Like many capitals from all over the world, Berlin has become a melting pot of different lifestyles, cultures and beliefs. In the face of aggressive capitalization and gentrification, the diversity which used to be much more present, is slowly disappearing and exchanged by lofts and apartments serving more as investments rather than places people actually live in. However, despite these developments, Berlin still has a great pub culture, many nightclubs and a great nightlife, and you can have some of the best, strangest and interesting encounters while enjoying the nights in Germany's capital.
“Beer! Beer!” is streaming on CathayPlay
In many ways, Chinese filmmaker Popo Fan's 2019 short “Beer! Beer!” is a testament to this side of Berlin, its, at times, odd charm and the aforementioned encounters, making living there so attractive to many people. In the story, Fan plays Tao, a Taiwanese immigrant living in Berlin, who, after a long night of partying, steps out of a club to have a smoke and runs into Sebastian (Marc Philipps). The two men quickly strike a conversation while Sebastian accompanies Tao to his apartment, and they touch various subjects, from the cultural differences of Germany and China to the idea of eating meat. Sebastian, who was originally just worried about Tao getting home, is quite attracted to him, who, while flattered about the reaction, seems to have fun talking Sebastian into various things under the premise of inviting him to his apartment for one final beer.
Even though the short feature focuses on the two men, the city of Berlin is more than just a background to the story, but a character in its own right. Its streets, the music, the shops and the Berlin citizens themselves define this feeling of anything can happen and one should go with the flow rather than sticking to a formula or routine. Interestingly, Tao seems to be much more open-minded about the whole concept, using whatever possibility he can, from ordering food at a shop still open after midnight to the pieces of furniture people leave on the streets for others to take with them (at least this is how Sebastian explains the whole concept).
Aesthetically, the use of black-and-white imagery (which changes into color after a while) and a jazz-infused score, stresses the sense of relaxed aimlessness as well as the comedic features of “Beer! Beer!”. As the night is full of options, the choice of jazz supports this notion with its smoothness on the one hand and its improvised nature on the other hand. The stylized images from cinematographer Arne Büttner further emphasize this approach, the oddness and also the slapstick elements created by the conversation of the two males or other aspects, such as the aforementioned pieces of furniture found on the streets.
“Beer! Beer!” is a funny short feature about the improvised nature of life and the chance encounters our time on earth is filled with. Director Popo Fan has managed to create a quite entertaining feature, whose choice of Berlin and its nightlife as backdrop to its story is quite fitting and works very well.
