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October 20, 2008 |Permalink |Comments (6)

Monkhouse Mondays: Cloud 9 (Wolke 9)

“I was tired of the airbrushed, unreal sex scenes in movies, I wanted to tell the timeless story of love, attraction and lovemaking, which takes hold of our body, mind and spirit," said the director of the new German movie Cloud 9, Andreas Dresen, which won the Jury “Coup de Coeur” price at the Cannes film festival this year. And so he does. His protagonists however are Inge (67) and Karl (76). Inge, a seamstress, has been married to Werner for over 30 years, they love and respect each other, look after the grandchildren and their sex life is still happening. Inge meets Karl, when he comes as a customer to have his trousers shortened, she senses that he likes her and also finds him attractive. She decides to deliver the finished trousers to his house, and there she stays, they make love. Both are surprised that this is happening to them at their age.

The director: “We don’t know much about old age, we think old people go for cruises and bus rides and besides that are a burden to our pension-system. We do not realise that there is life, courage to do new things, passion, feelings and attraction which know no age, this is what I wanted to show, real bodies, real people, not some sepia-coloured scenes with trickling piano music."

Inge after much tormented deliberation, tells her husband and finally decides to leave him for Karl.

There is nothing voyeuristic in this film, which moves forward slowly, like a stage-play, no soundtrack, sparse dialogue, the camera focussed on faces to capture every expression of emotion and every little gesture indicating tremendous tenderness. When they lay in bed, talk or laugh, Karl is stroking Inge’s hand with this thumb. Inge and Karl realise that life is precious at any age, but especially at theirs, and their lovemaking is an expression of this.

Watch the trailer here.

-- Christa Monkhouse

Comments ( 6)

I remember as a small child looking down at my grandmothers shoes, which were the old style "granny shoes" and thinking that she must be very old. I was also suprised when I saw her bedroom and noticed that she and my grandfather slept in separate beds. In actuality, they were not even 50 years old, though acted like they were 70 or older. I suspect they believed that, due to their advanced age, a sexual expression of thier love was no longer appropriate. Cloud 9 helps me to leave the notions of the past behind and to look to the possibilities in all relationships.

Posted by tom mondloch
October 23, 2008 8:44 PM

Even with eight children and even when we were in a tenement, my parents had separate rooms. My father's room was more of the business suite and my mother's room the confessional/therapy suite. She liked pitch black nights and fresh air even in the winter and he loved his jammies, closed windows and the television blaring all evening. But, even with those separate rooms, there was never a thought that they did not have a special and even passionate bond - and they were old people! to me when I was a little girl. There was something about their unspoken but apparently practiced conviction to maintain their "one-ness" that fanned my curiousity about the unique-ness of the individual. I am these days testing my new lens of spotting "being" and "doing" behavior as well as declinist mores. Oh dear, I think I may have to watch the movie twice to capture it all.

Posted by Dona Green
October 27, 2008 8:08 AM

I'm saddened by the idea that sexual expression in late life is so taboo. This is another example of taking an act of deep human expression and denying its fullest enjoyment to the older population. How is it that a group of people who have lived, loved, and experienced life longer than anyone else be considered alien to the very life experiences that they've likely mastered? After all, who could possibly have perfected this activity more than someone who has done it for multiple decades?

Posted by Nich
October 27, 2008 8:44 PM

I decided to write again after realizing that I could not catch the film anytime soon in NYC; I checked all of the independent film movie house websites and it was not listed as a coming attraction. So, I wanted to comment on the editorial without seeing the film.

I was thinking recently about the viewership of this film versus the recently released, A Night in Rodanthe. If I am not mistaken, the characters in the actual story are approximately 10 years older than either Richard Gere or Diane Lane's actual age and what they appear on screen. I can only be heartened that Hollywood did not make them even younger. Of course, as a mainstream film, Rodanthe was much more tidy - she was divorced; he was troubled; he redeems himself but perhaps too late as the scales of justice work nonetheless; they were airbrushed; there was mood music. It is a visually pleasing film although a fairly improbable premise.

In Wolke 9, we also have a drama/romance. But, with "real bodies" and sans soundtrack. It can be a turning point movie in accepting the "human-ness" of older adults. However, I am sure it will not have the advertising budget of "Rodanthe" and although earning an award, may only gross the type of profits that support the notion that its appeal is only to a select profile of viewers. I leave it to the select viewership to inspire viewing in others.

Posted by Dona Green
October 29, 2008 6:25 AM

Through my experiences working in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, I always found it humorous at our reaction to a couples request to be in separate rooms and how we were taken aback by how content they were with the arrangements. Though they loved their many years together (and still loved each other), the separation was appreciated. The young and energetic care planning team were often convinced that by "careplanning" this "problem", they would get them back in the same room before the next care plan review. Didn't happen - just have to accept that love is displayed in many different ways in elderhood.

Posted by Sheila Mack
October 31, 2008 8:39 PM