Josef Brandl’s Superbuhei enters post-production
by Teresa Vena
- For his first feature, a drama-comedy set in a supermarket, the German director was able to bank on Oliver Korittke and Silke Bodenbender in the main roles
The shoot for Superbuhei took place in June and July this year, in and around Hannover as well as in Bremen. Josef Brandl is not only directing his first feature-length film, but he also co-wrote the screenplay together with Johannes Simon Becker. Their script is based on the novel of the same name by German author Sven Amtsberg. The story is set in a supermarket in a working-class neighbourhood in Hannover, a medium-sized German city.
The synopsis goes as follows: where most supermarkets would have a bakery, this one has a bar called Klaus Meine. It may be one of the saddest bars in the world. Every day, the same patrons gather there to drink and listen to Scorpions songs. The bar's owner, Jesse Bronske, who drinks no less than his loyal customers, lives with supermarket cashier Mona, who tries to keep her partner’s life on track while dealing with the store's manager, Stanislawski. Together with a young student, he has plans for a new entrance area that might put the bar at risk. Amidst all of this, Jesse's anxieties escalate, and he is haunted by his malicious, long-gone twin brother. Paranoia combines with alcohol to exacerbate things even further.
The movie is now in post-production and should be completed by early February 2026. Its development was made possible through the Nordlichter programme of local broadcaster NDR, which offers young filmmakers the opportunity to tell modern and unconventional Northern German genre stories. Brandl has already seen success with his short film based on the same story, since he won the Short Tiger Award for it at IFFR in 2024. He is also active as a production designer and an art director, having gained international experience on projects such as the German children’s film franchise Die drei ??? - The Three Investigators [+see also:
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The crew of Superbuhei is made up of production manager Kim Höver (Milk Teeth [+see also:
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Since the bar owner and his regulars are so fond of Klaus Meine, the frontman of the band Scorpions, the bar is named after him. It's also the music they play there, day in, day out. Meine is originally from Hannover, where the story is set, and has a guest appearance in the film as well.
Superbuhei is being produced by Janina Sara Hennemann and Jan Philip Lange for Hannover-based production company Junifilm. Funding was secured from regional broadcaster NDR, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and nordmedia as well as through the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF). The theatrical release is planned for autumn/winter 2026, with a festival run due to start in February 2026. The distributor for the German-speaking countries will be Barnsteiner Film. The international sales agent is yet to be confirmed.
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