Abstract

Tom Tykwer’s film Run Lola Run, with Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu in the leading roles, shows three variations on the same story and, in the process, portrays the fast-paced life of late 1990s Germany. It was a huge success both in Germany and the international art-house cinema scene. The film garnered many awards, among them the German Film Award and Best Foreign Film at the Sundance Film Festival, and launched the international careers of director Tykwer and leading actress Potente. The success of this movie gave the German film industry a much-needed boost and new confidence in the ability of German films to compete internationally. Since 1999, the German Film Award trophies have been colloquially known as “Lolas,” an allusion to Tykwer’s film, among other things.