Hof - It is called "The Black Square" as one of the most famous modern paintings by the Russian Kazimir Malevich. Banauss shake their heads at the fact that its value is estimated at 60 million. The audience at the Hof Film Festival has been curling up with laughter about the film of the same name since yesterday evening.
It is actually about that black image that is briefly visible at the beginning on a museum wall and then disappeared - stolen. Two crooks, Vincent and Nils, want to get up and away with it, and it is to be sold on a cruise ship. Because the supplier of tickets and passports is stuck in a traffic jam, the duo has to assume the identity of two entertainers and goes on board as impersonators of Bowie and Elvis. They bring the picture through customs with the information that the five-year-old daughter painted it, whereupon the inspecting officer replies that his child is four and can already see houses and trees.
Even later, the black square is still good for some jokes. A chimpanzee could have painted it, they say, but also - how funny is that - that it finally frees art from the ballast of the objective world. In any case, the sea and cruise, during which many paths cross and are extensively deceived and whispered, is extremely funny. All of them only want one thing, and sometimes via someone else's bed: they want the stolen picture.
The 34-year-old Peter Meister, whose work has so far only comprised four short films, wrote and directed “The Black Square”. As a co-producer, next to the Arte broadcaster, the “Little ZDF television game”, which is considered boring, appears, which will probably hit the jackpot. The cast headed by Bernhard Schütz (Vincent) and Jacob Matschenz (Nils) is definitely brilliant. The third member of the group is Sandra Hüller, who received a European film award for her role in "Toni Erdmann". Here she walks as a comedian with a scowl over corpses. The plot is totally over the top, but is refined by poetry and a touch of tragedy, the slapstick in the turbulent finale is terrific.
In the end, the black picture appears to be hanging back in its place in the museum. It smells weird though - kind of like urine. The viewers know why and are thievingly happy.