Warning: contains small SPOILERS.

While other countries have produced excellent coming-out movies such as 'Beautiful Thing', 'Krámpack' or 'Get Real', Germany always lacked a gay film that wasn't either totally hilarious or utterly problem-ridden. Then came director Marco Kreuzpaintner and he 'got real': The plot, the language the characters use, the way they behave are just very realistic and natural (for the most part anyway).

Kreuzpaintner is able to capture the feelings of the protagonists in a very subtle and convincing way. Apart from some minor flaws - like the catholic girls-group from Saxony, which is a little overdone - the dialogues could very well have been taken out of today's Germany. It really makes you feel you're right there in the tent camp. This is no wonder, since the director, who is also co-author of the script, is himself only 27 and wove many of his personal experience into the story.

As for the actors, I was equally impressed, especially by Robert Stadlober who plays the part of Tobi (the main role). Much more than in his previous roles ('Sonnenallee', 'Crazy') he is able to convincingly portray the insecurities that come with growing up. The 'sex-scene' for example, where Tobi loses his virginity with Leo (Marlon Kittel), is played in a very straightforward way. Unlike what you see in many other movies, it is not corny but quite down-to-earth with its suddenness and banality. The rest of the cast also did a great job and apparently put their hearts into the film.

But it's not just about a boy coming to terms with his being gay. It's a movie about youth, about growing up, about respect, and about broadening your horizon. And it's dead funny, too!

I have seen the movie twice in two separate preview screenings in southern Germany. The first time, the audience was almost exclusively gay, the second time almost completely straight. And the thing is: both times the crowd was equally thrilled, and the movie as well as the director got long ovations. So I guess 'Sommersturm' has the makings of an all-audiences film that is not only very entertaining but also heart warming and touching. It can help straight kids to better understand what it's like to grow up gay. And it can help gay kids to develop self-confidence and pride.

Personally, I think teachers should take their classes to see this movie. And for everyone who doesn't go to school anymore, go see it anyway and enjoy!

10 out of 10

Sommersturm (Summer Storm) is about Tobi and Achim who have been best friends for years. As cox and oarsman, they have helped their team win several rowing cups in the past and are now looking forward to the big regatta in the countryside. But this trip is no summer camp, and the problems soon arise. As Achim's relationship with his girlfriend grows more serious, Tobi starts to realise that his feelings for Achim run deeper than he's willing to admit to himself. He feels confused, unsure of himself and increasingly left out. When the much-anticipated Berlin girls' team is being replaced by a team of athletic,young gay men, Tobi and his teammates are suddenly forced to grapple with their prejudices, fears and perhaps their hidden longings. As the tension grows, Tobi, Achim and the others head towards a confrontation as fierce and ultimately as liberating as the summer storm gathering over the lake...

"Summer Storm" is an emotionally mature and honest film which deals with the issue of coming out with humour, sensitivity and understanding. The performances are excellent, with the actors and actresses tending to underplay emotions rather than hamfisting them home, which tends to happen in American teen dramas. The performance by the award winning Robert Stadlober (Best Leading Actor at the Montreal Film Festival, 2001) was particularly standout. All characters are identifiable and likable, and although some characters verge on the cliché, clichés are clichés because they originated in truth.

Director, Marco Kreuzpaintner and cinematographer Daniel Gottschalk make the landscape lush, tranquil, yet with a strong sense of isolation, loneliness and foreboding. Visual metaphors are seamlessly woven into the films narrative without becoming too cliché or distracting.

The film is un-hyperbolic in its treatment of the familiar themes of coming of age, the search for identity, friendship and sexuality (both homosexuality and heterosexuality). Sommersturm is a beautiful, moving and honest film.

I had the opportunity to watch SOMMERSTURM at the Rio Movie Festival two weeks ago - with the presence of director Marco Kreuzpaintner - and everyone just loved the movie! It was a big, big success here in Rio, not only for the gay crowd but specially for the straight crowd ! It's a very funny, sexy, artistic and young (but still mature) movie, that perfectly shows the process of discovery of sexuality, with all the good and bad aspects of it. It portraits gay and straight boys and girls naturally, just as they are and the interesting (and incredibly funny) interaction between them. Robert Stadlober is in great shape acting, as well as the whole of the cast. And the soundtrack couldn't be better, both in the happy times and the sad ones!

SOMMERSTURM is the kind of movie that everyone - and I mean everyone (except for small children) - should watch, not only because it's a wonderful movie and great fun, but specially because it treats the subject of homosexuality in a natural, sensible and incredibly mature manner. For those who still have some prejudice towards different sexual orientations, it's a soft learning lesson... Congratulations to the film team!

Summer Storm is a remarkably sensitive and entertaining film, a drama about sexual orientation with stellar acting, plenty of comic relief, and the touching moments that make this movie worth a second or third visit. Within minutes, I was captivated by the main characters, reliving my own doubts in those beautiful days between high school and reality.

Those looking for an erotic homosexual expose of yet another ''coming out'' will probably be disappointed. The interaction of the sexes is both subtle and natural, damn normal, as it should be. Few films let you forget your own sexual orientation and draw you into the scene through the sheer power of love and affection. The tears, joys and pain of youth are vividly painted on a backdrop of beautifully photographed scenes that are both authentically modern and nostalgically overpowering. These are the friends you want to meet on your next canoe trip or wished you had met at summer camp 40 years ago.

Summer Storm is perhaps the best German film in decades, a quiet film that steals your heart. American audiences have had to wait a bit longer to finally see it. In Germany, the film was rated PG-12. The US version is rated R. That says something about the progress (or lack of) in dealing with films that address sexuality. US audiences can deal with ''Sex and the City'' and ''Six Feet Under'' but don't dare let our kids see a movie that might help them find their sexual identity. Personally, I can't think of a better film as an introduction to sex education, in grade school. I highly recommend watching the film with your teen-aged son or daughter. They can explain the parts you didn't quite catch.

First of all, it's incredible that a movie about a summer camp would come out that has a group of teenagers acting like REAL teens, not the idiots you see either in gross-out summer comedies based solely on bathroom and bodily-fluid humor, or with a dozen or more skeevy slackers getting high, getting laid and then getting hacked to bits by some guy in a mask bought from Chammps Sporting Goods.

Viewed at the same Gay Pride Film Festival here in D.C., it was a good opportunity to compare this--a little more serious coming-of-age drama, to the light and fluffy French sex romp "Cote d'Azure." Too bad something like SUMMER STORM isn't made more often here in the States.

It's summer time, and Tobi (the engaging Robert Stadlober) is in a seething state of sexual confusion. He wants to have sex with a girl, but his strongest feelings are reserved for his best bud Achim, (Kostja Ullmann), who in turn is having a hot-and-heavy romance with girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern). Meantime, carrying the torch for Tobi is the heartbreakingly beautiful Anke (Alicja Batchleda-Curus), who has absolutely no idea where her intended's head is at. At least, not at first.

The four teens are all on rowing teams, and their coach takes them all to camp, to bond and train for the seasonal rowing trials. Among the rival teams is an all-gay team, the "Queerstrokers," who will soon prove instrumental in the awakening of Tobi, helping him realize who he is and eventually to reconcile the lopsided love triangle he is involved in, which can only produce consequences destined to bring about an unhappy ending.

Not to make the film sound too serious, but it deals with the themes of sexual confusion, exploration and discovery in a natural and non-judgmental way that is so lacking in most American features of this genre. The casting of the actors is just about perfect, as they all look, sound and perform like you would imagine German teens would, who are not that much different from any other young people their age anywhere in the world.

Even if the audience of SUMMER STORM isn't gay, it deals effectively with the kind of emotions and situations that all adults can relate to, back when they were younger, and kids who are the same age as the film's characters can identify with now.

A well-made coming-of-age tale for everyone (except for conservative prudes and pre-teens), definitely worth your time.

today "sommersturm" is coming out on DVD in Germany, i already ordered it on amazon.de and have been in cinema two times. the movie is about a 18year-old boy who begins to feel for his best friend, who is already having a relationship to a girl. they are all in a boat team and go for a championship (the filming locations are in my town so its cool to see). in the camp the feelings of the actors are "coming out". before seeing it i could not imagine that this movie would feel so real an touch so much. but it is the working of the great actors, a beautiful soundtrack, very good camera and s strong story. the camera work supports the story in so many ways, the picture you see tells so much. but the movie is not only touching, its also extremely funny, but not in the way that its make fun of gay people, its understanding so its still touching. i cant wait to see this movie again. sad that only a few saw it, believe me, its one of the funniest, most touching and best filmed German movies. nothing else than 10/10

A wonderful movie, being gay myself I really saw myself in the protagonist. It's been a long time that I have seen a German film, that is so authentic and honest, really it was nearly like a documentary, you really feel like being there as well.

It's one of the rare film in which everything fits together, the acting, the music, the dramatic art, the fun, the dialogs.

The acting is outstanding. Robert Stadlober is so convincing. You really can feel it when he's desperate or angry.

The music was touching and moving, there are wonderful scenes when the camera floats over the lake while it rains and this wonderful sad classical music is played. So beautiful...

I think the director did a wonderful job, he - being gay and young himself - of course also knew what it's like growing up and discovering your homosexuality as Tobi does.

Clichés and stereotypes are discussed by the actors themselves. :-)

For gay people it's a must as everyone surely can partly see oneself in Tobi and for straight people it's a great chance to broaden their horizons as they can learn about the difficulty of growing up while being "different".

It's a real honest film.

Go and see it! It's 10/10 from me!

Nevermind that this is a movie about same-sex adulation. The bittersweet movie features a stellar performance by its lead Robert Stadlober as Tobi and explores his road to self-discovery and identity through his long-standing secret admiration and love for his best pal, Achim. The dilemma that Tobi faced in trying to come to terms with his own sexuality is well-handled by Stadlober.

Set against a rowing competition camp trip, the movie isn't always hardhearted but offers some comedy along the way. Some moviegoers might have complained about the stereotypical gay characters in the movie, but actually, it's quite the opposite. There is a good mix of gay characters and contrast is definitely showcased. The cinematography is also splendid.

I have seen many German films already, but this one beats them all! It's beautiful, it's sad, it's funny, it's tragic, it's warm, sunny and lovely. Just wonderful and a pleasure to watch.

The plot can be told very quickly: Tobi and Achim live in a Bavarian village, are the best of friends and also together in a rowing team. But Tobi has a secret: He is in love with Achim, doesn't dare to tell him of course and is jealous of Sandra, Achim's girlfriend. When Tobi, Achim and their team travel to a competition (which at the same time is a camp) and meet a gay rowing team there, the emotions boil over and soon Tobi has to face the truth and find out who he is.

To sum it up: This film is a masterpiece and in my opinion should be officially one of the best films of all times. It is filmed in a very quiet way, with calm shots of nature, of teenagers, their dreams, fears and emotions, but also their conflicts. It takes teenagers seriously without being too serious and deals with homosexuality, coming out and coming of age without drowning in clichés. Plus it has some hilarious comic situations and great one liners in it. One could say: The movie shows pure life, for life is sometimes fun, sometimes tragic, sometimes beautiful and sometimes hard. Also everyone, from the protagonists to minor characters is casted perfectly and you have some of the most talented young German actors of our time here: Robert Stadlober, Marlon Kittel, and Hanno Koffler. "Sommersturm" – a terrific piece of art that you can't help falling in love with.

It's one of those 'coming of age-movies' to give a special place on the mantelpiece: the German movie Sommersturm or Summer Storm as it is called in English. It tells about a group of young people. Tobi is inseparable from his friend Achim. They jog together, they jerk off together and they join the same rowing club. And they make plans for a journey. But then there is love. Achim falls in love with Sandra, but Tobi has his eye on Achim. Achim doesn't want to have anything to do with gays and doesn't know about the secret love of his friend for him.

The climax comes during the preparations for a rowing contest. Tobi's and Achim's group will compete with other rowing clubs. Before the actual contest they meet the other groups during a training camp. When it becomes clear that one of the competing clubs exists of only gay men, the only issue the others will talk about is homosexuality. In a negative way of course. That doesn't make things easier for Tobi. He is confronted with his own denial constantly. It's really beautiful to see the rapprochement between him and one of the members of the gay rowing club. The scene when Tobi experiences his own real sexuality is fabulous. Moving is the confession of his homosexuality to the other members of his club. The final reaction of his fellow rowers is fabelhaft, using a good German word.

The danger with this type of movie when young people discover they are gay is that clichés will be used. Fortunately, in Sommersturm that doesn't happen very often. The movie was made with passion for the issue of homosexuality and there is a good balance between seriousness and humor. Therefore the movie is 'suitable' for gays and straights.

As a gay boy, this film is the most amazing depiction of youth homosexuality I've ever seen. I was bored during Brokeback Mountain and uncaptivated by the popular British coming out movies such as Beautiful Thing and Get Real. This one is just so beautiful: the power of the movie kept me watching it again and again. After watching, it put me into a trance that lasted days, and every time I think of it I feel emotions rumbling in my stomach.

The movie is somewhat of a wonderful fantasy re-enforced by the beautiful actors, music and landscape. You feel so close to these characters immediately, perhaps because you yearn to be there with them. The Queerschlag was what made the movie so special for me. These are the friends you so dearly needed in high school, a period which was so lonely for most gay teens. The dancing scene, the evening rowing shot (Oli hugging Leo), and the dock roughhousing scene almost seem like those perfect memories that never actually happened. That's what made the movie so emotional for me. What I would give to find friends like that and have such an experience..

I would dream about drinking and dancing at a beautiful Bavarian lake like the Queerschlag did. Good friendships with other gay boys is something that many gays miss out on--for some, other gay boys are only for relationships and sex. Though the Queerschlag had many different kinds of gays, in all shapes and sizes (manly, feminine, sensitive, overtly sexual) they all seemed comfortable with each other and shared the magic of gay friendship. This is the way it should be when growing up gay. Of course gay men encounter difficulties because those same friendships are always complicated by crushes and relationships and the problems that ensue. Oli seemed to fancy Leo, and was jealous of Tobi for stealing him away. The two Niels were boyfriends. I wonder if straight audiences noticed these things...that were so obvious to me. We all feel sorry for poor Anke, but what about Oli?

The acting in the movie is superb. Anke, Tobi, and Leo are marvelously played. Leo (Marlon Kittel) is simply adorable, the sensitive way he courts Tobi is so wonderful. The love scene on the dock is the most beautiful I've ever seen: it is so innocent and pure and gives you true butterflies. We've all been desensitized by porn, but the scene is so different and will simply astound you by it's magic. One can't help but fall in love with Leo in every scene he's in.

This movie had an profound impact on my life and how I see the world. It is melancholic and nostalgic in subtle ways that just overpowered me. The innocence of the movie is captivating. I have shown this movie to many friends and they have all loved it. Simply Magical!

Tobi, a teenager in a rowing team, is about to discover his latent homosexuality and his love for his close friend Achim, during a rowing contest, under the catalytic presence of a gay rowing group from Berlin.

Although the film borrows many plot elements from movies like "Was nutzt die Liebe in Gedanken" and "Krampack" (i.e. boy loves boy who loves girls) it copes with creating an exceptional coming-out film composition. The admixtures of German eastern and southern dialects and accents, the comic characters like the coach, the simple humorous stereotypes resulting from clueless-Oberbayern meeting Gay-Berlin and finally the summer storm of sexual consciousness forcing Tobi and the groups of teenagers to seek new balances, create a unique and simple German version of these topics.

As remarks could be mentioned that too much of accents is not as funny for us foreigners, the end is relatively open and the main character depicts sometimes too selfish and ignorant.

Film is Excellent - 10 of 10.

Two best friends go on a summer-camp. One of them, Tobi is in love with his friend and cannot stand him having a girlfriend. When a gay rowing-team arrives, the storm begins...

The movie is very touching, but a bit predictable. It does succeed in showing all the factors that come in to play, when someone 'comes out'. Moreover, the characters are mostly very likable.

It's a good movie that shows you gay boys, straight boys and girls, the prejudices about gayness, and just a feel good movie in the end. A must for young people and their parents as an educational movie.

p.s. The curly boy was nice as well.

Being German I really appreciate the authenticity of the movie. Given the fact that director Marco Kreuzpaintner was in his late 20s when he wrote the script and that it was nearly autobiographical, the story takes place in the early 1990s when he was 17-18 years old, and everything from the worn 1970s bus they use for their journey in the beginning to the lack of cell-phones (no way for a teenager to hide in the forest nowadays - just call him and the ringing will tell you which tree he sits on ;) !!) exactly fits into this period of time. It was also the early 1990 when more and more exclusively gay-lesbian sports-clubs occurred in the bigger cities over here (for soccer, scuba-diving, rowing, etc.), and they almost always use some kind of a pun for their names("Vorspiel" (foreplay), "Gaysha" (Karate)), to name a few), just like Queerschlag did, which exists in reality to this very day. On that background, my reception of the movie is that it is more about Tobi's love for Achim than about his coming out. Tobi has fallen in love with his best friend, and that is something that is happening to young gays all the time. It is a very painful process when you have to realize that your mate, who shared his time and feelings with you for years and years, other than yourself will not be able to turn that friendship into love and sexual tenderness. Tobi's coming out at the end is only the result of the fact that he learned that Achim will never be able to love him the way he does and that he has to accept this. So after all this movie is both about accepting heterosexual and homosexual love. By the way, as some of the posters here misunderstood, the "lake" were the story takes place is in fact a 100+ years old reservoir (thats why you see the sandy banks in summer), and it is not in Bavaria, but in an area called "Bergisches Land" a few hundred miles north of Bavaria (if you want to find it in Google Earth, search for "Wipperfürth").

Strange film grace of his original beauty. The essence is self-discover of a teenager but, not his obsessive love for his friend, the ambiguity of feelings, the moral end or the fight with himself, the contact with the "others" are important . The essence is the splendid art to tell, in honest way, with delicate images and ordinary scenes the evolution of a crisis, the gestures of a age, the love as miracle, the fixation and desire of an outsider for who his self-image and the opinion of friends is the fundamental punishment.

To be yourself like horrible sin.

It is not a original story but this film is great for the subtle science to discover, without pity, compassion or masks a real slice of existence.

The love for an Achim or the desire for be normal in a homophobic society are not only artistic themes and the message of film is, in fact, to be a model to self definition, a subject to meditation, a point to search of truth against others, against yourself.

Only, the commercial happy-end. The shadows are not a so short life. But, the intentions , the honesty of work, the game with lights and the good interpretation are more important.

This is by far one of these best gay-themed films I have seen since "Beautiful Thing" (released in 1996) - and one of the best films (of any kind) that I have watched since "Crash".

You will laugh out loud, and cry as you feel the agony Tobi endures while coming to terms with his sexuality. Tobi (played flawlessly by Robert Stadlober) is the leader of his rowing team, and looked up to by his teammates for leadership. When his team is up against another rowing team comprised of an all-gay team, his inner feelings are realized. Tobi deals with his feelings and love for his best friend Achim, and eventually deals with the complications of coming out to him. All the while dealing with confused emotions for his girlfriend and a new boy he meets on the opposing team.

The film is genuine, well-directed, well-acted and goes head-on with the painful emotions most younger people must face when trying to understand their sexuality. THIS STORY IS REAL! And proves once again that we truly cannot help who we fall in love with. Love is about following your heart - it's about people, not the sex of the individual's involved.

The movie hails from Germany, and is in German with English subtitles. Even with having to read the film to understand it, the talent of the young actors shines through.

Not only was I impressed by the story, even the movies scenes and settings were delightful. Kudos to here! Films, Genius Products and Liberation Entertainment for producing this movie. It's a shame Hollywood USA can't (or doesn't have the courage) to produce this quality and style of film.

This film immediately vaulted itself into the very top of my favorite gay-themed movies list after only one viewing. It's simply terrific, offering humor and heartache in equal servings. The acting from all the characters is brilliant, and like other viewers, I particularly liked the subtle and sensitive performance of Marlon Kittel in the role of Leo, as well as Alicja Bachleda-Curus's performance as Anke. I wish that the U.S. had the depth or courage to produce films like this. It seems most of my favorite gay-themed movies are foreign films. Others have gone into all the plot points and developments, so I won't rehash them, but I will touch on one thing I loved, and a couple of other viewers noted it as well... There is a lengthy scene late in the movie (chapter 17 on the DVD to be exact) that, for nearly two dialog-free minutes, allows the camera to fade in and out of varying scenes, from the introspective despair of Achim, lying by his girlfriend and obviously hurting over the loss of his best friend Tobi, to a series of scenes of the lake and the land in a rainstorm. Each of these scenes has a single focal point, whether a ball floating on the lake or a ladder on the side of a dock... it's a stunning montage from a cinematography standpoint, and the whole scene is accompanied by an incredibly beautiful, haunting melody on a cello. It's perfect, and I could have easily watched this scene in rapt attention had it carried on for another couple of minutes.

It has been half a year since I've seen the movie but I am still convinced that it is certainly as good as 'Beautiful Thing', that other iconic feel-good movie.

Let's start with some criticism: the discussion among the teammates from the QueerSchlag, the gay rowing team, about clichés is a cliché in itself. It seems like every self-respecting gay-themed movie has to criticize the clichés (feminism, sex-addiction, masculinity...). Marlon Kitel, who plays the sensitive Leo, sees his character reduced to being the politically correct gay. But how I loved that character

The good news is that this was the only thing that bothered me in this film. The best news is that the actors are great, not only are they stunningly beautiful and skilled in their acting, I didn't get shivers from the German they were using. Which is a rare thing :-)

The imagery is enchanting, naturalistic. Of course, the lake takes the credits for that. The music fits in nicely, although you might call "Go West" 'over the top'.

The story is definitely a positive one, although it is positive in shades. It shows some of the darker sides of the coming of age of a Gay teen, dreams are shattered, new hopes and fears are displayed without being explicitly mentioned. You have to chew some of the material yourself, which is good... at least it keeps you busy once you've seen the movie.

I saw it twice and am eagerly awaiting to get my hands on a DVD (sold out already here) to have a third and possible fourth screening. It is one of those films that makes you soft in the end. Food for the soul. Soulfood.

Teenage hormones are at peak level in this nice little German film 'Sommersturm' or 'Summer Storm' and the result is a set of mini-crises that tumble young people all the time: first sexual attraction, the ambiguity of close friendships, the trials and lessons of first sexual encounters, and the manner in which teenagers survive their sexual decisions amongst their peers.

Director Marco Kreuzpaintner and writer (with Thomas Bahmann) set this attractive coming of age film on the playing field of crewing, a sport that demands full attention and intense cooperation from every team mate. Two teams from Bavaria, one of boys and the other of girls, take off for a summer camp training session where they encounter another crew from Berlin, a crew that just happens to be composed of gay young boys. The Bavarian boys' crew team is lead by two long-term friends - Tobi (Robert Stadlober) and Achim (Kostja Ullmann) - and while their friendship is strong, Tobi is discovering that his feelings for Achim go far deeper. The two share stories about their girlfriends - Anke (and beautiful Alicja Bachleda-Curus) and Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern) who head the girl's crew team. At the summer camp Tobi's feelings for Achim deepen and the influence of the team of very handsome young gay boys on the opposing team only serve to heighten the tension. Tobi eventually has an encounter with a particularly tender and understanding Leo (Marlon Kittel) and as the questions begin to arise a violent storm makes the entire group flee for cover. The manner in which Tobi comes out to his team and to Achim is the very tender dénouement of the story. The storm raging in Tobi (as well as in other members of the team) settles into the aftermath.

Some viewers may find this film too explicit for general viewing but for this viewer the encounters all around remain tasteful and touching. The director seems to be telling us that the 'first experience', whether that is gay or straight, is or can be traumatic as well as fulfilling. The cast does well: there are many very beautiful young boys and girls who play their roles with a natural simplicity and allure. For a young director (only 29 years old and this is his fifth film) Kreutzpainter seems to have a solid future.

I love to hear the loud thunders and smell the fresh air during and after the rain in the summertime. This picture captured the essence of a beautiful summer. The cinematography is excellent. A few scenes are like perfect still photos with the sound of the rain. Just by watching that movie makes me thinking about raining nights in the summer time.

Hollywood can never make a movie about so many gay teenagers. It is OK to have one or two gay teenagers in a movie, but if Hollywood ever makes a big movie such as this one, i am sure that the movie studio will have tons of complains from all kinds of religious fanatics.

There was only one scene that didn't seem to be possible. After Tobi had sex with another guy from the gay team, somehow his girlfriend was waiting for him in the bush right by the lake as if she knew that he will definitely walks pass by that area.

Overall, this is a refreshing movie that many teenagers and grown-ups can relate to, the anxiety, the first time, the sex drive, fear of being rejected, etc. Since I have never seen those actors on screen before, that makes this movie even more authentic. Just like everything, there is always an end. I felt a little sad that this movie had to end, as if a part of their lives have became a part of my memory. I can only imagine what would happen to them after the summer was over.

I never wanted to watch this movie. In the year when it came out, the trailer was playing constantly for at least 5 months and it really looked bad. The trailer made this movie look like it was soaked with clichés.

I finally watched this movie today and I am truly impressed. Sure, the main storyline is the coming-out story, but it is really well done and also there is so much more to this movie.

Most of the characters are well rounded, they all have their flaws and strengths. The gay guys aren't presented as saints and the heterosexuals are no ignorant gay-bashing crowd. It would have been so easy to make this movie play like a gay vs. straight story in which the straight team bullies the gays and the gays gain confidence (in fact, this is what the trailer made the film look like). But that's not the story here. On a group-level, it is a story of heterosexuals overcoming their insecurity with homosexuals and gays taking a look behind their own stereotypes.

The coming-out-storyline is pretty common stuff. There is nothing really new here but it is still well done. What made this movie really hit me hard and bring me to tears was the coming-of-age story that goes along with it. Rarely ever have I seen a movie that captures so well how beautiful it is to be young and how much it hurts when your best friendship is torn apart by growing up and falling in love. The scene in which Toby is close to panic because he knows that his friend Achim split from the group in order to have sex with his girlfriend made me remember my own youth and how jealous I got when a good friend of mine suddenly had a girlfriend. I believe that the most painful aspect of this scene is not only that he is in love with Achim himself, but that there is a feeling of loss.

Sure, you know you are being selfish and jealous by not wanting your friend to have sex. You know, you wouldn't act any differently. But knowing that right there and then it might all change and you might lose him to another person and experiencing this fear.... I really know and understand this feeling. And when Toby goes looking for them even though he knows he shouldn't and watches them the scene almost broke my heart.

The great thing about this movie is that you cannot only appreciate it on a homosexual level, but also on a plain friendship-level. I am pretty sure that while watching this movie, everybody will remember his youth sentimentally, the innocence, what it was like at the time when we realized that we soon would be free to do whatever we wanted and plans we made. And then... that dreadful experience just a little while later when we had to understand that the prize for this freedom was the loss of our innocence and the end of the carefree days.

This movie understands youth and treats it seriously. It is warm, funny, sentimental, sad, romantic, sexy and truly beautiful. I really hope that the gay element does not turn too many people off before watching it, because as I said, there is a lot more to it and these people will miss a perfect gem.

I have seen a few coming-out films by now, and Sommersturm (2004) is the most realistic one. This does not automatically mean the best. Without revealing too much of the story I think that the ending is sufficiently happy. It is not a fairytale ending with everyone getting their loved one, rather it is a promising ending: the first step is taken, it went fairly well... the end. The obstacles that are waiting (parents, for example) are not dealt with.

The acting is good (a few minor characters excluded). I especially like Stadlober who give an excellent display of a "confused" young man, and all the pain that comes with that. The moment he says the words "... because I'm gay" for the first time ever, it is a moment of rebirth, how his face seconds afterward tells us that suddenly several tons of mental garbage went away. Wonderful!

Just as a note I must add that the photo is very good. Several nice and well composed shots in the film and they give emphasis to the emotions on display.

So a realistic and beautiful film of the initial phase of coming out (accepting it yourself), well acted and with a suitable mix of humor, drama and romantic moments (never corny and suitably erotic for this kind of film) - thats my summary of the film. Well worth seeing.

Summer Storm ('Sommersturm') is a German coming-of-age film written and directed by Marco Kruezpaintner, starring Robert Stadlober. The film chronicles a week in a rowing regatta where the main character, Tobi (Stadlober) questions the depth of his feelings for best friend Achim (Kostja Ullmann) whilst attempting to juggle a "normal" relationship with girlfriend Anke (Alicja Bachleda-Curus). Tobi's confusion is exacerbated with the arrival of rowing team 'The Queerstrokes', who are all out and proud, and an impending summer storm.

Despite an occasional music video feel, specifically a cheesy music sequence of the landscape, Kruezpaintner employs some rather striking shots in the film. From a fallen tree, literally isolating Tobi from everyone; to Tobi letting loose and jumping off a lake dock, and, to the actual 'summer storm', Kruezpaintner displays intelligent visual metaphors for the internal confusion and fear that builds up within Tobi.

Even more impressive are the performances, with Stadlober perhaps channelling his own experiences (he is openly bisexual) into the difficult, and sometimes selfish, character of Tobi. Also notable is Marlon Kittel's courageous and poignant performance as Leo, the 'Queerstrokes' member who helps Tobi accept his sexuality.

What is most surprising about Summer Storm, however, is how it is perhaps aimed just as much towards Queer Film Festival critics as it is to teens. It is both a teen dramedy with honest performances and sensitive direction, and a foreign art-house flick housing a killer soundtrack and frat-boy culture.

All involved should be congratulated on presenting a film that is both honest with the psyche of homosexual teenagers, whilst still accessible enough to appeal to most (mature) audiences. A definite winner!

Markus Stadlober is simply great. Even at his age, he is already a great actor. The movie ïtself is really good. I had to go to see the movie 2 times in a row. A beautiful love story about a boy falling in love with his best (but heterosexual) friend. A competition gay sport team is helping to find himself. Markus aka Tobias is taken the far away the most important decision in his teenage life. Boys are having their first sexual affairs in they lives. An open minded movie! But one big warning: If you hate gays, do not go, for you it would be a waste of time. But if you can over it, you will see one of the best Eupean movies of the last years.

Gay coming-out movies tend to go for the boring cliché of the nice gay protagonist going for the secret "straight" love-interest, fighting against the evil society, and then triumphing and living happily ever after.

Not this one. The main character, Tobi, isn't very nice or likable. He's confused, but most of all he is jealous and angry because Achim isn't doing what he wishes. The gay rowing team members aren't very nice, they're actively mocking the other "hillbilly" teams and harassing Schorsi. Achim is obviously more interested in Sandra than anything else in the world. That most characters are egocentric assholes makes them a lot more real and believable and makes this movie far more interesting than watching yet another version of good-gays-and-token-fag-hag vs. evil-straight-people.

Some people think that unlikable main characters is a flaw, and that this therefore is a bad movie, but I much rather prefer these gray-scale characters, because in reality, not everyone is nice, and not everything is black or white.