A Friend of Mine (2006 film)

A Friend of Mine Ein Freund von mir is a 2006 German drama comedy feature film written and directed by Sebastian Schipper who is a performer as well as a director and screenwriter.bettersourceneeded The casting was held in Hamburg and filmed in Berlin, Dsseldorf, Hamburg, and Barcelona. The film tells the story of Karl played by Daniel Brhl, an insurance executive, and his friendship with the freespirited Hans Jurgen Vogel whom he meets after being assigned to spy on a questionable car rental service by his boss. The film was released in theatres in Germany on October 7, 2006 and had a budget of around 2,700,000.

The scenes where Karl and Hans are driving the fancy sports cars were meant to not only to represent the car culture in Germany but also to give the audience a taste of freedom, a hint of the same experience as Karl. After one particular evening the two are driving down the autobahn stark naked and upon reaching their destination Hans puts on Karls clothes instead of his own. The two characters switching clothes is not just done for comedic purposes but also to symbolize the new role Karl has assumed during this assignment given to him by his real boss back at the insurance company. He is symbolically walking in the shoes of Hans.The conversation between Karl and Stelle where they converse in Spanish in front of Hans, who doesnt speak Spanish and is unaware of what is happening, is important because it marks the point where the lonely, quiet Karl is finally stepping out of his shell and opening up. They begin by playing a game of roleplay in Spanish directed by Hans. At one point in the conversation he tells her that her father must have been a thief because hers are stars that someone must have stolen from the sky. And then Karl finally confesses his love for Stelle all unbeknownst to Hans. ........

Source: Wikipedia