Paradise: Love

2012 2h 1m DE

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 237

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

On the beaches of Kenya they’re known as "Sugar Mamas" —European women who seek out African boys selling love to earn a living. Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian and mother of a daughter entering puberty, travels to this vacation paradise, moving from beach to beach.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Margarethe Tiesel
Teresa
Peter Kazungu
Munga
Inge Maux
Inge
Dunja Sowinetz
Tourist
Helen Brugat
Tourist
Carlos Mkutano
Salama
Gabriel Mwarua
Mohammed
Josphat Hamisi
Josphat

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ulrich Seidl
Writers: Veronika Franz, Ulrich Seidl
Languages: English, Swahili, German
Countries: Austria

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Swahili, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Part of the "Paradise Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ulrich Seidl, shot by Edward Lachman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christof Schertenleib shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ulrich Seidl directs. Edward Lachman behind the camera. Christof Schertenleib cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Austria. Dialogue in English, Swahili, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 14 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Swahili, German.
5Part of the "Paradise Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
7Directed by Ulrich Seidl, shot by Edward Lachman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Editor Christof Schertenleib shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Margarethe Tiesel and Peter Kazungu and Inge Maux carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt1403214 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.