The Boy Needs Some Fresh Air

You know you've made it as one of your country's most famous celebrities when they make a movie about your childhood. Such is All About Me - whose German title translates to The Boy Needs Some Fresh Air - a sweet origin story about Hape Kerkeling, one of Germany's most beloved comedians and television hosts. It's 1972 in Germany's Ruhr Valley and Hape is simply Hans-Peter, a pudgy nine-year-old with a troubled family life; ever since his mother's botched surgery, he has watched her sink into a deep depression, one that eventually leads to her taking her own life. With tragedy hanging over the family, his despondent father leaves Hans-Peter in the care of his kind-hearted grandmothers, whose love and care make it possible for the young lad to survive the emotional turmoil and use his natural comedic talents to heal his own wounds - all while making people laugh along with him. Maybe this kid has something going on! Based on Kerkeling's best-selling autobiography and marvelously handled by Oscar®-winning director Caroline Link, All About Me is an entertaining, sincere coming-of-age story about the therapeutic potential of laughter. (Seattle International Film Festival)