German School Comedy ‘Fack Ju Gohte’ Tops $60 million

A politically incorrect comedy that mocks current debates about school reform, immigration and economic disparity has become the biggest hit in years in Germany. Bora Dagtekin's Fack Ju Gohte, produced by Munich-based production house Rat Pack and distributed by Constantin Film, has sold more than six million tickets since its release late last year, earning more than $60 million at the German box office so far.

The film's German title, rendered as Suck Me Shakespeer in English, is a German phonetic transcription of "F-- You, Goethe." It's a tidy summing up of both the poor spelling skills of the lead character -- a ex-con turned substitute teacher -- and the film's irreverent tone.

Fack Ju Gohte is on track to become one of the top ten German films of all time. The success proves Dagtekin's freshman effort, 2012's Turkish For Beginners, wasn't a fluke. Both he and Elyas M'Barek -- star of both Turkish for Beginners and Fack Ju Gohte -- are now firmly established on Germany's A-List.

There is good news all round for German films as 2014 kicks off. In addition to Fack Ju Gohte, medieval period drama The Physician and romantic comedy Buddy, from hit maker Michael "Bully" Herbig, also grace the country's top ten. Universal is distributing The Physician while Warner Bros. is handling Buddy in Germany.

Read more:
German School Comedy 'Fack Ju Gohte' Tops $60 million