Fifteen-year-old Michael must prove he’s tough enough when he’s thrown into the gritty urban world of a rough ethnic neighborhood, far from the posh suburbs he’s used to.
Fifteen-year-old Michael Polischka is thrown into a gritty urban world when his mother breaks up with her rich doctor boyfriend. With little money of her own, Miriam is forced to move them into a dumpy apartment in a rough ethnic neighborhood, far from the posh suburbs they had grown accustomed to. Beatings and extortion by a gang of violent bullies makes public high school miser-able for Michael. Life at home isn’t much better since he has to put up with the guys his pretty young mom entertains in her desperate search for a new man. Michael learns the ropes about the neighborhood from his likeable new buddies Crille and his younger half-brother Matze, a couple of neglected and undisciplined delinquents. Not only do they give Michael some street smarts, they also introduce him to petty crime, cutting class and drinking. A chance meeting with urbane crime lord Hamal and his henchman Barut turns Michael’s life around. The thugs take him under their wing, protecting him from the high school gang. Michael’s honest face makes him the perfect guy for drug deliv-eries to local dealers. The teenager handles the tension of these dangerous missions like a pro. Michael proves he’s tough enough, but eventually finds out he’s actually in way over his head.
Detlev Buck made his fame as an actor, director and screenwriter at the tender age of 22. Following high school and alternate military service, he made the short film Erst die Arbeit und Dann…? (Time to Knock Off), which quickly became a cult classic. His first feature as a director was Karniggels (Rabbit Fever), which won the Bavarian Film Prize. He followed up with 1993’s No More Mr. Nice Guy, which garnered an
honorable mention at the Berlin Film Festival and two German Film Prizes. Mr. Buck’s next film, Jailbirds, which he directed and starred in, made stars of the two female leads, Heike Makatsch and Marie Bäumer.
In 2004, he was awarded The German Film Award in Gold as best supporting actor for his role in Berlin Blues, directed by Leander Haußmann. That same year, he played the role of Colonel Kalt in Haußmann’s NVA. In the spring of 2005, Mr. Buck completed another role for Mr. Haußmann in the film adaptation of Schiller’s Love & Intrigue.
Tough Enough is the first feature film Mr. Buck has directed for which he did not also write the script.Selected Filmography /// as Director /// 2006 KNALLHART (Tough Enough) /// 2000 LIEBESLUDER (Bundle of Joy) /// 1998 LIEBE DEINE NÄCHSTE (Love Your Female Neighbor) /// 1996 MÄNNERPENSION (Jailbirds) /// 1993 WIR KÖNNEN AUCH ANDERS (No More Mr. Nice Guy) /// as Actor /// 2005 KABALE & LIEBE (Love & Intrigue) Dir: Leander Haußmann /// 2004 NVA Dir: Leander Haußmann /// 2002 HERR LEHMANN (Berlin Blues) Dir: Leander Haußmann /// 2001 BLUE MOON Dir: Andrea Dusel /// 1999 SONNENALLEE (Sun Alley) Dir: Leander Haußmann /// 1999 DER GROSSE BAGAROZY (The Devil and Ms. D.) Dir: Bernd Eichinger /// 1998 AIMÉE & JAGUAR Dir: Max Färberböck
Polischka / David Kross /// Miriam Polischka / Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen /// Hamal / Erhan Emre /// Erol / Oktay Özdemir /// Barut / Kida Khodr Ramadan /// Crille / Arnel Taci /// Matze / Kai Michael Müller /// Gerber / Hans Löw /// Dr. Klaus Peters / Jan Henrik Stahlberg
Director / Detlev Buck /// Screenplay / Zoran Drvenkar, Gregor Tessnow /// Executive Producer / Claus Boje /// Producer for WDR / Michael André /// Producer for arte / Andreas Schreitmüller /// Line Producers / Sonja Schmitt, Jan Brandt /// Casting / Astrid Rosenfeld /// Director of Photography / Kolja Brandt /// Editor / Dirk Grau /// Sound Recordist / Florian Niederleithinger /// Production Design / Udo Kramer /// Costume Design / Jale Kustaloglu /// Original Music / Bert Wrede /// Sound design / Dirk Jacob
FORMAT 35 mm / 1:1.85 / Colour / Dolby Digital Srd / LENGTH 98 mins / German / Original Title Knallhart
FIPRESCI price in the PANORAMA section – Berlinale 2006 /// Label Europa Cinemas – Berlinale 2006 ///
German Film Award 2006 – Best Film Award In Silver ///
German Film Award 2006 – Best Editing ///
German Film Award 2006 – Best Music
