“Willie and Me” to Open the 30th Anniversary Edition of the Oldenburg International Film Festival
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VERDICT: World premiere of German actress, Eva Hassmann's directorial debut, who also stars alongside Willie Nelson and Peter Bogdanovich in his final performance.
“Willie and Me” tells the story of a German housewife who escapes a lifeless marriage to venture on an impulsive journey to Las Vegas to see Willie Nelson’s farewell concert. Eva Hassmann’s multi-hyphenated directorial debut (as writer/director/producer/actor) is a mix of road movie, drama and Golden Age irreverence.
During the script’s development, Peter Bogdanovich served as her mentor. His classic “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972) was itself a celebrated homage to the great screwball comedies of Hollywood. Bogdanovich makes his final on-screen appearance in the film. Starring opposite Willie Nelson with a soundtrack featuring his timeless hits throughout.
Eva Hassmann states, “We all have a Willie Nelson farewell concert that we absolutely want to attend.”
The festival welcomes Eva Hassmann, her team and cast, to Oldenburg—where she started her career on-stage as a teenager at the local State Theatre.
Oldenburg Film Festival takes place Sept 13 – 17
