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Burning Beds

GER 1988, 83 min

Harry (Ian Dury), a drummer and pyromaniac who likes to play with fire, and German car mechanic Gina (Pia Frankenberg) are forced to share an apartment due to Hamburg’s housing shortage. Pia Frankenberg’s film takes up the challenge of opposite interests – Screwball-Comedy made in Hamburg!

Synopsis

Gina is German. It is a known fact that a German man’s love of cars is stronger than his interest in the opposite sex. Gina has a dual strategy against this state of affairs: as a vehicle inspector she joyfully seizes her opportunities to take revenge on man and machine, while in her private life she devotes herself to the previously missed sexual revolution. Everything Gina does is done with German accuracy. “I’m British, my dear!” says Harry, refering to self-control, discretion, restraint. Qualities that were always useful to him as a drummer waiting for the right moment to strike. But Harry doesn’t just want to blow people’s minds, he wants to shake the world. Explosions are his passion. A firework set off at the wrong time triggers the break-up with his wife in London and drives him to Hamburg. More precisely, into an apartment share with Gina, who plans to get rid of him right away. It’s the beginning of a wonderful enmity, with Harry, who is well experienced in marital conflicts, and relationship-terrorist Gina proving to be equal opponents.

Streaming-Info

Rent or buy the movie on our Vimeo channel. For other providers, see “Watch Movie”.
Language: German and English, Subtitles: English, French, German

Awards and Festivals

- Internationale Hofer Filmtage 1988
- Vevey International Funny Film Festival, 1988, „Großer Publikumspreis“ und „Spezialpreis der Jury“
- Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin 1989

Galerie Extras

Original lobby cards from BURNING BEDS

PDF

Original press kit of BURNING BEDS and vinyl cover of the original motion picture soundtrack

Credits

Director and Screenplay
Pia Frankenberg
With
Ian Dury, Pia Frankenberg, Gerhard Garbers, Frances Tomelty, Christiane Carstens, René Schoenenberger, Susanne Schäfer, Lutz Förster, Werner Eichhorn, Klaus Wyborny
Director of Photography
Raoul Coutard
Editor
Bettina Böhler
Music
Horst Mühlbradt
Set Design
Christian Bussmann
Costume Design
Sabine Jesse
Production Manager
Jan-Michael Brandt
Artistic Advice
Thomas Struck
Producer
Pia Frankenberg
Production
Pia Frankenberg Musik- und Filmproduktion
In collaboration with
Bayrischen Rundfunk (BR)
Premiere (GER)
1988, Internationale Hofer Filmtage
German Theatrical Release
November 1988

DVD-Details

PIA FRANKENBERG - FILME
DVD box with the restored versions of the three feature films Noisy Martha (1985, 87 min), Burning Beds (1988, 83 min), Never sleep again (1992, 92 min) and the two short films Sehnsucht nach dem ganz Anderen (1981, 13 min) and Der Anschlag (1984, 9 min).
Extras
Location-Tours (Hamburg and Berlin) with Pia Frankenberg, original theatrical trailer, Booklet (12 pages)
Language  
German
Subtitles
English, French
Country Code
0
System
PAL, Color + b/w
Length
259 min + 82 min Extras
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Sound Format
Dolby Digital 2.0
Set Content
3 DVDs (slimboxes) in a slipcase, 1 Booklet
Release Date
14.12.2023
Rating (FSK)
12

Distribution Details

German theatrical distribution
Deutsche Kinemathek