forest for the trees

i’d like to recommend a small german film called the forest for the trees (2003). i stumbled upon it at the university library and i’m still haunted by it even though many weeks have gone by. the very simple story is about a young woman who, having just been left by her boyfriend, moves to a different town to teach middle school. lonely and friendless, she latches onto another young woman who lives near her. the story of this ill-fated friendship is so painful it is hard to watch. melanie is desperately needy. like needy people everywhere, she does her do all the wrong things and, most pathetically, exudes some indefinable vibe that repels others. the director captures this predicament and its impalpable elements so sharply that, if you have ever been needy, or dealt with a needy person, you’ll cringe. the countless scenes of melanie knocking on tina’s door are harrowing.this works quite well as an example of a woman’s movie that does good. an exploration of neediness that doesn’t turn psycho (as you inevitable expect it to turn any moment) seems to me an exquisitely woman’s theme. there’s something about melanie that is very feminine — and this is captured beautifully by the director. tina and melanie bond (not) over boyfriend gossip and clothes; and melanie’s eagerness of conquering tina’s love through good deed strikes me as exactly what a woman would do. melanie is incredibly vulnerable and incredibly normal. you strain yet fail to like her, and hope you’ll never meet her.