The Wall (Die Wand) (2012)

Drama, Fantasy

Director: Julian Pölsler
Writers: Marlen Haushofer, Julian Pölsler
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Karlheinz Hackl, Ulrike Beimpold, Julia Gschnitzer

"Inside everyone lies a truth only the wilderness can reveal."

Described as a contemporary female Robinson Crusoe tale, The Wall (Die Wand) tells the story of a woman who suddenly and inexplicably finds herself cut off from all human contact and separated from the rest of the world in a spectacularly beautiful remote mountain area in the Alps, trapped behind an invisible, impenetrable and soundproof wall.

Martina Gedeck (whom we remember from the Oscar-winning The Lives Of Others) gives an unforgettable tour-de-force performance as the unnamed character who, with only her loyal dog Luchs (translated into English as Lynx) as her companion, deals with her everyday survival and fights to preserve her humanity, language and articulation, as she chronicles her isolation by writing down the strange incidents in her solitary world in her diary and on scraps of paper she found in her cabin.

Based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Austrian writer Marlen Haushofer, the film has a great script – adapted by director Julian Pölsler – that mostly consists of the protagonist's voice-overs of what she puts down in her diary. Pölsler also visually exploits the astonishing alpine scenery, with nearly every shot of the film looking like a stunning example of nature photography.

With a premise that would place it in the realm of sci-fi and fantasy, The Wall is a gorgeous, mesmerizing adventure film that raises profound questions about humanity, solitude, and our relationship with the natural world.

Plot summary from IMDb: A woman inexplicably finds herself cut off from all human contact when an invisible, unyielding wall suddenly surrounds the countryside. Accompanied by her loyal dog Lynx, she becomes immersed in a world untouched by civilization and ruled by the laws of nature.

Awards: 3 wins & 14 nominations.
Runtime: 108 min
NOT R