Maren Ade’s ‘Toni Erdmann’ sweeps Germany’s Lolas

Maren Ade’s comedy-drama Toni Erdmann took home a total of six gongs, including Best Film, in Berlin at this year’s prestigious women-dominated German Film Awards, also known as the Lolas.

The film, picked up by Sony Pictures Classics after its premiere at Cannes, has since scooped up several high-profile awards, highlighted by Best Film at the 29th European Film Awards – a first for a film directed by a woman.

As part of its triumph at Germany’s Lolas awards, Toni Erdmann also bagged the awards for Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Editing. The festival’s award-winners were selected by a panel of 1,800 members of the German Film Academy.

The award sweep marks a comeback for the film after being snubbed at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.

Toni Erdmann focuses on the estranged relationship between a father and his hard-working daughter. As he dons several personas and performs practical jokes, the two push back and forth, until ultimately his daughter comes to the realization that her eccentric father might deserve some place in her life after all.

Directed and written by Ade (The Forest for the Trees, Everyone Else), Toni Erdmann stars Sandra Hüller (Requiem, Brownian Movement) and Peter Simonischek (Oktober November, Gebürtig)

An English remake is already on the table, with Paramount Pictures at the helm. Purportedly, Jack Nicholson (The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and Kristen Wiig (The Martian, Bridesmaids) have signed on to star in the leading roles.

Toni Erdmann is currently enjoying a limited theatrical release, due to be released on video on-demand, DVD, and Blu-Ray on May 29. Watch the trailer (with subtitles) here.