Rabbit Without Ears (German title: Keinohrhasen, lit. "No Ear Rabbits") is a 2007 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger. Co-written by Anika Decker,[1] and starring Nora Tschirner and Schweiger himself, the plot revolves around yellow press reporter Ludo and his ex-classmate Anna, who reconnect after many years when he is sentenced to 300 hours of community service at her day-care facility.
Produced by Barefoot Films and Warner Bros. Germany, the film premiered in theaters across Germany on 20 December 2007, and became a surprise box-office hit, eventually grossing $74,000,000, mostly from its domestic run. By 20 April 2008, Keinohrhasen had reached over six million viewers, ranking it sixth on the list of the most successful German films in Germany since the beginning of the audience census in 1968.[2] Also a critical success,[3] the film was awarded the Goldene Leinwand, a Bogey Award, the Deutscher Comedypreis and a Bambi and received a nomination for the Audience Award at the European Film Awards 2008.[4]
Ludo Decker (Schweiger) is a Berlin-based yellow press reporter. With photographer Moritz, his daily routine is to spy on celebrities for the tabloidDas Blatt. He also uses his work for frequent sexual contacts with his objects of interest.
There he encounters Kindergarten director Anna Gotzlowski (Tschirner), who grew up in the same neighborhood as Ludo and frequently endured his pranks and mockery. She exacts revenge for these childhood torments by assigning him to perform humiliating tasks. With his parole at stake, Ludo has no choice but to comply. Nevertheless, he remains interested in one-night stands and has an affair with Nina, mother of Cheyenne Blue, one of the children in his charge.
Eventually tensions between Anna and Ludo dissipate and the two become friends. When Anna's date with another man goes awry, she appears at Ludo's flat seeking comfort. The two of them end up in bed, yet Anna's hopes that this will develop into something more serious are dashed, as Ludo sees her only as a friend. Anna subsequently meets actor Jürgen Vogel in a park and starts dating him. When she accompanies Vogel to the German Film Awards ceremony, Ludo reports that she is the most beautiful woman in attendance, instead of covering female celebrities his editor-in-chief deems more newsworthy. The editor summarily fires him.
Ludo comes to realize that he feels more for Anna than he had previously thought. During a children's festival at a local theatre, he crashes a performance and professes his love for her, as sits in the audience with the children. Having lost his job at the tabloid, he takes a position at the Kindergarten.
Cast
Til Schweiger as Ludo Decker, a well-known yellow press reporter and libertine who is sentenced to 300 hours of community service in a local daycare facility run by his ex-classmate Anna Gotzlowski.[5]Ludo is Latin for "I play". His character was conceptualized as a "comedic tour de force" for Schweiger.[6]
Nora Tschirner as Anna Gotzlowski, Ludo's ex-classmate and head of a daycare, who initially harbours resentment towards Ludo, having not overcome his teasing over 20 years ago.[5] Schweiger created the role of Anna specifically with Tschirner in mind, citing her "one of the best screen actresses in Germany."[5]
While doing handicraft at the daycare centre, Ludo sews a stuffed rabbit without ears. As Anna criticises him for it, he points at the fact that another rabbit made by the child Cheyenne-Blue has no ears as well. Anna thereupon claims that it is a Keinohrhase, a no-ears rabbit, which is able to hear through its nose. This scene was also used for the first teaser trailer.
A rare earless rabbit born in February 2012 at a zoo in Limbach-Oberfrohna, Saxony was named "Til", in reference to this film's title and its director. The baby rabbit was accidentally crushed when a television cameraman stepped on him, an event that was briefly the subject of international media coverage.[12][13][14]
American remake
In January 2010, Schweiger sold the rights for the US remake of Keinohrhasen to Newmarket Entertainment; he stated he hoped to direct the film and engage Ben Affleck as leading man.[15]
Awards
2008: Goldene Leinwand mit Stern for more than 6 million viewers
2008: Bogey Awards in gold for 3 million viewers within 30 days
