• Title: Centre of My World (Die Mitte der Welt)
• Format: DVD
• Release: 2016
• Country: UK / Region 2
• Certificate: 15
• Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (16:9 LB)
• Contents: Centre of My World + trailer
• Language: German with English subtitles
• Feature running time: 110mins (approx)

If you’re a fan of queer cinema, or you’re simply looking for a strong coming-of-age tale, then let me point you in the direction of the German LGBTQ+ movie, Centre of My World (aka Die Mitte der Welt. Directed by Jakob M. Erwa, and based on a book by Andreas Steinhöfel, Centre of My World follows the story of 17-year-old Phil – a student with family problems, who finds himself drawn to his mysterious classmate, Nicholas.

In the film, Phil and Nicholas get close and Phil falls head-over-heels in love. But the course of infatuation never runs smoothly, and Phil’s relationship with Nicholas hits a very significant bump in the road, while he’s also dealing with family-related issues.

I’ll hand over to the synopsis blurb (on the back of the DVD cover) for the full details:

‘When confronted with his past and present, will Phil fight – or take flight?

‘After a summer away at camp, Phil returns home to find that his mother, Glass, and twin sister, Dianne, aren’t speaking to one another. Not willing to confront his family during the last days of the summer holidays, Phil escapes to hang out with his best friend, eating ice cream and playing dress-up.

‘As the school year begins, a new student arrives – the handsome and mysterious Nicholas. Smitten, Phil watches his crush as he runs around the track after school, and is thrilled when Nicholas returns his feelings. However, when first love’s volatility comes to light, Phil realises he must deal with the problems of his past, in order to deal with the issues of his present.’

Released by Matchbox Films, this is a barebones DVD with only a trailer as ‘extra content’, but I’ll make it clear now, the movie alone is worth some investment. Centre of My World was one of the best movies of 2016, it won multiple awards on the festival circuit, and if you do want to watch it, it isn’t easy to come by without physical media.

To date, Centre of My World has received a digital release in the UK, but this was through iTunes only. And as the film doesn’t tend to crop up on streaming in the UK, DVD is essentially your best pal here (as is often the case with LGBTQ+ movies and/or foreign language releases).

So, should you own a copy? Yes, if you have an interest in queer cinema. Centre of My World is a perfect example of the brilliant stories being told within this genre, and it more than deserves a place on your shelf.

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