Walk to Syracuse at filmforum Duisburg: An evening between wanderlust and freedom

An evening filled with wanderlust, desire for freedom, and quiet tragicomedy

Walk to Syracuse brings an extraordinary story to the screen of filmforum Duisburg: a man who escaped from the GDR and yet was the only one to return. The film tells the story of Paul Gompitz, played by Charly Hübner, of longing, borders, and the risky dream of reaching Sicily.

Between Departure and Return

The source material is based on Friedrich Christian Delius' narrative The Walk from Rostock to Syracuse, which, in turn, is inspired by a true escape and travel story. Lars Jessen combines this literary trace with a melancholic comedy that encounters real motives: the desire for freedom, adventurousness, and the question of what draws a person back to their homeland.

At the center is Paul Gompitz, a waiter from Rostock, who refuses to settle for stagnation. His journey transcends longing, improvisation, and danger all the way to Italy. It is precisely this blend of historical background, personal utopia, and tragicomic narrative style that gives the material a strong stage and cinematic quality.

Acting with a subtle undertone

Charly Hübner shapes the character as a sly, willful dreamer who never appears entirely heroic and never entirely naive. Next to him, Lina Beckmann opens up a fragile counterworld, where closeness, mistrust, and vulnerability coexist. Thorsten Merten complements the ensemble with that dry, grounded presence that gives the material additional contours.

The production relies less on grand effects than on narrative precision. This creates a dense stage experience in the audience's minds: images of the Baltic Sea, boat, border area, and Italian distance merge into an atmosphere that is both political and poetic.

Drama between reality and travel epic

The dramaturgy does not follow a smooth hero's arc but rather a tentative movement. This is what makes the production appealing for culturally interested visitors: the material opens up between GDR history, literary adaptation, and the timeless longing for self-determination. Those who immerse themselves in this performance experience not just a mere travel drama but a precise play about borders, language, and inner departure.

At filmforum Duisburg, this narrative meets a venue with its own cultural profile. The municipal cinema stands for sophisticated film culture, European diversity, and a unique theater atmosphere that makes the evening more than an ordinary screening.

Conclusion

Walk to Syracuse promises in Duisburg a clever, sensual, and moving cultural evening between history, longing, and quiet comedy. Those who appreciate grand narrative cinema with a literary core should experience this date live.

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Sources:

• filmforum Duisburg - Walk to Syracuse
• filmforum Duisburg - Prices & Hours
• City of Duisburg - filmforum Duisburg
• Filmstarts - Review of Walk to Syracuse
• epd Film - Review of Walk to Syracuse