Kesslers Expedition - On three wheels from Bavaria to the Baltic Sea - DVD

Film: For the tenth time, actor Michael Kessler goes on an expedition through Germany. Kessler receives the order for his anniversary mission from none other than the Federal President himself. On a tuk tuk, an East Asian tricycle provided by the German government, he is to travel 1400 kilometres along the former German-German border strip from Bavaria to the Baltic Sea. A challenge that Michael Kessler of course gladly accepts. And as on his previous journeys with donkeys or huskies, on a raft, lawnmower or folding bike, he is once again accompanied by his cameraman Sören, who captures many memorable encounters in the course of the journey. In the course of the following days, Kessler not only gets to know the country and its people, but also learns what has happened in the border areas and in people's minds in the 25 years since the fall of the Wall. This is sometimes interesting, sometimes surprising, amusing or moving. And at the end Michael Kessler is sure: the tenth expedition was worthwhile again, despite some hardships - and as a viewer you agree with him all too gladly.

Kessler's expedition is characterized especially by Michael Kessler's wonderful commentaries, but also by his open, uninhibited interaction with the people he meets on his way. Kessler is always on a par with his counterpart and never lets the celebrity hang out. As a result, people open up to him quickly and give him - and thus the viewers - insights into their lives. This may seem rather unspectacular at times, but often reveals surprising, amusing and also very touching things even in small, insignificant things. Especially in this tenth expedition, Kessler is more than once visibly moved by the stories he gets to hear, which quickly transfers to the viewer as well.

It is extremely exciting to see what has changed in people's minds in the last quarter century and how many prejudices and fears have then still stubbornly persisted in some. It is sometimes very nice to see how the country and its inhabitants have grown together and how the regions have changed with the removal of the Wall. But it is the very personal stories about the time before and after the fall of the wall that make this season so special. This is where it pays off that Kessler is so good at relating to people and is such a sensitive and patient listener.

The always very special methods of transportation with which Michael Kessler is confronted, the sometimes very rustic hostels in which he spends the nights and, of course, the long since cult cabbles with Sören (Sören says yes!) make this broadcast series even in the tenth attempt still fresh, charming and extremely entertaining. Therefore, there is for this double DVD also a very clear: Absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + sound: For a documentary TV production, the audiovisual implementation of the DVD is on a more than satisfactory level. The picture is absolutely clean, the warm colours are mixed very authentically and the sharpness of the picture only shows some small weak points during faster camera pans. The sound, which is not unusual for a format like this, is rather unspectacular, but serves its purpose perfectly. Good!

Extras: Bonus features include just under twenty minutes of additional expedition footage. Moments like Kessler's visit to a chocolate factory, a tasty bratwurst dinner, and the attempted rescue of the stuck tuk tuks are absolutely worth watching for fans of the series!

Conclusion: German-German history lesson of the particularly worth seeing kind: For the tenth season of Kesslers Expedition Michael Kessler travels from Bavaria to the Baltic Sea, always along the former border between West and East Germany. In the process, he not only gets to know the country and its people, but also finds out what has happened in the border areas and in people's minds in the 25 years since the fall of the Wall. The result is the usual likeable, entertaining, but sometimes also emotional season of the popular series, which has twenty bonus minutes on the DVD. Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp