In the White City

Bruno Ganz steps into the role of another Tanner-esque wanderer, captivating as an engineer who deserts a tanker in the port of Lisbon. His roguish boyishness, tempered by maturity, creates an internal conflict that dictates the restless rhythm of Tanner's film. Paul seems driven by the impulse to change, to reject professional and life routines. Staying in a modest hotel, he defies capitalist productivity and purposefulness, spending his time doing "nothing." Long walks through the city, creating video postcards for his wife, conversations in a bar that spark a romance with the bartender, Rosa. Lisbon serves as the perfect backdrop for his aimless wandering in a labyrinth of the unknown and getting lost without the promise of being found. However, as time passes, it slowly strips Paul of excitement and money (a street thief finishes the job), adding the bitterness of disillusionment to his dreams of another life. Breaking free from routine is only the beginning. Reflecting on his time in Genoa, where he worked in the port for a shipowner, Alain Tanner once again explores the possibility of "disembarking" and finding life's meaning independently, beyond the cookie-cutter solutions offered by the system. As a director, he also tests whether there is an escape from narrative clichés.