Never Look Away (2018) – Filming Locations
Drama / Romance / History · Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck · Starring Tom Schilling, Paula Beer
German artist Kurt Barnert has escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, but is tormented by his childhood under the Nazis and the GDR regime.
Where was Never Look Away filmed?
- Dresden, Germany, Dresden – Opening sequence showing the destruction of Dresden during WWII bombing raids. The iconic baroque church's ruins symbolize the devastation of wartime Germany and set the historical context for Kurt's childhood
- Dresden, Germany, Dresden – Kurt's studies as an art student in East Germany during the Cold War era. The real academy serves as the setting for Kurt's formative years studying socialist realism before his escape to the West
- Düsseldorf, Germany, Düsseldorf – Kurt's pivotal years studying under the influence of the Gerhard Richter-like professor in West Germany. The prestigious academy represents Kurt's artistic liberation in the West and his transformation from socialist realist to abstract painter
- Berlin, Germany, Berlin – Scenes depicting Kurt's life in Communist East Germany before his escape. East Berlin's austere urban landscape grounds the film's exploration of artistic suppression under the GDR regime
- Cologne, Germany, Cologne – Scenes of Kurt's life in West Germany after his escape. West German cities provide the backdrop for Kurt's artistic development and personal relationships in the free West