical reception

Janet Maslin, in her 1994 review of the film for The New York Times, called it a "halting, awkward effort" with "stilted direction" and "sharp camera angles, arty editing". It has "uneasy acting debut" by k.d lang, but Rosel Zech has a "warmth and naturalness".[3]

Kevin Thomas of the L.A. Times in 1994, said the film was "endearing, remarkably assured and stunning-looking" and with "the utmost sensitivity, Adlon raises crucial questions of cultural and sexual identity".[1]

It was reviewed by Timeout Magazine and NF stated that it was "slight, quirky but often moving film" and "real praise goes to the two stars for breathing so much human warmth into some chilly scenes of winter".[2]

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 71% based on 7 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.21/10.[6]

References
  1. Thomas, Kevin (7 April 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW : HEAD'Salmonberries' Goes Off the Beaten Path". L. A. Times. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  2. "Salmonberries". timeout.com. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  3. Maslin, Janet (1994). "FILM REVIEW; K. D. Lang's Debut, In an Alaskan Chill". New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  4. "Salmonberries". tvguide.com. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. Peter Dickinson Screening Gender, Framing Genre: Canadian Literature Into Film, p. 168, at Google Books
  6. "SALMONBERRIES (1991)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 26 August 2018.


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