Two men, one passion: Detlev Buck adapts the bestseller by Daniel Kehlmann.

Picture gallery

Alexander von Humboldt (Albrecht Abraham Schuch) travels around the world to survey it. He overcomes danger, crosses deserts, climbs mountains and sees all there is to see. Carl Friedrich Gauß (Florian David Fitz), however, has a different method: he uses formulas and theories to do the same thing. Both are exceptional, very different men who share a passion. Then they meet at the German explorers' conference in 1828.

Daniel Kehlmanns novel was a bestseller – not only in German. As exciting and funny it is to read Kehlmann's story of how Alexander von Humboldt (Albrecht Abraham Schuch) and Carl Friedrich Gauß (Florian David Fitz) challenge each other, Detlev Buck's movie adaptation is long-winded and boring. The best thing about the movie is that it's in 3D, producing beautiful images - although with no real content.