The Farewell; Brecht's Last Summer

At the end of an exceptionally hot summer, playwright Bertolt Brecht prepares to leave his tranquil lakeside house to return to Berlin for the forthcoming theatre season. Most of the many women in his life are there: his wife, daughter, old lovers and current flames. The serenity of the countryside stands in stark contrast to the deep, volatile emotions of the characters: love and hatred, jealousy and egomania, betrayal and dashed hopes. And all the while, Brecht, superbly played by Josef Bierbichler, struggles to make plans for the future that fate is about to cut short. “Affecting… touching... nothing short of genius" THE TIMES

Availability

• A DVD of this title is available to hire
• The print of this title is from the National Archive

Cast and Crew

Director

Jan Schütte

Technical information

Certificate

Cert 15

Language

German with English subtitles

Country

Germany

Year

2000

Colour

Running time

89 mins