50 Years of the German Film Award

Kino
Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste (photo © Astrid Wirth)
EXPORT-UNION
OF GERMAN CINEMA
3/2001
AT LOCARNO
Piazza Grande
MOSTLY MARTHA
and
Peter Sehr & Iain Dilthey
in Competition
AT MONTREAL
4 German Films
in Competition &
Focus on German Cinema
AT VENICE
Competing for
“Lion of the Year”
INVINCIBLE
by Werner Herzog
SPECIAL REPORT
50 Years of the
German Film Award
K I N O
3 / 2 0 01
6 50 Years of the German Film Award
14 The Presence of the
Past in the Present
32 The Red Phone
Jerry Jameson
32 Die Spielwütigen
Andreas Veiel
33 Toter Mann
Christian Petzold
Director’s Portrait Volker Koepp
15
An Experiment on the
the Subject of Love
34
German Films at this Summer’s
International Film Festivals
Director’s Portrait Vivian Naefe
17 Treasurers of German Film History 36
Portrait Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation
18 A Small, but High-Quality Company
German Films at the Sidebars
and German-international CoProductions at the International
Summer Festivals
World Sales Portrait Transit Film
20
38
A Vision with Nostalgia
Producers’ Portrait Ö Filmproduktion
22
Series: The 100 Most
Significant German Films (Part 2)
38 Der blaue Engel
KINO news
T H E B LU E A N G E L
Josef von Sternberg
26
39 Die freudlose Gasse
In Production
T H E S T R E E T O F S O R ROW
Georg Wilhelm Pabst
40 Kuhle Wampe
26 Berlin: Sinfonie einer Großstadt
TO W H O M D O E S T H E WO R L D B E LO N G ?
Thomas Schadt
26 Big Girls Don’t Cry
Slatan Dudow
41 Der Student von Prag
Maria von Heland
27 Blindflug
T H E S T U D E N T O F P R AG U E
Stellan Rye
Thomas Bergmann, Mischka Popp
28 Brief einer Unbekannten
Jacques Deray
42
28 Der gläserne Blick
New German Films
Markus Heltschl
29 Good Bye Lenin
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PIAZ
Wolfgang Becker
30 Klassenfahrt
42 3 Sterne
M O S T LY M A RT H A
Sandra Nettelbeck
43 2000 Jahre Christentum
Henner Winckler
30 Lass mich nicht allein – Petra Kelly
und Gert Bastian
2000 YEARS OF C H RI STIAN ITY
Werner Herzog, Georg Graffe, Jürgen Czwienk et al
Y
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Andreas Kleinert
31 The Nomi Song
44 Birthday
Stefan Jäger
45 Black Box BRD
Andrew Horn
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E PRE
OF TH
FI LM
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MAKE
B L AC K B OX G E R M A N Y
Andres Veiel
C O N T E N T S
46 D e n i s K a t ze r E x p e d i t i o n :
D i e g ro ß e R e i s e
57 Malunde – Eine Freundschaft
wider Willen
D E N I S K AT Z E R E X P E D I T I O N :
M A LU N D E – A N U N L I K E LY
T H E B I G J O U R N EY
FRI E N DS H I P
Denis Katzer
47 Endstation: Tanke
FOCU
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S ON
T H E M I D D L E O F N OW H E R E
Nathalie Steinbart
48 Engel & Joe
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Vanessa Jopp
Stefanie Sycholt
58 Null Uhr 12
12 PA S T M I D N I G H T
Bernd Michael Lade
59 Rave Macbeth
Klaus Knösel
49 Herr Schmidt und Herr Friedrich
Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken
50 Ich werde Dich auf
Händen tragen
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60 Die Reise nach Kafiristan
T H E J O U R N EY TO K A F I R I S TA N
Fosco Dubini, Donatello Dubini
61 Sainkho
Erica von Moeller
62 Salamander
Iain Dilthey
51 It Don’t Mean a Thing,
If It Ain’t Got That Swing
Niels Bolbrinker
Barbara Gebler
63 Sass – Die Meisterdiebe
Carlo Rola
52 Jazz Seen
64 Vortex
Julian Benedikt
Michael Pohl
65 Was tun, wenn’s brennt?
W H AT TO D O I N CA S E O F F I R E ?
Gregor Schnitzler
68 Film Exporters
70 Foreign Representatives
70 Imprint
53 Königskinder
Lutz Gregor
54 Lammbock – Alles in Handarbeit
LAM M BOC K
Christian Zübert
55 Leo & Claire
EAL
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Joseph Vilsmaier
56 Love the Hard Way
Peter Sehr
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The ”new“ German Film Award – ”Lola“
The ”old“ German Film Award – Film Ribbon in Gold
50 YEARS OF THE
50 years of the German Film Award – where should one begin
to tell the story, and where should one stop? The list of prizewinners includes – almost – every star produced by post-war
German cinema. So instead of numbers and facts, let us first of all
take a look at a few names which speak for themselves. Make way
for a small selection of prize-winning stars from past and present:
their impressive acting performances: the directors and producers
Volker Schlöndorff, Peter Schamoni, Alexander
Kluge, Johannes Schaaf, Hans W. Geissendörfer,
Werner Herzog, Margarethe von Trotta and Bernd
Eichinger, as well as actors Mario Adorf, Götz George,
Horst Buchholz, Nadja Tiller and Hanna Schygulla.
Heinz Rühmann, Bernhard Wicki, Gustaf Gründgens, Lilli Palmer, Martin Held, Erich Kästner,
Marlene Dietrich, Helmut Käutner, Therese Giehse,
Rainer Werner Fassbinder or Romy Schneider –
artists who are now dead, but who wrote film history. Others
once awarded the German Film Award were drawn to America,
where they established a second great career for themselves in
Hollywood: Michael Ballhaus, Wolfgang Petersen,
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Wim Wenders, Nastassja
Kinski, Maximilian Schell, Barbara Sukowa – to name
but a few.
Not forgetting the stars of today: Franka Potente, KlausMaria Brandauer, Moritz Bleibtreu, Joachim Król,
Martina Gedeck, Maria Schrader, Heinz Hoenig, and
directors such as Sönke Wortmann, Helmut Dietl and
Tom Tykwer. These were all among the most prominent
prize-winners during the last ten years.
The most highly-endowed prize
in the German cultural sphere
Then there are the ”old hands“ of the film business, some of
whom have been active in the field for 30 years and longer, and
who – both then and now – set standards with their films and
Enough of names – now to the facts. The German Film Award,
which has been awarded since 1951, is acknowledged to be a top
award in the field of film, and it is also the most highly-endowed
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prize for culture in Germany. It is the focal point of film promotion from the federal government – assigned to the Secretary of
State until 1998, and to the Federal Government Commissioner
for Cultural Affairs and the Media, a minister directly subordinated
to the Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, since 1999. The
first representative with this function was Michael Naumann, this
year the position has been occupied by Julian Nida-Rümelin.
On the basis of recommendations from the German Film Award
commission, the prize is given for feature films, documentaries,
children’s films and outstanding individual achievements – at
present, the commission consists of a jury of twelve, including
film experts, journalists and representatives of the Church and
politics.
F I L M
A W A R D
From candelabra to art-déco figure
The award ceremonies began with rather unusual trophies:
examples being a six-armed candelabra, a dish on dolphin feet, a
stand bearing balls of rock crystal, a silver dish in the form of a
ship’s bow, a vase with a golden branch, a silver cigarette case or
a gilt jewelry case – these awards were presented to producers,
directors, actors, authors, cameramen, set designers, composers
In addition to its character as an award for outstanding achievements, the German Film Award also has a promotional function:
the producers of an award-winning film receive considerable prize
money, which must be invested for the purpose of producing a
new film. Within the framework of those regulations for the
German Film Award, newly-introduced in February 2000, the
budget has been reviewed and increased, meaning that prize
money (including premiums for a nomination) amounting to 5.6
million marks per year has been available since then.
The concrete figures: between 1951 and 2000, more than 70.3
million marks flowed into those productions awarded silver and
gold. In addition, there were 30 million marks already linked with
the nomination of a film. Honors for individual achievements have
only involved prize money since 1991 – the sum of these prizes
has amounted to something over 165 million marks.
Bernhard Wicki, Carola Höhn, Artur Brauner, Antje Weisgerber (photo © Mario Mach)
Doris Dörrie, Bernd Eichinger (photo © Askania Media)
GERMAN FILM AWARD
and editors. From 1954 onwards, the Film Ribbons in Gold and
Silver were agreed upon – this became a uniform symbol from
then until 1999, when the newly-designed prize was introduced –
an art-déco female figure wrapped in the traditional film ribbon.
On the 50th anniversary of the awards, statistics record more
than 700 prize-winners!
However, in the category ”Best Feature Film“ there was an additional award alongside the Film Ribbon in Gold and the two in
Silver: the Golden Dish. This was abandoned in 1996, since it had
not been awarded for seventeen years. The fact that each year
the possible number of awards was not fully exhausted is one
aspect – and the jurors’ restraint, especially with regard to the
Golden Dish, was naturally an evaluation of the films on offer. On
the other hand, since this trophy was only awarded a total of ten
times between 1954 and 1996, the question may certainly be
permitted whether its conferment or non-conferment was always
justified. There is no doubt that the films which did receive the
Golden Dish (including Canaris, Der Hauptmann von
Köpenick, Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam, Die Brücke,
Der Fußgänger and finally, in 1979, Die Blechtrommel)
were not always of the same standard, by any means. Conversely,
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one might ask whether some of the films awarded the Film
Ribbon in Gold might also have merited the ultimate prize.
Looking back, this question is futile. Of course, the attitudes and
evaluation criteria altered with the jury members. But what is
obvious, and this is what makes the German Film Award credible
and representative, is that – on average – the number and the
general bias of the awards certainly corresponded to stronger
and weaker cinema years.
A W A R D
It all began with Kästner’s
Das doppelte Lottchen
It all began in 1951 with a single feature film: Das doppelte
Lottchen. In that year, this classic by Erich Kästner won all
the existing categories: ”Best Feature Film“, ”Best Director“
(Josef von Baky) and ”Best Screenplay“ (Erich Kästner). In
the coming years and decades, the various categories changed;
new ones were added, others only survived for a few years. The
prize for a film "which promoted the idea of Europe", for example, was awarded exactly three times between 1953 and 1957. In
the 50s, particular attention was given to ”films which contributed
to democratic thinking“. In 1957, Käutner’s film Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, which received several awards, belonged to this genre. Other examples were Don Camillo und
Peppone (1953) and Der 20. Juli by Falk Harnack (1956).
Only on one single occasion was an award given to a ”film with
special state political content“: Nachts, wenn der Teufel
kam with Mario Adolf in the role of the murderer of women,
Bruno Lüdke. The prize for a "culture film", a firm category from
the beginning of the German Film Award, was bestowed for the
last time in 1967.
Lilli Palmer
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Filmbild Fundus Robert Fischer)
Just as the prizes altered, so German film developed and
changed. Whilst the 50s were still determined by material aimed
at entertainment, historical subject matter or the filming of literary
originals (for example Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers
Felix Krull, Ich denke oft an Piroschka, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, Ludwig II, Anastasia – die letzte
Josef von Baky, Jutta & Isa Günther, Erich Kästner
The location of the award ceremony, apart from a brief interlude
in the ballroom of the German Parliament in Bonn during 1952,
has always been in Berlin. But there was a frequent change in
settings within the ”old new“ capital city. From the Titania Palast
in Steglitz, where the first gala took place in 1951, the awards
moved to the Gloria Palast on Kurfürstendamm, where celebrations took place in a more modest context. From 1957 onwards,
the ambience became somewhat superior: the new concert hall
of the Berlin Academy of Music. One larger building was followed
by another – and in 1962, the guests even met at the German
Opera House. In 1968, the celebrations became more modest
once again (the Academy of Arts), and during 1972 and 1973, the
ceremony withdrew from the public eye altogether: prize-winners,
politicians and some journalists formed a private party in a hotel
reception area. But whether the best filmmakers were honored at
the Zoo-Palast, Theater des Westens, Friedrichstadtpalast or last
but not least (from 1999 onwards) in the German State Opera
House on Unter den Linden: the presentation of the German Film
Award has been, and remains a very special event.
F I L M
Zarentochter), during the 60s the ”New German Film“ began
to dominate the scene increasingly. Here films including Der
junge Törless by Volker Schlöndorff, Es by Ulrich
Schamoni or Alexander Kluge’s Abschied von
gestern paved the way. In an informational brochure on the
German Film Award published by the office of the Secretary of
State, Ulrich Gregor, the spokesman of this year’s jury, wrote:
”What was noticeable in the first works of Young German Film
was a great interest in German history, in particular in the past of
the Nazi regime. But it was just as important to represent the
present in the Federal Republic. Directors did not want to adopt
anything that was alien, but sought to relate something of what
they themselves had experienced“. This was the birth of the socalled ”Autorenfilm“, and with it German productions became
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George Tabori, Michael Verhoeven, Heribert Sasse (photo © Dieter Baganz)
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more capable of establishing a reputation world wide. During the
70s, there were great successes at the big international festivals.
Scene from ”Heinrich“ (Filmbild Fundus Robert Fischer)
During the 80s, experts explained the considerable decline in
audience interest in film in general by pointing to a change in leisure time habits, in particular to an increase in television viewing,
but a decrease in the birth-rate was also relevant. On the basis of
audience analyses, it also emerged that primarily the young generation was interested in what cinema had to offer during this
period. At the time outstanding films included Das Boot by
Wolfgang Petersen, Margarethe von Trotta’s Die
bleierne Zeit, Oberst Redl by István Szabó, Paris,
Texas and Der Himmel über Berlin by Wim Wenders,
Doris Dörrie’s film Männer, an internationally successful filming of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, Out of
A W A R D
Rosenheim by Percy Adlon and Joseph Vilsmaier’s
Herbstmilch.
The ultimate breakthrough in German cinema produced at home
was made by Sönke Wortmann’s Der bewegte Mann in
1995. With six and a half million viewers, this is considered one of
the greatest audience successes of German cinema in the postwar period. The nineties brought a new generation to the helm:
Peter Sehr, Max Färberböck, Detlev Buck, Romuald
Karmaker, Nico Hofmann and Tom Tykwer, whose
works offer the entire range from comedy (e.g. Männerpension) to historical films (e.g. Kaspar Hauser) and psychological drama (e.g. Die tödliche Maria), but also to material
concerning the National Socialist past (e.g. Aimée und
Jaguar). A special place must surely be given to Tykwer’s Lola
rennt: on the one hand, in 1999 this film established a new
German Film Award record by receiving awards in eight categories
(six of these decided by the jury, plus the two audience prizes
for ”Film of the Year“ and ”Actress of the Year“ – for the main
actress Franka Potente), and in addition – and this can
scarcely be maintained of any other German hit – it ”ran and ran“
all over the world.
For what would be the significance of a great cultural award if it
only left traces within the national sphere? The German Film Award
has certainly also had an international effect.
A view abroad is always desirable
On the one hand, there are prize-winners, like Tom Tykwer,
who have found world-wide recognition: in 1981, Margarethe
von Trotta’s Die bleierne Zeit received awards at festivals
including Venice and Chicago, in 1982 Werner Herzog was
Egon Günther (photo © Roger Melis)
One man who has come to represent this epoch like no other
was the newcomer Rainer Werner Fassbinder. From 1970
to 1979, he won the German Film Award a total of six times as
director or screenplay author, for example for Katzelmacher,
Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? and Die Ehe der Maria
Braun. But prizes also rained on Völker Schlöndorff during
the 70s, making the list of his awards into an impressive read: for
Der plötzliche Reichtum der armen Leute von
Kombach (1971), Fangschuss (1977) and Die Blechtrommel (1979). Wim Wenders received the German Film
Award for the first time in the mid-seventies – for Falsche
Bewegung (1975) – and since then he has been one of the
record-holders among the prize-winners (he has received the
award personally four times, whilst on two other occasions his
films have received a prize).
F I L M
presented with the director’s prize in Cannes for Fitzcarraldo.
Whether Herbert Achternbusch’s Das letzte Loch,
Wim Wenders’ films Der Stand der Dinge, Paris,
Texas and Der Himmel über Berlin, Michael
Verhoeven’s Die weiße Rose, István Szabó’s Oberst
Redl, Hark Bohm’s Yasemin or Wolfgang Petersen’s
OSCAR-winning war drama Das Boot – not only the productions, but also individual achievements from these films met with
considerable recognition beyond the German borders.
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Julian Nida-Rümelin (photo © Askania Media)
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in 40 m2 Deutschland. In 1988, the first French prize-winner
took to the stage of the German Film Award: Michel Piccoli
was ”Best Leading Actor“, awarded for his part in Das weite
Land. Fecht’s and Piccoli’s compatriots Zuhal Olcay and
Isabelle Huppert have also received prizes – in 1989 and
1991 respectively, being presented with the Film Ribbon in Gold
for their performances in Abschied vom falschen Paradies
and Malina. As well as to Billy Wilder, honorary awards have
also been made to the US American actress Jennifer Jones
(1997) and the veteran American star Gregory Peck (1998).
The most recent great international moment was only two years
ago: in 1999, the actor, director and screenplay writer Roberto
Benigni not only delighted the OSCAR jury, but also that of the
German Film Award: his world-wide cinema success La vita è
bella (Life is Beautiful) received an award for the ”Best
Foreign Film“.
It was not by chance that this special category ”Best Foreign Film“
was introduced in 1996: ”The aim was to avoid an isolation of
the German Film Award within the European field, establishing
connections and links across the borders“ according to
Friedrich-Wilhelm Moog from the responsible film
department K35, assigned to the State Minister Julian NidaRümelin. ”This category also motivates people to view the
The other way around, the German Film Award has also invited
famous colleagues from abroad or even from the "dream factory"
of Hollywood to receive an award in Berlin.
Michael Ballhaus, Wim Wenders (photo © Askania Media)
This began in 1964 with the two Yugoslavian actresses Mira
Stupica and Nevenka Benkovich, who performed in
Wolfgang Staudte’s Herrenpartie and won Film Ribbons
in Gold. This was not an easily made, undisputed decision, not
least as it was being made for the first time and therefore required
some familiarization. In 1973, the Austrian Billy Wilder received an honorary Film Ribbon in Gold. The star director, who
had already been world famous for some time for classics such as
Some Like it Hot, The Seven Year Itch and Irma la
Douce, was presented with this award again almost 25 years
later, in 1997. Sean Connery received the prize in 1987: the
British actor was awarded the Film Ribbon in Gold for his acting
achievement in The Name of the Rose. In the same year,
the Turkish actress Özay Fecht received an award for her role
Volker Schlöndorff, Franz Seitz (photo © Askania Media)
entire film world with balance. Up until now, the names of the
prize-winners in this category, in addition to La vita è bella,
have been Smoke, Sense and Sensibility, Brassed Off,
The Full Monty and the current holder In the Mood for
Love; all films which have delighted the jury as well as critics and
cinema audiences.
It appears regrettable, therefore, that shortly after this gesture of
opening out, a similar category was cut: the honorary award for a
foreign film personality. According to Moog, ”The introduction of
this category took place originally for the same reasons as that of
the ”Best Foreign Film“ – the aim was to avoid a restrictedly
national view. But at the beginning of the 90s, there were simply
too many prizes. The cut was necessary to tighten things up, and
it shouldn’t be seen as a devaluation.“
With a view to international connections, foreign award-winners
are also included within the sphere of individual acting achievement. The only condition: they must have played a role in a purely
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Tom Tykwer (photo © X Verleih)
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necessary to create a worthy framework to document the significance of German film to the rest of the world, and at the same
time, the event must walk a tightrope between ’family party’ and
TV entertainment with sufficient audience effect.“ The gala on 22
June 2001 was televised live for the first time, and two days later
– in addition – the highlights could be seen on the screen once
again. Hofmann: ”Every viewer of the transmissions on N24 and
ProSieben was a potential cinemagoer, and we want to sharpen
each person’s awareness of German film.“ Amidst such efforts for
a modern presentation of the cultural prize, it surely goes without
saying that since 1999 the German Film Award has had a detailed
home page (www.deutscherfilmpreis.de), which lists all
prize-winners in a data base, for example, and even presented live
takes from the award ceremony.
Not only gratitude, also criticism
What is left to be said about more than 50 years of the German
Film Award?
More splendor and glamour
in the new millennium
For 50 years, there have been tears of joy, moving moments,
anger, annoyance and disappointment. Producer Bernd
Eichinger (The Name of the Rose), for example, admitted
only last year: "I received a Film Ribbon in Silver in 1987. I was
beside myself. Look, if you make a film like that, you want gold, or
nothing at all!" We have also witnessed records, successes and
defeats, box-office hits and flops, films oriented on the audience
and outsiders, stars and the up-and-coming generation, young and
old. In addition, there have been amusing speeches on the stage,
like that of the comedian Vicco von Bülow, alias Loriot, in
Florian Gallenberger with Honorary ”Mini - Lola“
(photo © Askania Media)
German or a German co-production. ”More than ever, we are
looking for co-productions", Moog says, referring to the most
recently concluded German-French film agreement. "Artists who
make a name for themselves outside the national borders are
always welcome, since they also render outstanding services to
German productions."
Of course the fact that German productions, apart from a few
exceptions, have had quite some problems at cinema box-offices
in their home country during recent years has also had an effect
on the awarding of the German Film Award. Attempts are being
made to counteract this with a glamorous gala. Whether it be the
introduction of the new trophy in 1999, which recently received
the name "Lola", the creation of the nomination event in March,
or the increasingly opulent nature of the gala in June of each year
– the Ministry’s film department and the State Minister are making
obvious signs for the future, polishing up the German Film Award.
This is a real challenge for the man responsible for producing the
events until 2002, Martin Hofmann from the Bavaria Film
offshoot Askania Media in Potsdam: ”This is a question of
German cinema’s position in an international comparison. It is
1989: ”The worst thing which could possibly have happened has
happened; I can’t think of anything funny to say on this occasion!“
or complacent criticism like that from the producer Günther
Rohrbach, who received an award for Schtonk in 1992: ”First
of all, I asked the minister whether he had seen the film. He said:
’some excerpts’. I see we are making progress....“ Some artists
only bathed in glory for a short time, others experienced the start
of a great career after the award and have accompanied cinema
and TV viewers for many years and decades since – but they all
go on living in the films for which they were awarded prizes.
Hannes Messemer, Annemarie Düringer, Mario Adorf
And ultimately, we have to admit: cinema is the most enjoyable
trivial pursuit in the world.
Carolina Heske
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W i n n e r s o f t h e G e r m a n F i l m A w a rd i n G o l d ( a n d S i l v e r )
f o r “ B E ST D I R E C TO R “ we re :
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
State Opera (photo © Askania Media)
1958
Josef von Baky for Das doppelte Lottchen
(Two Times Lotte)
–*
Rudolf Jugert for Nachts auf den Straßen
(Detour)
Helmut Käutner for Die letzte Brücke
(The Last Bridge) (Silver)
Alfred Weidenmann for Canaris
–
Helmut Käutner for Der Hauptmann von
Köpenick (The Captain from Köpenick)
Robert Siodmak for Nachts, wenn der Teufel
kam (The Devil Came at Night)
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
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Frank Wisbar for Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben
(Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?)
(Silver)
Bernhard Wicki for Die Brücke (The Bridge)
–
–
–
–
Kurt Hoffmann for Das Haus in der Karpfengasse
Volker Schlöndorff for Der junge Törless
(Young Torless) and
Ulrich Schamoni for Es
Alexander Kluge for Abschied von gestern
(Yesterday Girl)
Johannes Schaaf for Tätowierung
Peter Zadek for Ich bin ein Elefant, Madame
–
Michael Fengler and Rainer Werner Fassbinder
for Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr
R. Run Amok?) and
Volker Schlöndorff for Der plötzliche Reichtum
der armen Leute von Kombach (The Sudden
Wealth of the Poor People of Kombach)
Johannes Schaaf for Trotta and
Bernhard Wicki for Das falsche Gewicht (The
False Weight)
–
Roland Klick for Supermarkt (Supermarket)
Scene from ”The Devil Came at Night“
(Film Museum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek)
1959
1999
2000
2001
Wim Wenders for Falsche Bewegung
(False Move)
–
Volker Schlöndorff for Der Fangschuss
Rainer Werner Fassbinder for Eine Reise ins
Licht – Despair (Despair) and
Wim Wenders for Der amerikanische Freund
(The American Friend)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder for Die Ehe der Maria
Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun) and
Werner Schroeter for Neapolitanische
Geschwister (The Kingdom of Naples)
Heidi Genée for 1 + 1 = 3
Walter Bockmayer and Rolf Bührmann for
Looping
Werner Schroeter for Tag der Idioten
(Day of the Idiots)
Lutz Konermann for Aufdermauer and
Peter Lilienthal for Dear Mister Wonderful
Josef Rusnak for Kaltes Fieber and
Uwe Schrader for Kanakerbraut
Maria Knilli for Lieber Karl and
Bernhard Wicki for Die Grünstein-Variante
–
Verena Rudolph for Francesca and
Peter Lilienthal for Das Schweigen des Dichters
Dominik Graf for Die Katze
–
Uli Edel for Letzte Ausfahrt Brooklyn
(Last Exit to Brooklyn) and
Bernhard Wicki for Das Spinnennetz
(Spider's Web)
Werner Schroeter for Malina
Helmut Dietl for Schtonk
Adolf Winkelmann for Nordkurve (North Curve)
Peter Sehr for Kaspar Hauser
Sönke Wortmann for Der bewegte Mann
(Maybe, Maybe Not)
Romuald Karmakar for Der Totmacher
(Deathmaker)
Helmut Dietl for Rossini
Wim Wenders for Am Ende der Gewalt
(The End of Violence)
Tom Tykwer for Lola rennt (Run Lola Run)
Pepe Danquart for Heimspiel
Esther Gronenborn for alaska.de
* In the years for which information is missing, this category was taken into account by the jury,
but no prize-winner was chosen.
Lists of all prize-winners from 1951 onwards can be found on the Internet at www.deutscherfilmpreis.de
W i n n e r s o f t h e G e r m a n F i l m A w a rd i n G o l d ( S p e c i a l P r i z e * )
f o r " B E ST F E AT U R E F I L M " we re t h e p ro d u c e r s o f :
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
Es herrscht Ruhe im Land (Calm Prevails Over
the Country) (Golden Dish) – P: FFAT-Film,
D: Peter Lilienthal
Heinrich (Golden Dish) – P: Ziegler Film,
D: Helma Sanders-Brahms
Die gläserne Zelle (The Glass Cell) – P: Solaris
Film, D: Hans W. Geissendörfer
Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum)
(Golden Dish) – P: Franz Seitz Filmproduktion,
D: Volker Schlöndorff
Die letzten Jahre der Kindheit (The Last Years of
Childhood) – P: Film-Fernsehproduktionsges.
für Autoren-Team, D: Norbert Kückelmann
–
Die bleierne Zeit (Marianne & Juliane) –
P: Bioskop-Film, D: Margarethe von Trotta
Der Stand der Dinge (The State of Things) –
P: Road Movies Filmproduktion, D: Wim Wenders
Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen (Where the
Green Ants Dream) – P: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion,
D: Werner Herzog
Oberst Redl (Colonel Redl) – P: Mafilm – Manfred
Durniok Produktion, D: István Szabó
Rosa Luxemburg – P: Bioskop-Film, Pro-ject Film
im Filmverlag der Autoren, Ziegler Film, Bären-Film,
D: Margarethe von Trotta
–
Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) –
P: Road Movies Filmproduktion, D: Wim Wenders
Yasemin – P: Hamburger Kino-Kompanie, D: Hark Bohm
Letzte Ausfahrt Brooklyn (Last Exit to Brooklyn)
– P: Neue Constantin Film, Bavaria Film, Allied Filmmakers,
D: Uli Edel
Malina – P: Kuchenreuther Film, Neue Studio Film,
D: Werner Schroeter
Schtonk – P: Bavaria Film, D: Helmut Dietl
–
Kaspar Hauser – P: Multimedia München, D: Peter Sehr
Der bewegte Mann (Maybe, Maybe Not) –
P: Neue Constantin Film Produktion, D: Sönke Wortmann
Der Totmacher (Deathmaker) – P: Pantera Film,
D: Romuald Karmakar
Rossini – P: Diana Film, Fanes Film, D: Helmut Dietl
Comedian Harmonists – P: Perathon Film- und
Fernseh, D: Joseph Vilsmaier
Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) – P: X Filme Creative
Pool, D: Tom Tykwer
Die Unberührbare (No Place to Go) – P: Distant
Dreams, D: Oskar Roehler
Die Innere Sicherheit (The State I Am In) –
P: Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, D: Christian Petzold
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
* The Golden Candelabra and the Golden Dish are both ”Challenge Trophies“ which are passed
on to the next winner each year
** In the years for which information is missing, the Film Ribbon in Gold or the more valuable
trophy available that year was not awarded.
P: = Producer, D: = Director
Robert Siodmak (Film Museum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek)
1953
1976
Maximilian Schell (photo © Askania Media)
1952
Das doppelte Lottchen (Two Times Lotte)
(Golden Candelabra) – P: Carlton Film,
D: Josef von Baky
Die Schuld des Dr. Homma – P: Nord/Lux,
D: Paul Verhoeven
Nachts auf den Straßen (Detour)
(Golden Candelabra) – P: Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft, Intercontinental-Film, D: Rudolf Jugert
Weg ohne Umkehr (No Way Back) (Golden Dish)
– P: Occident-Filmproduktion, Trans-Rhein-Film,
D: Victor Vicas
Canaris (Golden Dish) – P: Fama F.A. Mainz-Film,
D: Alfred Weidenmann
– **
Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (The Captain von
Köpenick) (Golden Dish) – P: Real Film,
D: Helmut Käutner
Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam (The Devil Came at
Night) (Golden Dish) – P: Divina Film, D: Robert Siodmak
Helden (Arms and the Man) (Golden Dish) –
P: Bavaria Film, D: Franz Peter Wirth
Die Brücke (The Bridge) (Golden Dish) –
P: Fono Film, D: Bernhard Wicki
–
–
–
Kennwort: Reiher – P: Franz Seitz Filmproduktion,
Filmaufbau, Independent Film, D: Rudolf Jugert
Das Haus in der Karpfengasse – P: Independent
Film, D: Kurt Hoffmann
Der junge Törless (Young Torless) –
P: Franz Seitz Filmproduktion, Nouvelles Editions,
D: Volker Schlöndorff
Abschied von gestern (Yesterday Girl) –
P: Kairos Film, D: Alexander Kluge
Tätowierung – P: Houwer Film, D: Johannes Schaaf
Die Artisten in der Zirkuskoppel: ratlos (Artists
Under the Big Top: Disoriented) – P: Kairos Film,
D: Alexander Kluge
Katzelmacher – P: Antitheater X-Film,
D: Rainer Werner Fassbinder and
Malatesta – P: Manfred Durniok Produktion
für Film & Fernsehen, D: Peter Lilienthal
Erste Liebe (First Love) – P: Alfa/Seitz,
D: Maximilian Schell and
Lenz – P: Literarisches Colloquium, D: George Moorse
Trotta – P: Johannes-Schaaf-Produktion,
D: Johannes Schaaf and
Ludwig – Requiem für einen jungfräulichen
König (Ludwig – Requiem for a Virgin King) –
P: TMS-Film, D: Hans Jürgen Syberberg
–
Der Fußgänger (The Pedestrian) (Golden Dish) –
P: Franz Seitz Filmproduktion, Alfa Film, MFG-Film,
D: Maximilian Schell
–
Pepe Danquart (photo © Askania Media)
1951
13
D i re c t o r ’ s Po r t ra i t
Volker Koepp
Volker Koepp was born in Stettin in 1944. After his school graduation in 1962,
he trained as a machine fitter. From 1966 to 1969, he studied at the German
Academy of Film Art in Potsdam Babelsberg. Volker Koepp was employed as a
director at the DEFA studio for documentary films from 1970 to 1991. In 1974, he
began long–term observations in Wittstock an der Dosse, focusing on the women
workers in a textiles factory. Up until 1997, he made a total of seven films about
Wittstock. Das weite Feld (1976) was the first of Koepp’s landscape films: the
first of a series of portraits showing people in historical areas. This series also includes works from the 90s: Cold Homeland (Kalte Heimat,1995), Herr
Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann (1999) and Uckermark (2001). He has
been a freelance director since 1990, and a member of the Academy of the Arts
Berlin/Brandenburg since 1996. His films Neues in Wittstock (1993) and
Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann (1999) were both nominated for the
German Film Award.
PRESENCE OF THE
PAST IN THE PRESENT
THE
If one wanted to find a particular phrase to describe
Volker Koepp’s documentary films, then it would
be ”warmth and distance“. As few other directors
do, Koepp understands how to make his figures –
quite ordinary people – shine. He finds and directs
characters which we encounter at our own eye level.
We come close to these people because Koepp
comes close to them. It is impossible for a documentary portrait to succeed in any other way.
That is why so many viewers recall the heroine in
Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann, a
clever Jewish woman from Czernowitz, whose irony
had survived the terror which she had experienced.
Or they remember Elsbeth from Brandenburg,
whose development from 1973 to 1998 was
shown in Koepp’s ”Wittstock“ films. As in
fictional cinema, these are characters whose effect is
concentrated. But this impression of intimacy has
nothing in common with the exhibitionism of private
television. This is a protected sphere – distance is
always maintained.
And that’s the reason that there are so very few ”bad“
characters in Koepp’s films; there are no villains.
Not because of the pressure for harmony which was
dominant in the German Democratic Republic
(GDR), where only homeopathic doses of criticism
could be smuggled in – it is a direct result of the
director’s attitude. Koepp creates space in which
his figures (usually women) can develop, space where
they can flirt with the presence of the camera. A critic once referred to this as ”social eroticism“. This
explains why the GDR provinces looked like a grey
fairy–tale country in the ”Wittstock“ films the
Märkische Trilogie (1988–1991). Using this
method, it is possible to discover beauty in the
Volker Koepp
14
D i re c t o r ’ s Po r t ra i t
Volker Koepp
unprepossessing, but it is not possible to make a film in opposition
to anyone – perhaps that is not conceivable in the documentary
field, anyway.
Even the radical political changes of 1989, the disappearance of
the GDR, also happened on the sidelines in Koepp’s films. His
eye is always focused on detail, on small, concrete things. We do
not see the revolution by the Brandenburg Gate, but in the
provinces, where no television camera was watching. And for
precisely this reason, those who want to know – in fifty years
time – what everyday life was like then, what sort of atmosphere
there was, will watch these films and not the Spiegel TV features.
History is often the center of interest: the devastation of the
Second World War, expulsion and exile. Cold Homeland
(Kalte Heimat,1995) shows the way in which terror marked
eastern Prussia. Koepp always relates the great events of
history from the perspective of smaller happenings; without off
commentaries, through the memories of his characters, and
sometimes by means of things which appear trivial at first.
D i re c t o r ’ s Po r t ra i t
In his new film, too, which will probably be coming to cinemas
during the autumn, interest is focused on the presence of the past
in the present. It is not, however, set in Czernowitz or Kaliningrad,
but in the Uckermark, one hundred kilometers away from Berlin.
Uckermark draws the portrait of a province which appears to
have lost its place in time. The camera shows ruined manor
houses, its eye lingering on ornaments, signs of a past era.
The nobility return from western Germany, making efforts to
re–establish agriculture or to save a business producing animal
feed. The Prussians are returning, but not as junkers, not as
arrogant ”Wessis“. They appear as figures almost comical, as
melancholy characters seeming to rebel against the times. They
too are Koepp heroes: those who have been expelled, left
over, signs of a lost epoch just like the ornaments on the ruins.
Stefan Reinecke
Vivian Naefe
EXPERIMENT ON THE
SUBJECT OF LOVE
AN
”A good comedy is about sad and serious things. A romantic
comedy, which always includes a love story, is the greatest
discipline of all.“ This is how Vivian Naefe has expressed her
entirely romantic leanings towards a genre which has become
something of a trademark for her work as a filmmaker. And in
terms of film history, she is in good company: Frank Capra
(It Happened One Night), Billy Wilder (Sabrina),
Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby) – and above all,
Woody Allen, whom Vivian Naefe views as one of the
true romantic comedians, her eyes beginning to shine when she
lists titles such as Annie Hall and Manhattan.
Four cinema films and around twenty television films in the course
of two decades – that is a remarkable achievement for a woman
who originally wanted to become a doctor, or to be more precise,
a psychiatrist, but who then, more or less by chance, landed in
journalism and became a practicing film critic. Although as the
daughter of 50s star actress, Jester Naefe, who died young, she
did not really want to have anything to do with film. But the more
films she saw for professional reasons, the more her desire to
make films herself developed. Zuckerhut was Vivian Naefe’s
graduation film, completing her studies at the Academy of Television and Film in Munich, and when it was shown at the Berlinale,
this film brought her success and international attention straight
away: she had been wise enough to conceive the film as a full–
length feature, and was thus also able to realize it as such. Casually
and lightly, it relates the story of a friendship between women, of
existential plans and emotional failures, and it includes plenty of
humor. ”To recognize comedy in life is helpful, perhaps we also do
this as a form of self–defense. If you laugh about serious things,
they do not hurt as much“, the filmmaker says, and adds: ”Of
course, a precondition is that you have a sense of humor.“
And she certainly does, otherwise she would not have survived in
this field, never mind have been so successful. And Vivian
Naefe does not define humor as narrowly as comedy alone; she
sees it as an attitude to life and of the spirit. So she has made films
which relate serious things in a dramatic way, her theme tending to
be the lunacy and absurdity of the real world in which we all live.
My Daughter Belongs to Me (Meine Tochter gehört
mir), the story of a child affected by divorce and abducted by its
father to his homeland in Greece, is a seriously argued and entertaining film, without any false emotions, with pace, psychological
tension and a consistently clear, unhappy end. It was nominated as
”Best Feature Film“ for the German Film Award and received
awards for the leading role (Barbara Auer) and its camera
work (Gernot Roll). This compassionate and socially political
drama by Naefe manifests a stylistically confident narrative talent
for emotionally exciting, committed material.
She has an exact eye for reality, as is indicated by the realistically
exciting film Kleine Diebe, made for the TV crime series
Tatort, a film for which Vivian Naefe received the Bavarian
Television Award for direction in 2001; it is concerned with gangs of
Romanian children in Germany. Again and again, it is reality which
is reflected in her films, films which are always set in situations
where people act both with and against each other, in the often
amusing and frequently dramatic jungle of personal and existential
15
D i re c t o r ’ s Po r t ra i t
Vivian Naefe
Vivian Naefe (photo © Edith von Welser-Ude)
Vivian Naefe was born in Hamburg in 1956. After graduating from high school in Baltimore in 1972, she
returned to Germany to finish her schooling. She then went on to study American Studies and Journalism
in Munich, before finally deciding to pursue Film Studies at the Academy of Television & Film in Munich
(HFF/M) from 1978–1983. During her studies, she made a name for herself working as a film critic and
documentary scriptwriter and director for Bavarian Television’s series Kino, Kino. Her graduation film
Zuckerhut (1983) was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 1983. Her next film, Pizza Express,
appeared five years later in 1988. My Daughter Belongs to Me (Meine Tochter gehört mir,
1992) was nominated at the German Film Awards in 1983 for ”Best Feature Film“, and received the German
Film Award in Gold for ”Best Actress“ for Barbara Auer and ”Best Cinematography“ for Gernot Roll.
Her fourth feature–length film Four for Venice (2 Männer, 2 Frauen, 4 Probleme) followed
in 1998. Also active in television, her most important television films include: Ticket nach Rom
(TV, 1985), Der Boss aus dem Westen (1985), Blutiger Asphalt (1995), Eine ungehorsame Frau (1997), Frauen lügen besser (1999), Kleine Diebe (2000) – winner of the
Bavarian Television Award in 2001 for ”Best Directing“, Einer geht noch (2000) – winner of the Adolf
Grimme Award in 2001 for ”Best Directing“, and Bobby (2001). Since 1980, Naefe has been an instructor
for Directing at the Film Academy Ludwigsburg, at the HFF in Munich, and at the University of Mainz, and
is deputy chairman of the advisory committee of the HFF in Munich. Naefe is currently planning her next
television film So schnell du kannst in October 2001 and is working on the screenplay of another
feature–length film, which she plans to start shooting in the summer of 2002.
contradictions. Certainly Naefe’s comedies are never a
flight from reality: ”Perhaps I would like to escape my
own reality, but in my films I want to be still closer to
reality. Einer geht noch, for example, despite all its
realism, describes basic, archaic problems. And I am
actually more interested in them than in reality as such.
My ideal would be to be able to create something similar
to the British directors, those who link basic problems to
social conditions and manage to do this with just the
right dose of humor. I am thinking of both Ken
Loach’s My Name is Joe and also Monty
Python’s The Meaning of Life, which I think is so
wise and so wonderful.“ Fortunately, the jury of the
renowned Adolf Grimme Award also found Vivian
Naefe’s precisely observed study of women’s everyday
life in the Ruhrgebiet Einer geht noch wonderful,
and presented it with awards for direction, the screenplay by Christian Jeltsch and the leading actress,
Stephanie Gossger.
Her cryptic comedy of relationships Four for Venice
(2 Männer, 2 Frauen, 4 Probleme) – flattering
the mainstream as it does – came to the cinemas with a
major international distributor, and it was well received
by audiences and the critics. ”Romanticism“, Vivian
Naefe says, ”means that you go beyond existing conditions into a Utopia, you dream up something better for
yourself.“ So her next cinema material, with the working
title Romeo und Julia und andere Versager, is
another love story, but this time one with a fantastic element: ”It is an experiment on the subject of love. What
is love precisely? Coincidence or necessity? Is it possible
to force yourself to love someone? Or does love come
about because of proximity? What attracts people –
opposites or similarities? I am particularly interested in
chance. In the story, which I wrote together with
Harald Göckeritz, the two lovers die at the very
moment they meet. Then a mosaic–like game with
diverse possibilities begins – the experiment on the subject of love."
And surely that is the best definition of cinema.
Frauke Hanck spoke to Vivian Naefe
16
Po r t ra i t
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation
Establishedd in 1966 Managing Director Friedemann Beyer Additional
contacts Sabine Schorn (Legal Affairs), Gudrun Weiss (Technical Dept.) Main
fields of activity Acquisition and cultivation of classic German films Number of
titles on offer 3000 feature films (2000 of which are silent films) and 5000
short films Percentage of German titles on offer 100% Most well-known
current titles on offer Metropolis, The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel)
Address Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation
Kreuzberger Ring 56 · D-65205 Wiesbaden
phone +49-6 11-97 70 80 · fax +49-6 11-9 77 08 19
www.murnau-stiftung.de · email: FriedemannBeyer@murnau-stiftung.de
TREASURERS
OF GERMAN
FILM HISTORY
Friedemann Beyer
The economic miracle offered a world of opportunities
for the resourceful. At the beginning of the fifties, traders
from home and abroad were making determined efforts
to gain the rights to productions of German film history.
It is now a matter for speculation whether they really
knew what treasures – in an economic sense as well –
were actually slumbering there. The German Parliament in
Bonn seemed to have very few cineastic ambitions, merely passing a ”law for the handling and de-concentration of
formerly state-owned film property“ in 1953.
This could easily have given a signal to open the chase
after many masterpieces of German film history, films
which would have become objects of desire world-wide
as a result. However, the responsible people within the
leading organizations of the German film business
(SPIO-Spitzenorganisation der Filmwirtschaft) were obviously especially clear-sighted at that
time: they acquired the film stocks which were up for
sale, and ultimately – in 1966 – they founded the nonprofit-making Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau
Foundation, named after a director whom many
experts consider the greatest in German film history.
From then onwards, this foundation was to be in charge
of the film stocks of former state-owned film companies
such as Ufa Filmkunst, Universum Film, Berlin
Film, Bavaria Film, Terra, Tobis and several other
firms.
The foundation’s constitution gives a precise definition of
its task: the Murnau Foundation was to ”preserve
and manage (the films), permitting these to be exploited
in the interests of the general public, in this way serving
the promotion of German film culture. Profits are to be
used for the promotion of German film culture and film
art.“ The leading body was the foundation committee,
17
Po r t ra i t
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation
made up of five representatives from private business and four
government representatives.
Of necessity, the Murnau Foundation's first concern was with
the preservation of the collection; the care and storage of the
films – and in particular the safeguarding of endangered
material by the production of copies. This task was shared by the
Federal Archives, the Murnau Foundation and Transit
Film (cf. below), which had also taken on the commercial distribution of the films. The non-commercial distribution was managed
by the German Film Institute (DIF).
For some time now, the activities of the foundation have
extended far beyond this. In the meantime, it has earned international recognition in the restoration and reconstruction of films,
whilst its world-wide collaboration with festivals and film libraries
has also led to a universal reputation. In addition, the Murnau
Foundation plays an important role within the Association
of German Film Archives and is responsible for the technical running of Transit’s distribution. In the course of the years,
these comprehensive activities have led to an enormous competence in the field of archive work. The foundation's computer
data-base documentation of all the titles in the collection and of
other relevant material make it an inexhaustible center of infor-
Wo rl d S a l e s Po r t ra i t
mation and services for historians and other academics.
But the Murnau Foundation does not only work in the
service of film history. Its efforts for the present and the future of
German film include the founding of the Friedrich-WilhelmMurnau Award for short films, which has been awarded
annually since 1994. ”My most important aim“, according to
Friedemann Beyer, the new managing director of the foundation since July 2001, ”is to open up classical German film to a
younger audience once again. Today we must approach potentially
interested young people, future lovers of classical German film, at
the places where they spend their leisure time: on the Internet, in
front of their DVD players.“
The Blue Angel on DVD is only a beginning; Beyer is thinking about a possible edition of films oriented on lists of the 100
most important German films (cf. KINO series ”The 100 Most
Significant German Films, p. 38). And he has already indicated an
additional task for the Murnau Foundation: a ”critical investigation into German cinema between 1933 and 1945. In our collections, anyone with an interest in the history of the Third Reich will
be able to find interesting documents concerning everyday culture
at that time.“
H. G. Pflaum spoke to Friedemann Beyer
Transit Film
A SMALL, BUT
HIGH-QUALITY
COMPANY
Several firms which trade with the supposedly perishable
commodity film have made enormous profits in recent decades
and yet have not been able to survive in the long run. Transit
Film has just celebrated its 35th birthday: it has been earning its
money with old German films for a quarter of a century now,
and it is as much alive today as ever. ”We are a small, but highquality company“, says Loy W. Arnold, managing director
of Transit.
The distribution section, with around 300 feature films ranging
from silent films to productions from the 50s, works on an
international level. Around 20 percent of the films loaned out are
sent abroad. France and Japan are among the best customers, but
orders also come in from the USA and South America. Recently
the greatest hit has been Fritz Lang’s Metropolis; there
has been a great world-wide demand for the film since the
screening of the reconstructed version at the Berlinale 2001.
Transit Film was founded as a limited company in 1966, its
purpose being to undertake a trustee function for the FriedrichWilhelm-Murnau Foundation (cf. above) and for the
Federal Republic of Germany. Transit took on the commercial
distribution of the Murnau Foundation’s films and film rights,
as well as of film documents from the Federal Archives.
In addition, Transit handles its own film stock; this consists of
”surety films“ from the Federation (that is, films whose rights
lie with the federal government), and of other titles for which
Transit has acquired the rights during the last ten years.
Distribution of the Murnau Foundation’s 3000 films is only one of
Transit Film’s many activities. ”The license trade is our main
business“, Loy W. Arnold explains. Most of those applying for
licenses are television companies at home and abroad – and they
are interested in feature films, but also in pictorial documentation
and the rights to film extracts. Transit’s favorable market position is based on traditional business relations with Degeto Film
(for ARD) and the ARD Third Programs, in particular with
the Bayerischer Rundfunk. But Transit also works together
with firms like MultiThématique (Canal +) and
18
Wo rl d S a l e s Po r t ra i t
Transit Film
Established in 1966 Managing Director Loy W. Arnold Additional
contacts Mark Grünthal (Head of Sales), Susanne Schumann, Sabrina Kovatsch,
Danièle Guerlain Main fields of activity TV (free, pay-TV), video, DVD, cinema
in Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain, USA, and Japan
Regular attendance of the following film and TV markets MIP TV,
MIPCOM, Cannes, Venice Number of titles on offer 1000 feature films, 2000
silent films (300 of which are in distribution) Percentage of German titles on
offer 100% Buyers include France 3, MultiThématiques, ORF, ARTE, SF DRS,
Nippon Cine TV, Kino International, ARD, ZDF, BMG, PTM Entertainment, Third
Program ARD Most well-known current titles on offer The Blue Angel
(Der blaue Engel), Metropolis, Die Königin – Marianne Hoppe, Dance
with Death – The Ufa-Star Sybille Schmitz (Tanz mit dem Tod – Der
Ufa-Star Sybille Schmitz), Hans Warns – My 20th Century (Hans
Warns – Mein 20. Jahrhundert) Best-selling titles currently on sale
The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel), Metropolis, Nosferatu
Loy W. Arnold (photo © Transit Film)
Address Transit Film GmbH · Dachauer Str. 35 · D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 88 50 · fax +49-89-59 98 85 20 · email: transitfilm@compuserve.com
delivers material to their specialized channels such as
CineClassics in France, Spain and Italy.
The colleagues at Transit Film are aware of the new
perspectives opened up by developments such as ”Video on
Demand“, and of the possibilities resulting from wider distribution of DVDs. Not only have DVD licenses been sold,
but the firm also plans its own editions. At present
Transit, together with the Murnau Foundation, the
Film Museum Berlin and BMG, is preparing a DVD
edition of The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel), which
will also include an English version, unused trial takes, and
material illustrating the historical and film historical context.
Metropolis is due to follow.
In the future, Transit aims to put two of its own DVDs
on the market each year. This modesty with regard to
quantity is symptomatic of the firm's policy. Quality is more
important than quantity. This is also true of activities in the
field of production, where Transit has operated since
1998: on average there are two productions per year,
usually co-productions to which Transit contributes film
rights or rights to film extracts. This has facilitated works
which would have been scarcely viable in financial terms
otherwise: Peter Buchka’s film essay The Haunted
Screen: German Film After World War One
(Die dämonische Leinwand), Werner Schroeter’s
Die Königin – Marianne Hoppe or Achim
Podak’s Dance with Death – The Ufa-Star
Sybille Schmitz (Tanz mit dem Tod – Der UfaStar Sybille Schmitz). In order to complete these tasks
more effectively, Transit also has its own camera team
with equipment and an Avid editing desk.
And Transit’s employees are correspondingly well-qualified. Teamwork is necessary: ”Each one of us must have
some expertise in every field, for specialization in one
limited area does not work out in such a small company.”
And so the motto is: ”Old films and ultra-modern
management!“
H. G. Pflaum spoke to Loy W. Arnold
19
P ro d u c e r s ’ Po r t ra i t
Ö Filmproduktion
Ö-Filmproduktion was founded in December 1990 by Frank Löprich and Katrin Schlösser – hence the ”ö“ of the company’s name – and has established itself over the last ten years as a supporter for quality documentaries and feature films outside of
the mainstream. Among the documentaries produced by the duo are Thomas Heise’s Jammed – Let’s Get Moving (Stau
– Jetzt geht’s los,1992) about right-wing youth in Halle-Neustadt and the sequel Neustadt – Jammed, The Status Quo
(Neustadt - Stau, Der Stand der Dinge, 1999), Gerd Kroske’s Bahnhof Brest (1994), and Helga Reidemeister’s
Lights from Afar (Lichter aus dem Hintergrund, 1998). The company was also behind features by Yilmaz Arslan
(Passages/Langer Gang, 1992), Carolin Otto (Pi – The Policewoman/Pi – Die Polizistin, 1997) and Pierre
Sanoussi-Bliss (Return to Go!/Zurück auf los!, 2000). In 1999, Ö Film’s production of Andreas Kleinert’s Paths in
the Night (Wege in die Nacht) was the opening film of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and its co-production – with
BojeBuck Filmproduktion and SAT.1 - of Leander Haußmann’s Sun Alley (Sonnenallee) was one of the year’s top boxoffice successes. Ö Film’s productions have been awarded a number of prizes including several German Film Awards and awards at
international festivals in San Sebastián, Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Cairo, and Aspen/Colorado.
Ö Filmproduktion Löprich & Schlösser GmbH · Lychener Str. 82 · D-10437 Berlin
phone +49-30-4 46 72 60 · fax +49-30-44 67 26 26 · email: mail@oefilm.de
A VISION
WITH NOSTALGIA
”Relatively soon in 1990 it became clear that the East German
Television and the DEFA would not exist much longer“, says
Ö-Filmproduktion’s Frank Löprich, recalling the background to setting up the company with Katrin Schlösser in
the December of that year.
Saxony and Thuringia in Die Wismut (1993), to Gerd
Kroske’s medium-length Clever Women – Bright Girls
(Kluge Frauen – Helle Mädchen, 1991) about the changes
experienced by former ”East German women“ after the fall of the
Wall, as well as his study of the border train-station Bahnhof
Brest (1994).
Frank Löprich, Katrin Schlösser (photo © Harry Schnitger/TIP Verlag)
”We had opportunities to work for other companies, but thought
it would be more attractive to have our own company with col-
leagues, and to be able to realize those ideas which we had been
carrying around with us all this time“, Löprich explains.
So, initially, the company focused on the production of documentaries with former DEFA colleagues who were looking for a ”new
home“, ranging from Thomas Heise’s Jammed – Let’s Get
Moving (Stau – Jetzt geht’s los), his controversial study of
right-wing teenagers in a suburb of the East German town of
Halle, through Volker Koepp’s history of uranium ore mining in
20
With Yilmaz Arslan’s 1992 film Passages (Langer Gang),
which was nominated for the German Film Award and won awards
at festivals throughout Europe, the production outfit expanded
into handling fiction as well. ”Projects then started coming to us
and we were making one a year from that point on, with each one
receiving a nomination for the German Film Award“, Löprich
notes. This is also when their first collaboration with Andreas
Kleinert came about, resulting in his 1995 drama Outside
Time (Neben der Zeit) which won audience awards in
Saarbrücken and Schwerin as well as a German Film Award nomination for lead actress Julia Jäger.
That year also saw Löprich and Schlösser begin work on
packaging two projects which would come to fruition four years
later: Kleinert’s Paths in the Night (Wege in die Nacht)
and Haußmann’s Sun Alley (Sonnenallee). ”We knew
Sun Alley’s (Sonnenallee) screenwriter Thomas Brussig
because he lives in the same street as our office and I had worked
together with him on Bernd Michael Lade’s Revenge
(Rache)", Katrin Schlösser recalls. ”He came to us with two
exposés – for Sun Alley (Sonnenallee) and Die Entführung des Intendanten. We decided to go for Sun
Alley (Sonnenallee), but, initially, we were turned away by a
lot of people: by the public funds and TV stations. It didn’t seem
to interest anyone five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall“.
”But we had a vision“, she continues, ”looking forward to the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the German Democratic Republic
(GDR), we thought that maybe 10 years after the fall of the Wall,
people would have worked out the frustration they had had in the
GDR and would then be interested in a kind of nostalgia, in something that could capture a mood which could provide a different
image of the GDR, rather than the one which people normally
saw of a circus. We wanted to show everything quite differently
P ro d u c e r s ’ Po r t ra i t
Ö Filmproduktion
and show that the East was also about life, love and passion“. The
collaboration with Detlev Buck and Claus Boje was initially
intended to be on the level of distribution through their Delphi
Film outfit, but Ö-Filmproduktion’s difficulties in getting the
financing together prompted them to approach BojeBuck to
come onboard as co-producer. ”This really helped because we
could now benefit from a real concentration of power and draw
on Claus’ experience in handling larger projects for a wide audience“.
The rest is – as they say – history. After a successful run in the
German cinemas, Haußmann’s film has been a regular feature
on the international festival circuit - for example, it was named
”Best Feature Film“ at the Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen/
Colorado this year – and at the Export-Union’s festivals of German cinema, opening the week of German films in London last
December. In addition, the film provided the launch-pad for the
careers of two promising new acting talents: Robert Stadlober, who went on to appear in Hans-Christian Schmid’s
Crazy, and Alexander Scheer, who headlined with Götz
George in Lars Kraume’s comedy Viktor Vogel –
Commercial Man. And an impressive outside set was built on
the Babelsberg Studios’ lot to recreate the Berlin Wall and
the border fortifications with a row of shops and houses.
Paths in the Night (Wege in die Nacht) was quite a different film, Schlösser declares. ”It was a metaphorical film,
while Sun Alley (Sonnenallee) was crazy and bursting with
life. They addressed the cinema audience in very different ways,
but both of them did this in a particularly extreme fashion“.
The invitation for Kleinert’s film to open the Directors’ Fortnight
at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival was another high point in Ö-Filmproduktion’s short history and also something of a baptism of
fire since the experience of taking a film to Cannes and all that
entails (employing a press attaché, producing publicity materials,
etc.) was all uncharted territory for the young production outfit.
”What I found particularly interesting were the screenings organized by the Quinzaine in cinemas at places outside of Cannes“,
Schlösser recalls, ”because it was fascinating to see how the
French accepted the story and the main character and how, in particular, this film enabled them to reflect about their own lives“.
”The financing of projects does seem to have become easier after
our successes with Sun Alley (Sonnenallee) and Paths in
the Night (Wege in die Nacht), Löprich admits, "but that
was possibly because people have come to us with some extraordinary projects in the last couple of years, such as Gordian
Maugg’s Zutaten für Träume. In addition, Ö-Film has
been able to attract TV work with commissions from ZDF’s children’s show Achterbahn for 25-minute films by Carolin Otto,
Marc-Andreas Bochert and Klaus Krämer, and a sevenpart series is planned to go into production next year.
Ö-Film is currently developing the feature film Jargo in
collaboration with X Filme. A tale of love and betrayal set
among youth in the high-rise apartment blocks of Berlin, where
the relationship between newcomer Jargo, gang-leader Kamil, his
girlfriend Mona and a housekeeper’s daughter Emilia becomes a
game of life and death.
Meanwhile, Ö-Film’s interest in the documentary genre remains
as strong as ever. One project – in co-production with Hamburgbased Cinecentrum – entitled Deutsches Glück will have
Andreas Kleinert and Jan Schütte sharing the director’s
chores. ”Germany is an awfully difficult subject to address
because one has to decide on the parameters“, Schlösser
observes, ”But I think it will be fascinating to have these two
directors - who have each made documentaries and features in the
past – give their own personal perspective on Germany“.
MB
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Paul Thiltges, Gabriele Röthemeyer (MFG),
Gabriel Axel, Sabine Brodersen, Sami Bouajila
Kino n e w s
European Symposium:
Documentary Films for Children
Children are a much sought-after media target group. Their
viewing and consumer habits are constantly analyzed to
achieve the best possible ratings, stimulating their buying
power to the fullest. Children, in this context, are regarded
merely as a consumer group, not as individual viewers with a
right to aesthetic and formal variety. Children’s programs are
dominated by animation films; even feature films have a
hard time there – let alone documentary films.
The Symposium wants to draw attention to documentary films
for children. What documentary formats for children exist?
Where are they shown? Who produces them? How are they
supported and promoted? How can producers and creators
work towards a greater diversity of documentary formats?
What can television and cinema distributors do to make these
accessible to children?
From 21 – 23 September 2001, five workshops will take stock
of the current situation, develop perspectives for the future
and present best practice examples from Germany and its
European neighbors at the International Film School
Cologne (Glückauf-Haus, Werderstr. 1). Arguments and
strategies to broaden the range of documentary formats for
children are to be discussed and developed. In addition to
this, international cinema and television productions will be
presented.
The Symposium is intended not least as an appeal for a more
adventurous artistic discussion on how to generate a broad
range of viewing habits in children. Filmmakers, producers,
editors, distributors, film funding institutions, festival directors,
teachers, students and journalists from Germany and its
European neighbors are invited to take part.
The event is organized by the Dokumentarfilminitiative
(dfi) im Filmbüro NW, the North Rhine-Westphalian Government Ministry of Urban
Development and Housing, Culture and Sport, the
Goldener Spatz Foundation, the Bundesverband
Jugend und Film (Federal Association Youth and Film) and
the European Children’s Film Association (E.C.F.A.)
Applications are available from 15 June 2001 at
www.filmbuero-nw.de/dfi
Participation fee: DM 110,- (DM 70,- for students)
For further information please contact:
Dokumentarfilminitiative im Filmbüro NW
Stefanie Görtz, Bettina Schiel
Postfach 100 434 · D-45405 Mülheim/Ruhr
phone +49-2 08-47 19 34 · fax +49-2 08-47 41 13
www.filmbuero-nw.de/dfi
email: dfi@filmbuero-nw.de
MFG-Distribution Award 2001
This year’s distribution award of DM 50,000, sponsored by
MFG Baden-Württemberg, was given to the French film
La faute à Voltaire by director Abdel Kechiche during
the Filmfest Stuttgart/Ludwigsburg. ”Tolerance and Civil
Courage“ was the motto of this year’s distribution award, and
accordingly the members of the jury, Gabriel Axel, Sabine
22
Brodersen, Renate Roginas and Paul Thiltges, selected the film
among 14 European feature films in competition. The film
”shows that solidarity can grow despite the constraints of
life.“ Furthermore, the jury appreciated that ”this very unpretentious film has a serious tone which emphasizes that
even in a situation of misery, you can live your life with dignity.“
The MFG Distribution Award will support this ambitious
European film to find its way onto the German big screen.
Pro-Pitch-Seminar 2001
Supported by MFG Baden-Württemberg, the first part
of the Pro-Pitch-Seminar took place from 9 –11 July in
Lille, France. Pro-Pitch is organized by MEDIA Desk
France in cooperation with Antenne Strasbourg and
the northern French film fund CRRAV. Four ambitious
producers of documentaries from Baden-Württemberg were
given the opportunity to develop their film projects with the
help of experienced European trainers. After the second part
of the seminar (13 – 15 September 2001), they will have the
opportunity to ”pitch“ their projects to representatives of
European TV channels. The Baden-Württemberg participants
are ”Eikon Südwest“ and ”Filmareal“ from Stuttgart,
”Planet Film“ based in Ettlingen, and the Filmakademie
Baden-Württemberg, Ludwigsburg.
Kurt Weill in St. Petersburg
and Jerusalem
Sven Düfer’s documentary debut film Kurt Weill was
very well received at the 9th Festival of Festivals in
St. Petersburg. Cast members Kaja Plessing,
Stefanie Wüst and David Lefkowitz enthused crowds
with a closing concert featuring Weill interpretations.
Supported by the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung,
the film was also shown at the 18th Jerusalem International Film Festival in July and is planned to hit
German cinemas in the fall of 2001.
Short-Tiger: FFA Awards
Short Film Prize with a Total
of DM 250,000
The FFA (German Federal Film Board) awarded seven
students of German film schools again this year with the short
film prize Short Tiger. The Short Tiger, for the
promotion of the creative young generation of filmmakers
with a total of DM 250,000 in prize money, was awarded in
July within the framework of the Munich International Film
Festival. The main prize, an award of DM 50,000, went to the
Kino n e w s
Hamburg film student Wolfgang Dinslage for his short
Quak. The category ”animation“ was also recognized this
year, with the award of DM 50,000 going to Johannes
Weiland for his short Hessi James. Five promotion prizes
of DM 30,000 each went to Ina Weisse for her film
Sonntags, Kathrin Feistl for Wilde Ehe, Oliver
Seiter for Der Pilot, Sylvie Lazzarini for Adrian
und der Wolf, and Gudrun Falke for Herr im Haus.
Operations, Production, Pre-Production and Post-Production
Techniques, Script and New Technologies.
There are no deadlines and applications may be submitted
year-round. Further information and official application forms
are available from: European Film Institute
Gartenstr. 72 · D-76135 Karlsruhe
phone +49-7 21-9 85 05 20 · fax +49-7 21-9 85 05 25
email: EIKK-ESP@web.de
Hamburg’s winds didn’t keep the group from smiling!
The FFA supports short films and young new talent annually
with more than DM 1 million. The Short Tiger offers
students an initial financial impetus with which they can shoot
a new short or feature length film.
European Film Institute
Offers More Internships for
Media Students
The European Film Institute helps graduates of
European film schools in obtaining practical experience
working on film sets. The validity period of the FILM
STUDENT PLACEMENT PROGRAM ”ESP“ has
been extended through December 2001.
Jörg Langer, Caroline Elias, Gunnar Dedio, Michel Morales
(photo © Irene Hell)
This program, operated by the European Film Institute
(EIKK) and co-financed by the European Community’s
MEDIA plan and the ALLIANZ Culture Foundation,
has been operative for the past three years in helping graduates of European film and similar schools in obtaining positions
on commercial films as assistants, and offers participation in
master classes of which the film set internships form a part.
German Film Commissions
Discuss Cooperation Plans
This June, film commissions and location offices from throughout Germany followed the invitation of the FilmFörderung
Hamburg and met to discuss common standards and joint
presence at international festivals and film markets. The agenda
focused on improving communication and included such
topics as a comparison of the regional characteristics in film
funding and other possibilities for support, as well as a report
on recent experiences in Cannes. The participants agreed in
their determination to initiate a uniform representation as
German film commissions for the international market, in
addition to the funding alliance FOCUS Germany, and they
also discussed potential international cooperation plans for a
”Planet Film Commission“ in Cannes. In the afternoon, a
double-decker bus carried the film commissioners to some of
the most interesting locations in Hamburg, ending at the harbor, where the meeting finished with a sightseeing boat trip.
German Documentaries
in Cannes
The contracts with the European Community have been
extended to the end of 2001 and thus more internships are
now available. It is estimated that the available funds will make
it possible to place an additional dozen students this year.
The purpose of the program is to assist the European film
industry in creating opportunities for fresh talent, to help in
the information of a common, European sense of cinema
identity, while at the same time preserving the individual
traditions of each member nation. Students are only placed in
countries outside of their own.
Candidates are chosen from among those students who have
graduated (or are graduating this year) in practical filmmaking
skills such as Direction, Camera, Decor, Script, etc., but
precedence is given to students in the areas of Managerial
The arbeitsgemeinschaft dokumentarfilm (ag dok)
once again presented a selection of German documentary
films at the international television fair MIPDOC/MIPTV in
Cannes in April. The ag dok registered 30 films for the
screenings, each of which was screened three times for program buyers – not a bad average among 1,144 registered films.
Caroline Elias and Joerg Langer provided information
about German documentaries and distributed the recently
updated brochure ”German Documentaries“ at the
ag dok’s stand. ”German Documentaries“ is a
comprehensive, English-language guide to over 270 recent
German documentary films with information about content,
authors, producers and film sales companies. Both the updated
guide as well as the ag dok’s presence in Cannes was made
possible through the support of the Federal Government
Commissioner for Cultural Affairs and the Media.
23
Kino n e w s
Bavarian Film Scene Goes to
China: Successful Presentation
at 5th Shanghai International
Film Festival
Sonja Seewald, Thorsten Schaumann, Dr. Klaus Schaefer, Dieter Menz, Sönke Wortmann
New fans for Franziska Petri (lead actress in Vanessa
Jopp’s Vergiss Amerika) and new valuable contacts for
producers and exporters on both sides: These are only two of
the successful results of ”German Cinema Made in
Bavaria“, organized by the FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival.
Government Commissioner for Cultural Affairs and the
Media as well as several German film funds. Six long and
several short documentaries were presented with Russian
voice-overs.
A workshop with Russian colleagues was offered on 18 June
2001 for German producers, filmmakers, film funders and
television editors. The president of this year’s festival jury was
Thomas Frickel, chairman of the ag dok.
For more information, please contact:
arbeitsgemeinschaft dokumentarfilm (ag dok)
Schweizer Str. 6 · D-60594 Frankfurt
phone +49-69-62 37 00 · fax +49-61 42-96 64 24
www.agdok.de · email: agdok@agdok.de
Filmstiftung NRW Supports Two
New Little Shark Productions
The presentation to an enthusiastic audience included eight
films by Bavarian producers: Campus (introduced by director
Sönke Wortmann), Vergiss Amerika (presented by
Franziska Petri), Marlene, Im Juli, Lola rennt,
Eine Hand voll Gras, Pünktchen und Anton and
alaska.de. During an international seminar about film production and film financing, Dr. Klaus Schaefer, managing
director of FFF Bayern, introduced models of European
and Bavarian film funding to representatives of the Chinese
Ministry of Culture and film executives. The participating
Bavarian exporters Thorsten Schaumann (Bavaria
Film International), Sonja Seewald (Telepool) and
Dieter Menz (Atlas Film) discussed possibilities of
international co-productions with the China Film Group
Corporation. Bavarian producer Eberhard Junkersdorf
was a member of the festival’s international jury. The next
presentations of Bavarian films will take place in Moscow,
Cairo and Cracow.
German Documentaries at
St. Petersburg Film Festival
The international documentary film festival in St. Petersburg
”Message to Man“ (17 – 22 June 2001) presented a
”Spotlight on Germany“ with a selection of documentaries in recognition of the creative potential of the German
documentary film branch.
The ”Spotlight on Germany“ was organized in close
cooperation with the arbeitsgemeinschaft dokumentarfilm (ag dok), one of the largest German film policy
organizations. The project was supported by the Federal
24
When Christian Zuebert’s comedy Lammbock starts
in cinemas this August, Sönke Wortmann (Maybe,
Maybe Not/Der bewegte Mann) might be more
nervous than at a premiere of one of his own films.
Lammbock is the first feature-length film by Wortmann’s
production company Little Shark Entertainment,
founded in 1998 in Cologne. ”A functioning infrastructure has
been established in North Rhine-Westphalia with qualified
people and very good companies,“ Wortmann said about
his choice of location. Tom Spiess, managing director at
Little Shark Entertainment added, ”We want to support the
long-term development and implementation of up-and-coming
young talent.“
And this was the case for Zuebert’s debut film about a
cannabis mail order company disguised as a pizzeria, with
Moritz Bleibtreu in the leading role. Co-producer
Senator will release the Filmstiftung NRW-supported
comedy. In Little Shark’s next project, the boss will take over
direction again: in Das Wunder von Bern - supported by
the Filmstiftung NRW with 2.25 million Euro –
Wortmann tells the family story about the victory of
Helmut Rahn and his 10 friends during the finale of the 1954
Football World Cup in Bern.
Das Monstrum: MDM-Supported
Project Premiers in Leipzig
On 8 August 2001, the film Das Monstrum will have its
premiere in Leipzig. Miriam Pfeiffer’s and René
Reinhardt’s debut film, supported by the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, was produced on a small
budget but with great élan by the newly founded sunset
movie production. Corinna Harfouch plays a
marketing expert in this clever criminal-comedy, who
coincidentally finds out that the famous Battle of the Nations
monument in Leipzig is to be sold to America and has to
move heaven and earth to uncover the conspiracy.
Kino n e w s
New FFA Study:
Cinemagoers Potential 2010
Who are the cinemagoers of the future? According to recent
social-demographic developments in Germany, the important
target groups for the film industry, particularly cinemagoers in
their thirties, will drastically reduce in the coming years. In
order to maintain stable development within the film branch,
new target groups must be identified in addition to the
intensification of the frequency of current cinemagoers
viewing habits.
In order to prognosticate the effects of population changes,
the FFA continues to follow population development in the
recently published study Cinemagoers Potential 2010.
This detailed report is based upon the findings of the GfK
opinion research institute regarding cinemagoers’ market
shares and the corresponding frequency of their cinema visits
from the years 1992 to 1999.
Content and goal of the new analysis (based on a special GfK
opinion poll from November 2000) is, particularly in relation
to the film industry’s future marketing campaigns, to identify
the potential for further expansion of the viewing habits, motives and preferences of the most interesting target groups.
The attitudes of cinemagoers, including their motives and
preferences in relation to the type of cinema, technical
equipment and decor, product advertising, catering, service, as
well as to admission price and films offered, are for the first
time extensively described.
The investigative report Cinemagoers Potential 2010
offers information with unique insight about the behavior and
profile of cinemagoers which could prove to be of great interest and use for cinemas, distributors, producers, as well as
advertising and marketing agencies.
The report can be ordered under
www.ffa.de/Publikationen/index.html
Gripsholm in Competition at
Jerusalem
The Swiss director Xavier Koller was in the competition
”In Spirit of Freedom“ at the Jerusalem International
Film Festival (12 - 21 July 2001) with his film Gripsholm.
A total of nine German films and seven co-productions were
shown in Jerusalem this year, including alaska.de by Esther
Gronenborn, Berlin is in Germany by Hannes
Stöhr, Im Juli (In July) by Fatih Akin, No Place to
Go (Die Unberührbare) by Oskar Roehler and The
State I Am In (Die Innere Sicherheit) by Christian
Petzold. Jochen Ehmann’s short Hobo was shown in
the section ”Best International Animation Film“.
German co-productions in Jerusalem included: Stephan
Frear’s Liam, Escape to Life (Flucht ins Leben) by
Wieland Speck and Andrea Weiss, Super 8 Stories
by Emir Kusturica, Werckmeister Harmonies by
Béla Tarr, Angela by Amos Kollek and Lovely Rita
by Jessica Hausner.
Third Festival of German
Cinema in Madrid
From 29 May – 2 June, a total of 4,800 spectators attended
18 screenings during the Third Festival of German
Cinema in Madrid. This year again saw the Export-Union
offering an extensive program with seven feature films, two
short film programs, the presentation of a silent film as well as
a documentary film.
As part of an initiative organized by the Home Deutsch
language school, the audience was able to vote on the films in
the main program. Oskar Roehler’s No Place to Go
(Die Unberührbare) proved to be the festival-goers’
favorite.
The festival was very well received by both the public and the
press. Considerable interest was generated in the directors
and actresses attending the festival to present their films:
Gran Paradiso by Miguel Alexandre, Sumo Bruno
by Lenard Fritz Krawinkel, Sun Alley (Sonnenallee) by Leander Haußmann, and Zoom by Otto
Alexander Jahrreiss. Oskar Roehler and
Hannelore Elsner were both present to introduce No
Place to Go (Die Unberührbare). The festival was
opened by In July (Im Juli) with main actress Christiane
Paul, director Fatih Akin and producer Ralph
Schwingel in attendance.
Also shown were Crazy by Hans-Christian Schmid,
the short films program by German film students Next
Generation, the documentary Herr Zwilling und Frau
Zuckermann by Volker Koepp, as well as three of the
Erotic Tales produced by Regina Ziegler. The closing
event – a screening of the silent classic Metropolis, with live
musical accompaniment – was sold out.
The partners for all of the Festivals of German Cinema
abroad are the Federal Government Commissioner for
Cultural Affairs and the Media (BKM), the German Federal
Film Board (FFA), the six major regional film funds and
Goethe Institut Inter Nationes e. V. The festival in Madrid
was supported by Lufthansa, Media Festivals, Transit Film,
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation, Cinemanía, Erdinger
Weißbräu, Daimler Chrysler and Home Deutsch.
Three German Co-Productions
Win at Banff
Ilona Ziok won the Rocky Award at the Banff Television
Festival (10 - 15 June 2001) for her artistic documentation
Kurt Gerron’s Karussell, a co-production between
ARTE and SFB. Other winning German co-productions were
Shinichi Murata, winning the NHK President’s Prize for the
animal documentary Wild Asia: Creatures of the
Thaw (Kranich und Lachs - Japans Tierwelt an
Fluss und See) – German co-producers were NDR
Naturfilm and Studio Hamburg Fernseh Allianz – as well as
Johan Asard and Folke Rydén, winners of the Special
Jury Award for the sport documentary The Gold Rush
(Goldrausch) – German co-producer was ZDF. Banff is
Canada’s most important television festival and is considered
one of the most important events in television world-wide.
25
In his film, Ruttmann set the movements of Berlin, its residents
and transportation, to a musical score. His aim was to present an
authentic portrait of life without artificial direction.
Thomas Schadt (photo © SWR/Marion Bührle)
Schadt compares Ruttmann’s way of observing and documenting to ”street photography“ and draws reference to the early
photography of Heinrich Zille, August Sander and Lee Friedländer.
Schadt’s subject is Berlin. ”Here,“ he says, ”is where you find the
most facets.“ Among the themes in his Symphony are the everyday things: ”People going to work, meeting in bars and clubs, visiting department stores.“ Also featured are images which represent
Berlin’s history, such as remnants of the Wall, the city’s architecture, such as the Reichstag, and events, like the Love Parade or
the Film Festival.
Composer Iris ter Schiphorst won the 1992 Composition
Competition for Synthesizer- and Computer Music and in 1997
the ”Blaue Brücke“ international composition contest. Her cocomposer, Helmut Oehring, counts among his awards the
Hindemith Prize (1997) and the Schneider-Schott Music Prize
(1998). Both live in Berlin and know the city from the western and
eastern perspective. Their symphonic concept is to make the city’s
overlapping micro- and macrostructures in speaking and breathing
audible. Jointly composing means, for them, ”relying on, getting
into, the voice of another.“
SK
Berlin: Sinfonie
einer Großstadt
Original Title Berlin: Sinfonie einer Großstadt English Title
Berlin: Symphony of a City Type of Project Theatrical feature
Genre Symphonic Documentary Production Companies
teamWorx, Berlin, Odysee-Film, Berlin, in association with SWR,
Baden-Baden, ARTE, Strasbourg, SFB, Berlin With backing
from MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg, Filmboard BerlinBrandenburg, BKM Director/Screenplay/Director of
Photography/Editor Thomas Schadt Music by Iris ter
Schiphorst & Helmut Oehring, SWR Symphony Orchestra,
Conductor Roland Kluttig Format 35 mm, b&w, 1:1.66
Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin from
December 2000 - December 2001 German Distributor
Telepool - Europäisches-Fernsehprogrammkontor GmbH,
Munich
Berlin: Symphony of a City brings together the talents of
the multi-Adolf Grimme Award winning Thomas Schadt (Der
Kandidat, Leben ohne Arbeit) and the equally celebrated
contemporary composers, Iris ter Schiphorst and Helmut
Oehring, in a remake of Walter Ruttmann’s classic of the
same name.
The challenge for the artists is to create new visual and acoustic
metaphors for today’s Berlin. In this symphonic documentary,
pictorial and musical rhythms merge to create a brand new sensory texture to this most fascinating of cities.
Ruttmann’s original (from 1927) belongs to the avant-garde of
the experimental films of the 1920s. For Thomas Schadt, this
remake is ”the greatest challenge of my life. But alongside my own
vision, Walter Ruttmann will accompany me on my journey. We’ll
have our fun, argue occasionally, and finally dance with each other
once again.“
26
Original Title Big Girls Don’t Cry Type of Project Feature
Film Genre Melodrama Production Company Deutsche
Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion, Berlin, in co-production with
Egoli Tossell Film, Berlin With backing from Filmboard BerlinBrandenburg, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) Producers Andrea
Willson, Judy Tossell Director/Screenplay Maria von Heland
Director of Photography Roman Osin Principal Cast
Anna Maria Mühe, Karoline Herfurth (photo © Gabriella Meros)
World Sales:
teamWorx Produktion für Kino und Fernsehen GmbH
Mommsenstr. 73 · D-10629 Berlin
phone +49-30-88 56 59 73 · fax +49-30-88 56 59 67
Big Girls
Don ’ t Cr y
in p r o d u c t i o n
Anna Maria Mühe, Karoline Herfurth, Josefine Domes, Tillbert
Strahl-Schäfer, Nina Petri, Gabriela Maria Schmeide Format
35 mm, color, 1:1,85, SDDS Shooting Language German
Shooting in Berlin from 17 July to 10 September 2001
World Sales:
Pandora Film Produktion GmbH
Ebertplatz 21 · D-50668 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-97 33 20 · fax +49-2 21-97 33 29
email: pandoracgn@aol.com
Contact:
Deutsche Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion GmbH
Kemperplatz 1 · D-10785 Berlin
phone +49-30-25 75 59 11 · fax +49-30-25 75 59 19
www.columbiatristar.de
email: dfilmpro@spe.sony.com
Blindflug is a film with blind people and a film about seeing.
Blindness is both a clinical condition and a metaphor for the way
we perceive the world.
There are ways to see and ways not to, ways to be seen and ways
not to. There is the notion that the blind can see in the dark, but,
of course, they see exactly as they can in the light. It is only the
sighted who are truly blind in the dark.
A screening of Maria von Heland’s first full-length film
Recycled at the Hof Film Days in 1999 set the ball rolling for her
first cinema feature Big Girls Don’t Cry. ”I had been talking to
Andrea Willson [of Deutsche Columbia Pictures]
for some time about working together“, recalls producer Judy
Tossell. “She saw Maria’s film and we then had some brainstorming meetings at Columbia, which wanted to do something
about teenage girls“.
The US and Germany are considered leaders in this field of
research. Frankfurt’s foundation for the blind, the Stiftung
Blindenanstalt, is the city’s oldest private venture, founded in 1837.
Starting with the foundation, those born blind, those who later
went blind, Blindflug tells their stories in scraps and fragments
that encapsulate the whole; not from the standpoint of the social
worker or perspective of the victim, but ringing the changes on
the central question of what it is like to be blind.
For von Heland, ”it was clear that to do this one, I would have
to find out what teenage girls really care about“. So she set to
work on a lengthy and intensive research project interviewing
around 40 girls (some of whom will also appear as extras in the
film) to ensure that her screenplay was authentic. ”We were
certain from an early stage that we wanted to do a melodrama
and not another teenage comedy or anything superficial“, Tossell
continues, ”Maria did all this research to find a story and genre to
be able to touch on themes and emotions which teenagers really
care about and can tap into.“
People who can see live in the world. The blind man lives in his
consciousness. From that consciousness there is no escape, or
only an occasional escape in dreams. When that escape is permitted, it is paradisiacal. How long do you have to be blind before
you stop dreaming in color? Do you still dream in visual images?
Blindflug is a film about dissolution. About reduction. About
floods of images that begin to snag and catch. An entire range of
cinematographic techniques and stylistic resources comes into play.
”It’s nice to make a film about 17-year-olds“, von Heland adds,
”because they have a foot in both worlds, one as a child and one
as a grown-up. They look and speak and behave like grown-ups,
but all their references are those of a child’s because they have no
experience of really being a grown-up“.
The film accompanies blind people during their daily activities,
the elements constituting existential spaces for them while, structurally, the film is divided into mini-chapters, spaces themselves,
such as Walking, The Stick, Seeing with the Fingers, Stairs and
Escalators, The Underground, The Wind, The Blind Body, Faces,
Sex and Love, Happiness, Reading, Time, Dreams.
While one of the main parts is taken by Karoline Herfurth
(seen last year in the box office hit Girls On Top), the other
two roles have been cast with girls who have never acted before.
”That’s both very exciting and a bit scary“, admits von Heland
who found one of the new faces in a diner restaurant one day.
At the same time, she is supported by such experienced ”old
hands“ as Nina Petri (Run Lola Run), Dieter Laser (The
Ogre) and last year’s discovery Gabriela Maria Schmeide
(from Andreas Dresen’s The Policewoman).
To be blind is a universal, archaic experience. But is it the same,
everywhere, in every culture? The young woman in Lapland, on
the trail with the reindeer; the computer wizard in Silicon Valley;
the old Portuguese fisherman in his boat at night; is there some
bond that links them all?
We, who can see, will be the ones looking at all of this. And what
we shall be seeing, in the main, is people who are blind. We cannot slip in behind their sightless eyes. We can only look at them
from the outside. But we want to know what it is like in there.
We shall be flying blind.
SK
Blindflug
Original Title Blindflug English Title Flying Blind Type of
Project Theatrical feature Genre Documentary Production
Company Pilotfilm, Frankfurt, in co-production with Pandora
Film Produktion, Cologne, in association with ZDF, Mainz, ARTE,
Strasbourg With backing from MEDIA II, Filmstiftung NRW,
Hessischer Rundfunk Filmförderung Producer Raimond Goebel
Directors/Screenplay Thomas Bergmann, Mischka Popp
Directors of Photography Andreas Höfer, Mario Masini
Editor Peter Przygodda Format 35 mm, Beta, Mini-DV, color
Shooting Language English, German Shooting in Russia,
Poland, Brazil, USA, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, Mongolia in
2002 German Distributor Pegasos Film GmbH, Frankfurt
Thomas Bergmann, Mischka Popp (photo © PILOTFILM)
MB
27
Brief einer
Unbekannten
Original Title Brief einer Unbekannten, Lettre d’une Inconnue
English Title Letter of an Unknown Woman Type of
Project TV-movie Genre Drama, Love Story Production
Companies Production Générale de Films, Paris, SK-Film- &
Fernsehproduktion, Vienna, KirchMedia, Munich With backing
from CNC Centre National de la Cinématographie Producer
Christine Gouze-Renal Director Jacques Deray Screenplay
Jean-Claude Carrière, based on the novella Brief einer Unbekannten by Stefan Zweig Director of Photography Gernot
Roll Editor Sylvie Pontoizeau Principal Cast Irène Jacob,
Christopher Thompson, Joachim Bissmeier Format Super 16
mm, color Shooting Language French Shooting in Vienna,
Summer 2001
World Sales:
Beta Film GmbH
Robert-Buerkle-Str. 2 · D-85737 Munich
phone +49-89-99 56 21 34 · fax +49-89-99 56 27 03
www.betafilm.com
email: Dschuerhoff@betafilm.com
Rank. Patricia Hirschbichler plays the woman’s mother,
Karlheinz Hackl the Count, and Joachim Bissmeier
(Sunshine) is the servant, Johann.
Stefan Zweig’s novella Brief einer Unbekannten, published in 1922,
was first filmed in 1948 by Max Ophüls, starred Joan
Fontaine, and belongs to the classics of cinema.
Set in turn-of-the-century (as in 1900) Vienna, noted author
Albert Rank one day receives a letter from a stranger, a woman.
On her deathbed, she tells him of the tragic death of her child of
which he is the father and whose existence was unknown to him.
As a little girl, she was his neighbor and had fallen in love with him.
As a beautiful, young woman she returns and spends a night with
him, without him knowing who she is.
The child is born into poverty but thanks to its mother’s beauty,
and attraction to men of means who finance her, is raised in
luxury. Years later, she meets Rank again. Again, she follows him
without hesitation. Again, he doesn’t recognize her. He believes
her to be a prostitute, pays her the next morning and forgets her.
When her child dies, she decides to take her own life, and to
finally write this man, whom she has loved so long and so dearly,
a letter.
Irène Jacob (photo © KirchMedia)
SK
Der gläserne Blic k
Original Title Der gläserne Blick English Title A Dead
Man’s Memories Type of Project Feature Film Genre
Thriller/Drama Production Company Agora Film, Munich, in
co-production TTV Film - Christian Berger, Innsbruck With
backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Kuratorium junger
deutscher Film, Österreichisches Filminstitut, Wiener Film Fonds,
Kulturamt Tirol Producer Susanne Schlaepfer Director/
Screenplay Markus Heltschl Director of Photography
Christian Berger Format Super 16 mm/DV Cam, color, 1:1.85
Shooting Language German/English/Portuguese
Shooting in Lisbon and Vienna from October 2001
Contact:
Agora Film GmbH
Dreimühlenstr. 4 · D-80469 Munich
phone +49-89-2 02 16 15 · fax +49-89-2 01 14 12
email: agorafilm@aol.com
With its international cast, this, the latest filmed adaptation of
Stefan Zweig’s novella, Brief einer Unbekannten, joins
the ranks of such literary classics as Joseph Roth’s Der Radetzkymarsch, Arthur Schnitzler’s Das weite Land or Zweig’s own Die
Mondscheingasse, all of which have also made it to the screen.
The DM 5 million co-production, between KirchMedia and
Progefi, was filmed in Zweig’s place of birth, Vienna, and also
marks the continuing collaboration of director Jacques Deray
and writer Jean-Claude Carrière, both of whom were responsible for the 1998 version of Stefan Zweig’s tale, Clarissa.
Deray has made his name with such films as The Swimming
Pool, starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider, and
Against Oblivion. Carrière’s credits include such world-wide
hits as Cyrano de Bergerac and The Unbearable
Lightness of Being.
In the title roles, Irène Jacob, best known from Three
Colors: Red, plays the ”Unknown Woman“, while
Christopher Thompson (Les Misérables) plays Albert
28
A police inspector in Lisbon finds a video camera near to a
corpse. The tape shows a young woman who clearly doesn’t
know that she is being filmed. He succeeds in finding the woman
but then the riddles and the nightmare really begin. Is she the
perpetrator or the victim? Who is the invisible cameraman?
”It’s a very complex story which will not be told chronologically“,
explains Markus Heltschl about his forthcoming feature Der
gläserne Blick which is set to begin shooting on location in
Lisbon in October. ”Everything is quite different from how one
had initially imagined. The story is also about obsessions, the
obsession of observing someone and then the obsession of the
police inspector who takes over this role of observing“.
”It will also deal with male-female relationships and how they can
be affected by obsessions and lead to murder. I see it more as a
drama than a straightforward crime detective story“, he suggests.
For Heltschl, this will be his first feature film proper after the
avantgarde work – As Ever (Am Rande der Arena) –
in p r o d u c t i o n
project Schinken – which have been in development on and off
over the last couple of years parallel to Good Bye Lenin,
which was penned by Bernd Lichtenberg.
Set in East Berlin of 1990, the story of the new film centers
on the male protagonist Alex’s mother waking up from a coma
shortly before the currency union. She has been away from the
land of the living for some eight months – from the days when
the Berlin Wall was still standing! Alex is told that his mother
could easily pop off if she experiences any untoward excitement
and so he moves heaven and earth to conceal the fact from
his die-hard Socialist mother that East Germany no longer
exists.
”It’s a real screwball comedy“, Arndt explains, ”as always
with Wolfgang, there’s comedy in the foreground, but behind
that you see the true side of life in all its facets“.
Markus Heltschl
which was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival
this year and he describes as ”more no-budget than low-budget“.
Der gläserne Blick also marks the continuation of a longstanding collaboration with director of photography Christian
Berger who lensed the Cannes prize-winner The Piano
Teacher (Die Klavierspielerin) for Michael Haneke.
”We both hail from Tyrol and know each other very well“,
Heltschl says, ”I was an assistant director with him on six or
seven films and also wrote a script for him“.
”This really could be the film about this time“, he continues.
”About the two Germanies and when the Wall fell. I think it
could be something that would also function internationally as
well“.
With Daniel Brühl in the role of Alex, the mother will be
played by Katrin Saß who appeared in X-Filme’s production
of Michael Klier’s Heidi M. to much critical acclaim and
won a Golden ”Lola“ at this year’s German Film Awards in the
”Best Main Actress“ category for her performance.
MB
Moreover, Portugal will not be uncharted territory for him as he
was there for As Ever (Am Rande der Arena) although he
will not be looking to capture an autumnal feel for the film. ”It is
more about the characters and how the story is told. What I don’t
want is to create a melancholic image of Portugal“.
MB
Good By e Lenin
Original Title Good Bye Lenin Type of Project Feature
Film Genre Comedy Drama Production Company X-Filme
Creative Pool, Berlin With backing from BKM, Filmboard
Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung NRW Producer Stefan Arndt
Director Wolfgang Becker Screenplay Bernd Lichtenberg
Director of Photography Martin Kukula Principal Cast
Katrin Saß, Daniel Brühl, Chulpan Khamatova, Michael Gwisdek,
Hermann Beyer, Franziska Troegner Format 35 mm, color
Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin from 21
August 2001
Contact:
X-Filme Creative Pool GmbH
Bülowstr. 90 · D-10783 Berlin
phone +49-30-23 08 33 11 · fax +49-30-23 08 33 22
www.x-filme.de · email: info@x-filme.de
”Wolfgang’s getting to be a bit like Germany’s Terence Mallick“,
quips producer Stefan Arndt about the gap between
Becker’s last feature – the award-winning Life Is All You
Get (Das Leben ist eine Baustelle) – and his new
project Good Bye Lenin which begins shooting in Berlin on
21 August 2001.
Wolfgang Becker (photo © Jim Rakete)
It isn’t as though Becker had been idle all of this time as he has
at least another two projects – Sonne and the English–language
29
Klassenfahr t
Original Title Klassenfahrt (working title) Type of Project
Theatrical feature Genre Drama Production Company
Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, Berlin, in co-production with ZDF,
Mainz With backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg
Producers Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber,
Christian Cloos (ZDF) Director Henner Winckler Screenplay
Henner Winckler, Stefan Kriekhaus Director of Photography
Janne Busse Editor Bettina Böhler Format Super 16 mm
Blow up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Shooting Language German,
Polish Shooting in Poland (Miedzyzdroje), Stettin from August 2001
We asked ourselves the usual questions. Are the characters interesting? What do they get up to? What happens to them? Is this a
script which makes us want to see the film? And the answer is
most definitely yes.“
Produced together with public broadcaster ZDF, Klassenfahrt
will form part of the classic Kleines Fernsehspiel series (the
forerunner of all German TV-movies and a byword for the finest
in contemporary drama). It is also Schramm Film Koerner
& Weber’s thirteenth such production.
In 1996, Winckler co-authored the award-winning Aprilkinder (director Yüksel Yavuz) which took, among others,
the Audience Award at the Ophüls-Festival Saarbrücken. It, too,
was produced as a ”Kleines Fernsehspiel“.
Henner Winckler (photo © Annette Hauschild/OSTKREUZ)
Contact:
Schramm Film Koerner & Weber
Bülowstr. 90 · D-10783 Berlin
phone +49-30-2 61 51 40 · fax +49-30-2 61 51 39
email: schrammfilm@snafu.de
With filming scheduled to begin in August, casting is still ongoing
at the time of writing. ”It’s not just the need for youngsters aged
fifteen to nineteen, and that there aren’t many professionals of
that age,“ says Weber, ”It’s more that Winckler is looking for
what I’d call normal, natural, people, not styled ones. Amateurs
rather than professionals. He’s had a great deal of street casting
experience for various projects, not just films, and knows exactly
who he’s looking for.“
SK
Lass mic h nic ht
allein –
Petra Kell y und
Ger t Bastian
Original Title Lass mich nicht allein - Petra Kelly und Gert
Bastian Type of Project TV-movie Genre Drama
Production Company filmpool Film- und Fernsehproduktion,
Cologne, in co-production with WDR, Cologne With backing
from Filmstiftung NRW Producer Sytze van der Laan
Commissioning Editor Katja De Bock Director Andreas
Kleinert Screenplay Wolfgang Menge, based on Alice
Schwarzer’s biography Eine tödliche Liebe. Petra Kelly und Gert
Bastian Director of Photography Johann Feindt Principal
Cast Dagmar Manzel, Michael Mendl, Nicole Heesters Format
35 mm, color Shooting Language German Shooting in
Bonn, Cologne and surroundings from 7 May to 22 June 2001
A Klassenfahrt, that is a school trip, ”is something every
German has experienced,“ says producer Michael Weber,
”and we want to bring that experience back.“ Not just an educational, or supposedly educational, experience, such trips, especially
the final one when supervisory standards tend, shall we say, to be
somewhat relaxed, are also somehow rites of passage. In the case
of older children, their schooldays are drawing to a close, the
future, whatever it may hold, is already beckoning.
For sixteen-year-old Ronny and his school friends, their excursion
takes them to Poland and the Baltic Sea. While most of their fellow students spend their time in the hotel, boozing it up and acting
out the kind of juvenile power games young people do, Isa and
Ronny meet a Polish boy, Marek, and become friends. But Ronny,
who is in love with Isa, grows increasingly jealous and finally challenges Marek. There are tragic and unforeseen consequences.
Klassenfahrt is the first feature for writer-director Henner
Winckler and, says Weber, ”we were drawn by the story.
30
Contact:
filmpool Film- und Fernsehproduktions GmbH &
Co. KG
Poststr. 2-4 · D-50676 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-9 21 59 90 · fax +49-2 21-9 21 59 99
www.filmpool.de · email: info@filmpool.de
Ten years ago this October, the German nation was rocked by the
news that Petra Kelly, the figurehead of the Greens, and Gert
Bastian, ex-Bundeswehr general and a key figure in the peace
movement, had been found shot dead in their Bonn apartment.
Police investigations concluded that Bastian had first killed Kelly
before then taking his own life – the tragic end of two lovers who
couldn’t be more different. And yet despite many attempts to
throw light on this case, much about this violent end to two
famous lives remains enigmatic.
in p r o d u c t i o n
Hea ven
Now, based on Alice Schwarzer’s biography Eine tödliche Liebe.
Petra Kelly und Gert Bastian, award-winning writer Wolfgang
Menge’s screenplay charts the couple’s dramatic progression
from the height of fame to isolation and desperation against the
background of more than ten years of German political history.
As director Andreas Kleinert, whose past credits include
Paths in the Night (Wege in die Nacht) – opening film
of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 1999, Lost Landscape
(Verlorene Landschaft) and six episodes of Klemperer –
Ein Leben in Deutschland, points out, the makers have
”worked in the reminiscences of people who had known them
both, and these different facets added a lot to the story“, but he
stresses that it is not their intention to make a docudrama about
Kelly and Bastian.
”We avoided everything that went in the direction of docudrama“, Kleinert declares, adding ”it will be a cineastic, stylized
and fictional film. I see it, like in music, as a variation on the lives of
Petra Kelly and Gert Bastian because nobody knows what really
happened between them in their private life together.“
As for the casting of the two central figures, Kleinert says that,
”from the outset, it was clear that we would have Dagmar
Manzel as Petra Kelly“ – she had also appeared in the
Klemperer series – and the right actor to play the older Bastian
was found with Michael Mendl, known from such films as 14
Days To Live and As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me.
Moreover, Kleinert is keen for the film to be shown at film festivals and have the chance of getting a theatrical release in Germany
and abroad.
MB
The Nomi Song
Klaus Nomi – it’s not a name that may be immediately familiar, but
he was a cult figure in the New Wave Underground scene who
sang pop music like opera and brought opera to club audiences.
He provided the ”celestial voice“ for one of Ariane Mnouchkine’s
spectacles, sang with David Bowie on American network television, was featured in an ad campaign for Jägermeister schnaps,
and is even used as the theme music for America’s notorious
right-wing radio commentator Rush Limbaugh’s monthly Anti-Gay
report. And on the verge of international fame, he became the
first artist to die of AIDS.
Fifteen years after his death, Nomi is still being discovered by
new generations fascinated by his very unique ”look“ – and the
question remains: was there a man behind the ”image“ or was he
really the image itself?
After being approached by Nico-Icon producers Thomas
Mertens and Annette Pisacane to make a documentary
about this enigmatic figure, US-born documentary filmmaker
Andrew Horn readily agreed, as he had often seen Nomi play
live in New York. ”It was a bolt of lightning every time“, recalls
Horn, whose previous film credits include East Side Stories
about Socialist musicals.
Combining interviews with people who worked with, influenced
or were influenced by Klaus Nomi, along with all of the live
footage that seems to exist, Horn is looking to create a film that
is ”part camp comedy, part romantic tragedy – a movie about art
and artifice (...) The atmosphere of the film is stylish and stylized,
theatrical and musical“.
”It’s a story that even his biggest fans don’t know and a challenge
in that respect because you do a movie about a ’celebrity’ and
there’s a certain amount of background everyone brings with
them that you build on“, Horn explains. ”But, in this case, his
whole appeal was that nobody knew anything about him“.
MB
Klaus Nomi (photo © George Du Bose)
Andreas Kleinert (photo © Bernd Spauke)
Contact:
CAMEO Film- und Fernsehproduktion
Lübecker Str. 6 · D-50668 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-9 12 81 20 · fax +49-2 21-9 12 81 33
www.cameo-film.de · email: info@cameo-film.de
Original Title The Nomi Song Type of Project
Documentary Film Genre Music Production Company CV
Films, Berlin, in co-production with Cameo Film- und
Fernsehproduktion, Cologne, in association with ZDF, Mainz,
ARTE, Strasbourg With backing from Filmstiftung NRW
Producers Thomas Mertens, Annette Pisacane
Director/Screenplay Andrew Horn Director of
Photography Mark Daniels With Klaus Nomi, various interviewees Format DigiBeta, color Shooting Language English
Shooting in New York and Berlin in 2001
31
Arnold Vosloo, Colin Salmon, Stan Barrett (photo © atlas Film & TV Produktion)
The Red Phone
Original Title The Red Phone Type of Project TV-movie
Genre Action Thriller Production Company Atlas Film &
TV Produktion, Munich, in co-production with Apollo Media
Filmproduktion, Potsdam-Babelsberg, The Red Phone Company
Ltd., London, Terra Filmproduktion, Vienna With backing
from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Land Salzburg Producers
Kristofer von Dillinger, Philipp Menz, Jan Fantl Co-producers
Steven Whitney, Terry Thompson, Norbert Blecha Director
Jerry Jameson Screenplay Steven Whitney, Terry Thompson
Director of Photography Fernando Arguelles Principal
Cast Richard Chamberlain, Michael Ironside, Arnold Vosloo,
Gregor Toerzs, Colin Salmon, Tobias Moretti Format Super
16 mm Shooting Language English Shooting in Munich,
Salzburg, Vienna and Cape Town from 15 May to mid-July 2001
World Sales:
Atlas international Film GmbH
Rumfordstr. 29-31 · D-80469 Munich
phone +49-89-2 10 97 50 · fax +49-89-22 43 32
www.atlasfilm.com · email: mail@atlasfilm.com
If the burghers of the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
were awoken by the sound of big bangs and screeching brakes in
recent weeks, there was no need to fear – it was only another
action-packed car chase being shot for the DM 20 million international co-production The Red Phone.
Consisting of two self-contained TV-movies entitled Manhunt
and Checkmate, The Red Phone is the story of a pannational, secret strike force with the code name ”AT 2000“,
operating from hidden headquarters near Salzburg, who are
equipped with cutting-edge technology and operating outside
national laws as the last line of defence in the fight against international terrorism.
Described as ”pure entertainment, loaded with fast, high-tech
action“ and as ”explosive cinema for television“, The Red
Phone was developed by US TV writer Steven Whitney
(Beastmaster) in collaboration with former MI5 member
Terry Thompson and boasts an impressive international cast
featuring Richard Chamberlain, Arnold Vosloo, Michael
Ironside, Colin Salmon and Michael Wincott, and is
directed by TV action supremo Jerry Jameson (JAG,
Walker Texas Ranger).
”This is not regular television“, enthuses producer Philipp
Menz, ”we got really lucky with people like Arnold Vosloo
32
from The Mummy films and Michael Wincott from
Along Came a Spider. And Colin Salmon recently
appeared in Resident Evil“.
While Manhunt is set in Cape Town where the ”AT 2000“ team
is sent in to stop a top terrorist from assassinating a visiting
European head of state, Checkmate has the Austrian capital of
Vienna as its setting for a race against time to stop the Russian
mafia from selling uranium to a group of political extremists.
World sales are being handled by Munich-based Atlas International Film, and pre-sales have already been made to TF 1
in France and ProSieben in Germany as well as Japan’s
Nippon Herald.
MB
Die Spiel wütigen
Original Title Die Spielwütigen English Title Acting Crazed
Type of Project Theatrical feature Genre Documentary
Production Company JOURNAL FILM Klaus Volkenborn,
Berlin With backing from Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg, Filmbüro NW, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, BKM
Producer Klaus Volkenborn Director/Screenplay Andres
Veiel Directors of Photography Hans Rombach, Lutz
Reitemeier, Jörg Jeshal Principal Cast Karina Plachetka,
Stephanie Stremler, Prodromus Antoniades, Constanze Becker
Length 110 min Format Digi-Beta Blow up 35 mm
Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin, Cologne
from 1997 – 2001
Contact:
JOURNAL FILM Klaus Volkenborn KG
Potsdamer Str. 18 · D-12205 Berlin
phone +49-30-8 43 89 60 · fax +49-30-84 38 96 15
In that most classic of musicals, Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly
sang ”Gotta dance!“ If there’s a song to writer-director Andres
Veiel’s Acting Crazed (Die Spielwütigen) it is surely
”Gotta act!“
Veiel’s latest excursion into the human condition puts four young
acting students under the microscope. Filmed over some six years,
this long-form, fly-on-the-wall documentary charts their progress
from application to acting school, their subsequent admission,
training and progress, right through to that first professional
appearance. The film follows their highs and lows, the personal
and professional struggles to give form to their one, common,
burning ambition: to act.
But as Veiel has shown in his earlier award-winning films
(Balagan, 1993, winner of the German Film Award in Silver;
The Survivors/Die Überlebenden, 1995/96, winner of
the Adolf Grimme Award, as well as the Bayerischer Rundfunk’s
Documentary Film Prize), his interest is for the bigger picture.
”I’m looking at a whole generation,“ he says. ”A generation in
their early twenties, differently influenced by German history.“
Differently influenced, certainly, than the generation which swelled
the ranks of Germany’s left-wing terrorists and which forms the
subject of his last film, the critically and publicly acclaimed Black
Box BRD.
”Acting Crazed (Die Spielwütigen) is not just about actors
and acting per se, although that does form a significant part of the
film, but the fact that actors are permanently confronted with certain historical situations and they have to adopt positions; whether
Karina Plachetka
Constanze Becker
Thomas, meanwhile, is looking for Leyla and finds a clue. He
pursues it and is lead to Blum, who also happens to be his client.
As he realizes the connection, it is almost too late. Leyla and Blum
have disappeared.
Prodromus Antoniades
Stephanie Stremler
in p r o d u c t i o n
Writer-director Christian Petzold, who trained at the
German Film & Television Academy in Berlin, is best known for his
previous film, the drama The State I Am In (Die Innere
Sicherheit), which he both directed and co-wrote.
Narrated from the viewpoint of Jeanne, a fifteen-year old girl,
The State I Am In (Die Innere Sicherheit) is the story
of Jeanne and her parents, two members of the former left-wing
terrorist group, the Red Army Faction or RAF. Currently living in
Portugal, the family is constantly on the move for fear of being
uncovered. As Jeanne meets a boy, it’s time to flee again, this time
back to Germany to ask a friend of the parents for the money to
travel to Brazil.
of rebellion or refusal. It’s all about coming to terms with things
and I’m interested in how people in their twenties react to a world
which has become more complex. A world where the simpler
explanations have become lost."
As to why he chose actors and not, say, dental assistants or stockbrokers, Veiel says it’s because ”actors must always, regardless
of the play or text, confront and come to terms with reality. Their
whole person, their whole life is involved, and any mistake, any
illness, any spiritual crisis has an immediate effect not just on the
reality they perceive, but also on the one they project.“
In June 2001, Petzold’s much celebrated film, a festival and
domestic box office success, picked up the country’s highest
filmmaking award, the ”Lola“ – the German Film Award in Gold.
Joining him for his new film as director of photography, is several
times award-nominated cameraman Hans Fromm. Fromm
not only contributed his talents to The State I Am In (Die
Innere Sicherheit) but has worked on every other feature
Petzold has made.
”There is an underlying reluctance, rejection, despair and doubt
which seems to afflict every artistic work,“ says Veiel. ”And
acting in particular.“
SK
Toter Mann producer is Bettina Reitz, with production
company teamWorx specializing in promoting young talent. Of
their most recent productions, escape from East Berlin TV-movie
The Tunnel (Der Tunnel) achieved the kind of ratings most
broadcasters can only dream of.
Toter Mann
Contact:
ZDF Enterprises GmbH
Lise-Meitner-Str. 9 · D-55129 Mainz
phone +49-61 31-70 49 04 · fax +49-61 31-70 58 15
www.zdf-enterprises.de
SK
Christian Petzold (photo © Michael P. Aust)
Original Title Toter Mann Type of Project TV-movie
Genre Drama Production Company teamWorx Produktion
für Kino & Fernsehen, Munich, commissioned by ZDF, Mainz, in
cooperation with ARTE, Strasbourg Producer Bettina Reitz
Director/Screenplay Christian Petzold Director of
Photography Hans Fromm Editor Caroline von Senden
(ZDF) Music by Stephan Will Principal Cast Nina Hoss,
André Hennicke, Sven Pippig Format Super 16 mm, color, 16:9
Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin, Stuttgart,
Wittenberge from 25 June – 2 August 2001
”Toter Mann“ translates into English as dead man. It’s also a
German expression describing the position of a swimmer floating
on its back, legs together with arms stretched out to the side.
Fitting then, that Toter Mann opens in a thermal spa where a
young woman is floating in that very same position. Her name is
Leyla. A man observes her. He meets her again and falls in love
with her. His name is Thomas Richter and he’s a lawyer. But after
their first night together, Leyla vanishes. She later re-surfaces in
another city, gets a job in a factory canteen and meets another
man.
His name is Blum and he has spent the last fourteen years in
prison and undergoing psychiatric treatment. But now, given
another chance in life, he is taking part in a re-socialization
program.
33
German Films at this Summer's International Film Festivals
at
Karlovy Vary in Competition
Birthday
Stefan Jäger
World Sales peppermint gmbh, Munich
phone +49-89-9 82 47 08 30 · fax +49-89-9 82 47 08 11
in Competition/ Documentaries
Lieber Fidel Maritas Geschichte
Wilfried Huismann
Dear Fidel – Marita’s Story
World Sales media profile & communikation, Marl
phone +49-23 65-91 52 29 · fax +49-23 65-91 51 10
at
Locarno in Competition
Ich werde Dich
auf Händen tragen
Iain Dilthey
I’ll Wait on You Hand and Foot
World Sales please contact
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Ludwigsburg
phone +49-71 41-96 91 03 · fax +49-71 41-96 92 98
in Competition
Peter Sehr
Love the Hard Way
World Sales Storm Entertainment, Santa Monica
phone +1-3 10-6 56 25 00 · fax +1-3 10-6 56 25 10
Piazza Grande
Sandra Nettelbeck
3 Sterne
Mostly Martha
World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
Piazza Grande
Die Reise
nach Kafiristan
Fosco Dubini, Donatello Dubini
The Journey to Kafiristan
World Sales Media Luna Entertainment, Cologne
phone +49-2 21-1 39 22 22 · fax +49-2 21-1 39 22 24
Montreal in Competition
Vanessa Jopp
Engel & Joe
World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
in Competition
Oliver Hirschbiegel
The Experiment
Das Experiment
World Sales Senator International, Beverly Hills
phone +1-3 10-3 60 14 41 · fax +1-3 10-3 60 14 47
in Competition
Joseph Vilsmaier
Leo & Claire
World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
in Competition
Roland Suso Richter
The Tunnel
Der Tunnel
World Sales Beta Film, Ismaning
phone +49-89-99 56 21 34 · fax +49-89-99 56 27 03
at
Venice in Competition ”Lion of the Year“
Werner Herzog
Invincible
World Sales Film Four, London
phone +44-2 07-8 68 77 00 · fax +44-2 07-8 68 77 66
at
Venice in Competition ”Corto Cortissimo“
Jan Hendrik Krüger
The Whiz Kids
Freunde
World Sales please contact
Kunsthochschule für Medien, Cologne
phone +49-2 21-2 01 89-3 30 · fax +49-2 21-2 01 89-17
Jan Schütte
Old Love
World Sales zero film, Berlin
phone +49-30-3 90 66 30 · fax +49-30-3 94 58 34
German Films at this Summer's International Film Festivals
at
German Films at the Sidebars and German-international
at Karlovy Vary
Another View
Eoin Moore Conamara
Thomas Arslan Der Schöne Tag A Fine Day
East Meets West
Achim von Borries England!
Dito Tsintsadze Lost Killers
East of the West
Andrei Nekrasov Ljubov I Drugie Koshmary Ljubov und andere Albträume (Russia - Germany)
Forum of Independents
Esther Gronenborn alaska.de
Maria Speth In den Tag hinein The Days Between
Christian Petzold Die Innere Sicherheit The State I Am In
Tom Tykwer Der Krieger und die Kaiserin The Princess and the Warrior
Jessica Hausner Lovely Rita (Austria - Germany)
Andi Niessner Björn – oder die Hürden der Behörden Björn – The Hurdles of Bureaucracy (short)
Volker Ehlers Der Braune Faden Closely Knit (short)
Johannes von Gwinner Für Dich mein Herz For You My Sweetheart (short)
Horizons
Gérard Corbiau Le roi danse Der König tanzt (Belgium - France - Germany)
Emir Kusturica Super 8 Stories (Germany - Italy)
Horizons: Award-Winning Films
Philip Gröning L’amour, L’argent, L’amour
Inspired by Music
Stefan Schwietert El Acordeón del Diablo (Germany - Switzerland)
Special Video Screening
Viktor Kossakovski Ja vas Ljubil Ich liebte Dich (Russia - Germany)
Variety Critics’ Choice
Vanessa Jopp Vergiss Amerika Forget America
at Locarno
Piazza Grande
Peter Bogdanovich The Cat’s Meow (Germany - United Kingdom)
Cinema of the Present
Andres Veiel Black Box BRD Black Box Germany
Harun Farocki Jean Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet bei der
Arbeit an
einem Film nach Franz Kafkas ”Amerika“
Andreas Teuchert Liebe Freunde, die Musik seid Ihr
Valeska Grisebach Mein Stern Be My Star (Austria - Germany)
Jae Eun Choi On the Way (Japan - Korea - Germany)
Critics’ Week
Torsten Truscheit, Ana Rocha Fernandes
Rabelados – Die gewaltlosen
Rebellen der kapverdischen Inseln
Volker Anding, Stephan Koester Der Weisse Wal The White Whale
Video Competition
Harun Farocki
Die Schöpfer der Einkaufswelten
We were unfortunately unable to include details of films which were invited by festivals after KINO went to press.
Information on the World Sales companies of these films is available at
Export-Union of German Cinema · Sonnenstr. 21 · D-80331 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 78 70 · fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 · www.german-cinema.de · email: export-union@german-cinema.de
Co-productions at the International Summer Festivals
at Montreal
World Greats: Out of Competition
Wojciech Marczewski Weiser (Poland - Switzerland - Germany)
Short Films in Competition
Kirsten Winter Escape
Holger Ernst Kleine Fische Little Fish
Focus on German Cinema
Hannes Stöhr Berlin is in Germany
Stefan Jäger Birthday
Stefan Krömer Ende der Saison End of the Season
Nathalie Steinbart Endstation: Tanke The Middle of Nowhere
Michael Klier Heidi M.
Iain Dilthey Ich werde Dich auf Händen tragen I’ll Wait on You Hand and Foot
Maria Speth In den Tag hinein The Days Between
Lars Büchel Jetzt oder Nie Now or Never
Bettina Wilhelm Julies Geist Julie’s Spirit
Thomas Arslan Der Schöne Tag A Fine Day
Miguel Alexandre Schutzengel gesucht Looking for a Guardian Angel
Hardy Martins So weit die Füsse tragen As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me
Elena Alvarez Die Augenfalle The Eye-Trap (short)
Menga Huonder-Jenny Berlintaxi (short)
Andi Niessner Björn – oder die Hürden der Behörden Björn – The Hurdles of Bureaucracy (short)
Lancelot von Naso Fenstersturz Falling for Art (short)
Jochen Ehmann Hobo (short)
Kathrin Feistl Wilde Ehe Hitched (short)
Christian Stahl Zwei im Frack Two in Tails (short)
Next Generation 2001: Student Films
Tributes
Fritz Lang Metropolis (restored version)
World Cinema: Reflections of Our Time
Amos Kollek Angela (short, Erotic Tales)
Petr Zelenka Powers (short, Erotic Tales)
Eoin Moore Vekehrsinsel Why Don’t We Do It in the Road (short, Erotic Tales)
Wolf Gaudlitz Palermo flüstert Palermo Whispers
At Venice
Competition ”Venezia 58“
Ken Loach The Navigators (United Kingdom - Germany - Spain)
Competition ”Corto Cortissimo“
Ruth Olshan Quién eres tu? (Germany - Cuba)
Out of Competition
Milcho Manchevski Dust (United Kingdom - Germany - Italy)
Benoît Jacquot Tosca (France - Germany - United Kingdom - Italy)
New Territories
Matthias Müller Phantom (short)
Critics’ Week
Katherine Lindberg Rain (Spain - Germany - USA)
at San Sebastian
New Directors’ Competition
Tomasz Thomson
Stiller Sturm Silent Storm
Der blaue Engel
Scene from ”The Blue Angel“ (photo © Transit Film)
T H E B LU E A N G E L
THE 100 MOST SIGNIFICANT GERMAN FILMS – 7 *
In a small-town music hall, gorgeous Lola, who is forever ”falling in love again“, does a
chansonette act every night. Amongst the admirers of her erotically-spiced delivery are several
grammar-schoolboys. When strict Professor Rath finds out about his pupils’ dubious source of
entertainment, he decides to pay a visit to the disreputable establishment himself. To his
surprise, he finds Lola – despite her ambiguous act - to be a woman with a heart, and he
helplessly falls in love with her. Their precipitate marriage makes the professor a social outcast
and brings him ever further down the ladder of human degradation. His destruction is complete
when the former scholar appears on stage as a clown at whom raw eggs are thrown. His life
has lost all meaning, and, in desperation, he goes his somber way into hopelessness.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 1930 Director Josef von
Sternberg Screenplay Robert Liebmann, Carl
Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller, Josef von Sternberg, based
on the novel Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann
Director of Photography Günther Rittau, Hans
Schneeberger Editor Sam Winston Music by
Friedrich Hollaender Production Design Otto
Hunte, Emil Hasler Producer Erich Pommer
Production Company Universum-Film (Ufa),
Berlin Rights Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation,
Wiesbaden Principal Cast Emil Jannings, Marlene
Dietrich, Kurt Gerron, Hans Albers, Rosa Valetti and
many more Length 107 min, 2928 m Format
35 mm, b&w, 1:1.37 Original Version German
Dubbed Version English Subtitled Versions
English, French German Distributor Transit Film
GmbH, Munich
World Sales:
Transit Film GmbH · Loy Arnold, Mark Grünthal
Dachauer Str. 35 · D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 88 50 · fax +49-89-59 98 85 20
email: transitfilm@compuserve.com
38
Kino 3/2001
Josef von Sternberg was born in Vienna in
1894 and died in Hollywood in 1969. He studied
Literature and earned a doctorate degree in
Philosophy. His films include: The Docks of
New York (1928), Morroco (1930),
Shanghai Express (1932), Macao (1952),
Jet Pilot (1953), The Saga of Anatahan
(1957) and many more. The Blue Angel was
his only German film and was the breakthrough
film for Marlene Dietrich in the USA. Born in
1901, this year marks the anniversary of Marlene
Dietrich’s 100th birthday.
(* no. 6 Die Mörder sind unter uns was already
presented within the framework of the former series
”German Classic Movies“ in KINO 3/1999)
Die freudlose Gasse
Scene from ”The Street of Sorrow“ (photo © Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek)
T H E S T R E E T O F S O R ROW
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 1925 Director Georg
Wilhelm Pabst Screenplay Willy Haas Directors
of Photography Guido Seeber, Curt Oertel,
Walter Robert Lach Editors Mark Sorkin, Georg
Wilhelm Pabst Production Design Hans Sohnle,
Otto Erdmann Producers Michael Salkin, Romain
Pinés Production Company Sofar-FilmProduktion, Berlin Principal Cast Asta Nielsen,
Greta Garbo, Agnes Esterhazy, Werner Krauß, Henry
Stuart, Einar Hanson, Grigori Chmara, Karl Etlinger,
Ilka Grüning, Jaro Fürth, Robert Garrison, Tamara
Tolstoi, Valeska Gert, Hertha von Walther, Mario
Cusmich Length 96 min, 3734 m Format 35 mm,
b&w, 1:1.37 Original Version German (intertitles)
Intertitled Versions English, French German
Distributor Deutsches Filminstitut-DIF, Wiesbaden
Georg Wilhelm Pabst was born in 1885 in Raudnitz (former
Czechoslovakia) and died in 1967 in Vienna. He worked as a theater set designer and theater actor before he began his film career.
In 1921, he appeared in Carl Froelich’s Im Banne der Kralle, afterwhich he served as assistant director on Froelich’s next two films.
Pabst’s debut film was Der Schatz (1923). His critical analysis of
bourgeois society and moral of the time is evidenced in Die
freudlose Gasse (1925) as well as in his films Pandora’s
Box (Die Büchse der Pandora, 1928) and Diary of a
Lost Girl (Tagebuch einer Verlorenen, 1929). In 1930,
he became president of the ”Dacho“ organization of German
filmmakers, and together with H. Mann, E. Piscator and others,
he founded the Association of Film Arts. A selection of his most
well-known films includes: Westfront 1918 (1930),
Kameradschaft (1931), Die Dreigroschenoper (1931),
L’Atlantide (Die Herrin von Atlantis, 1932), Don
Quichotte (1933), Komödianten (1941), Paracelsus
(1943), Der Prozeß (1948), Der letzte Akt (1955),
Es geschah am 20. Juli (1955) and many more.
World Sales:
Transit Film GmbH · Loy Arnold, Mark Grünthal
Dachauer Str. 35 · D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 88 50 · fax +49-89-59 98 85 20
email: transitfilm@compuserve.com
Kino 3/2001
THE 100 MOST SIGNIFICANT GERMAN FILMS – 9 *
Austria, during the great inflation. The entire country has broken down; once opulent districts of Vienna,
symbols of the city’s wealth, are marked by poverty and neglect. Nonetheless, there are still those who
unscrupulously take advantage of the desperate situation of others. For example, the former small-businessman Rosenow, who has now become general director of the Central European Bank. As a person, he is a
good-hearted man of integrity, but as a businessman, cunning and relentless. But even other small-businessmen take advantage of the desolate situation. The butcher, the baker, the seamstress. While the butcher uses
his power to bend the will of beautiful young girls, the seamstress has other plans for them: she couples
the young girls with well-situated men, who are eager to pay a price for a bit of physical warmth in these
cold times. Not even the murder of the rich Lia Leid can keep them from their evil deeds.
(* no. 8 Metropolis was already
presented within the framework of the former series
”German Classic Movies“ in KINO 1/2001)
39
Kuhle Wampe
THE 100 MOST SIGNIFICANT GERMAN FILMS – 11 *
Scene from ”To Whom Does the World Belong“ (photo © Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek)
TO W H O M D O E S T H E WO R L D B E LO N G ?
Boenicke and his 18-year-old son Franz have both been unemployed for a long time. The working-class family
lives in Berlin and is six months behind on the rent. Since the future is uncertain, no help can be expected
from social services, and the father suffers under a bourgeois moral point of view, a quarrel breaks out in the
family when Franz returns home, once again unsuccessful in finding a job. When Franz is finally alone in the
apartment, he commits suicide by jumping out the window, thus solving his own problem. The family’s fate is
unstoppable, and they eventually even have to move out of the apartment. Daughter Anni’s friend Fritz
recommends that they move to the tent camp ”Kuhle Wampe“, just outside of Berlin on Lake Mueggel.
Among the others there, who have also experienced a similar fate, the Boenicke’s find a new home. However
other problems arise, as Anni’s relationship to Fritz is not without its consequences. He wants his freedom, but
nonetheless reluctantly proposes marriage to Anni. The celebrations take a negative turn and Anni leaves
”Kuhle Wampe“ and moves back to Berlin with a work colleague named Gerda. Shortly thereafter, Fritz loses
his job as a truck driver. He cannot keep his mind off of Anni and takes off to look for her. He finds her
among a group of young proletarian athletes, whose goal is to change the world to make it a better place.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year
of Production 1931/32 Director Slatan Dudow
Screenplay Bertolt Brecht, Ernst Ottwald Director
of Photography Günther Krampf Editor Peter
Meyrowitz Music by Hanns Eisler Production
Design Robert Scharfenberg, Carl Haacker Producers
Lazar Wechsler, Georg M. Hoellering Production
Companies Prometheus Film-Studio, Berlin, PraesensFilm, Berlin Principal Cast Hertha Thiele, Ernst Busch,
Martha Wolter, Adolf Fischer, Lilli Schönborn, Max
Sablotzki, Gerhard Bienert, Erwin Geschonneck, Alfred
Schäfer, Martha Buchardi, Carlheinz Carell, Carl Dahmen,
Fritz Erpenbeck, Josef Hanoszek, Richard Hilgert
Length 76 min, 2071 m Format 35 mm, b&w, 1:1.37
Original Version German Subtitled Versions
English, French Sound Technology Optical sound
German Distributor Filmmuseum Berlin – Deutsche
Kinemathek, Berlin
World Sales:
Atlantic-Film S.A. · Martin Hellstern
Münchhaldenstr. 10 · CH-8034 Zurich
phone +41-1-4 22 38 32 · fax +41-1-4 22 37 93
www.praesens.com · email: info@praesens.com
40
Kino 3/2001
Slatan Dudow was born in 1903 in Bulgaria and died in 1963
in Berlin, where he studied Theater from 1925-26. He worked
with Leopold Jessner and Juergen Fehling, was a chorus member
under Piscator, but it was a trip to Moscow, where he met
Majakowski and Eisenstein, that proved to be the most influential
to his career. After his return from Moscow, he directed Brecht’s
theater piece Die Maßnahme, while at the same time beginning
work on his film career. He was commissioned to produce the
film Wie der Berliner Arbeiter wohnt (1929) as part of
the documentary series Wie lebt der Berliner Arbeiter. Kuhle
Wampe was originally banned because it was apparently an
insult to the Reich’s president, the judiciary and religion. After
1933, he was arrested several times and imprisoned in 1939,
escaping in the same year to Switzerland. In 1946, he returned to
Berlin and worked as a director at the DEFA studios. His films
include: Seifenblasen (1934), Unser täglich Brot (1949),
Frauenschicksale (1952), Stärker als die Nacht (1954),
Der Hauptmann von Köln (1956), Mit Verwirrung
der Liebe (1959), among others.
(* no. 10 Der Untertan was already
presented within the framework of the former series
”German Classic Movies“ in KINO 3/2000)
Der Student von Prag
Scene from ”The Student of Prague“ (photo © Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek)
T H E S T U D E N T O F P R AG U E
Genre Drama, Psycho-Thriller Category Feature
Film Cinema Year of Production 1913 Director
Stellan Rye Screenplay Hanns Heinz Ewers
Director of Photography Guido Seeber
Music by Prof. Josef Weiss Production Design
Klaus Richter, Robert A. Dietrich Production
Company Deutsche Bioscop, Berlin Principal
Cast Paul Wegener, Grete Berger, Lyda Salmonova,
John Gottowt, Lothar Körner, Fritz Weidemann
Length 57 min, 1538 m Format 35 mm, b&w,
1:1.37 Original Version German (intertitles)
German Distributor Deutsches Filminstitut-DIF,
Wiesbaden
THE 100 MOST SIGNIFICANT GERMAN FILMS – 12
The student Balduin is at his wits’ end. He has no money, but dreams of being a wealthy, society man. As
Balduin mumbles this wish to himself one day, suddenly the adventurer Scalpinelli appears and dumps a load
of money in front of him. All this money can be his to fulfill his dream of wealth and luxury. Scalpinelli
doesn’t ask for much in return, just something from Balduin’s modest home. He agrees right away, what
could Scalpinelli possibly find? However, much to Balduin’s dismay, Scalpinelli decides to take the poor
student’s mirror image, which literally steps out of the mirror to follow its new master. From that moment on,
Balduin lives a life of luxury among Prague’s high society. One day he meets the daughter of Count
Schwarzenberg, who is engaged to her cousin, the Baron Waldis Schwarzenberg. Balduin falls in love with
her, and she too returns his feelings. The situation intensifies to the point that the two rivals, Balduin and
Waldis, challenge each other to a duel. The old Count Schwarzenberg hears about the duel and asks Balduin,
known as Prague’s best fencer, to spare his nephew. Balduin agrees, but when he appears at the duel as a
mere formality, he is met by his double, carrying a bloody sword in his hand. The duel had already
taken place! From this point on, Balduin is stalked by his double. No matter where he flees, his ”alter ego“
accompanies him as a constant reminder of his past.
Stellan Rye was born in 1880 in Copenhagen and died as a prisoner of war in 1914 in France. After a military career, he began
writing comedies between 1907 and 1908. He directed Wilhelm
Gluckstadt’s Det Blaa Blod (1912), one of the most important
Danish films of the time, for the Danmark Filmfabrik.
Hanns Heinz Ewers brought Rye to Berlin to direct the film adaptation of his novel Der Student von Prag. Rye’s unique style became
even clearer in his next film Das Haus ohne Fenster (1914).
His other films include: Die Eisbraut (1913), Die Augen des
Ole Brandis (1913), ... denn alle Schuld rächt sich auf
Erden (1913), Bitte ohne Anhang (1914), and Erlkönigs
Tochter (1914).
World Sales:
Transit Film GmbH · Loy Arnold, Mark Grünthal
Dachauer Str. 35 · D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 88 50 · fax +49-89-59 98 85 20
email: transitfilm@compuserve.com
Kino 3/2001
41
3 Sterne
M O S T LY M A RT H A
Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste, Katja Studt, Sergio Castellitto (photo © Astrid Wirth)
Martha, in her own slightly obsessive but charming way, creates sublime masterpieces in the
art of cooking as a chef of a small gourmet restaurant in Hamburg. And yet, her everyday
existence is rather monotonous. She is introverted, has hardly any private life, and exists
only for her work. All of that changes when her sister, a single mother, dies in an accident
and Martha has to take care of Lina, her sister’s eight-year-old daughter. The little girl suffers
badly from the loss of her mother. It is only the presence of Mario, Martha’s merry Italian
colleague, who brings light and pasta into the lives of the two outsiders. He turns from a
rival into a loving friend. A sensitive romance starts between them, just when Lina’s longlost father appears. He wants to take Lina back with him to Italy. And Martha? Martha has
to make a decision.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 2000 Director/Screenplay
Sandra Nettelbeck Director of Photography
Michael Bertl Editor Mona Bräuer Music by Manfred
Eicher Production Design Thomas Freudenthal
Producers Karl Baumgartner, Christoph Friedel
Production Company Pandora Filmproduktion,
Cologne, in co-production with Kinowelt, Munich, T & C
Film, Zurich, Prisma Film, Vienna, Palomar, Rome
Principal Cast Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste,
Sybille Canonica, Katja Studt, August Zirner, Idil Üner,
Ulrich Thomsen, Sergio Castellitto, Oliver Broumis
Casting Heta Mantscheff Length 107 min, 2928 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version
German Subtitled Versions English, French Sound
Technology Dolby Digital International Festival
Screenengs Locarno 2001 (Piazza) With backing
from Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), FilmFörderung
Hamburg German Distributor Arthaus Filmverleih
GmbH, Munich
Sandra Nettelbeck was born in Hamburg in
1966 and completed her school education in
1984. She was a production assistant on several
films between 1984-85 and began studying Film
at San Francisco State University in 1988,
producing several videos and films on 16 mm,
including A Certain Grace (1992). She
worked for Spiegel TV from 1992-93 and has
been a freelance contributor and producer
for Premiere’s film unit since February 1994.
She made her feature debut Loose Ends
(TV, Unbeständig und kühl) in 1995 for
Luna Film in Berlin and has been commissioned
to develop further scripts for Luna. Her second
film was Mammamia (TV, 1998), winner of
the Max-Ophüls Prize in 1998.
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World Sales:
Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH
Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann
Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
42
Kino 3/2001
2000 Jahre Christentum
2000 YEARS OF C H RI STIAN ITY
Scene from "Emperor Constantine and Christianity" (photo © Tellux-Film)
In 13 episodes, this television series tells the story of the many changes in the way humanity regards the
Christian message and recounts events in the political, social and cultural background of history. It reveals
the many twists and turns of the past, starting with the first proclamation of God’s rule and ranging all the
way to the ecclesiastical developments and prospects in our own time. The message of Jesus of Nazareth
as always has offered both the individual and the community alternatives and perspectives, which can put
greater meaning into their everyday activity. It offers answers to the elemental questions of the position
of man in the world, yet also comes up with ever new questions to the old answers. With it, a new dynamism and continuum has come into the world.
Topics of the series are: Rabbinical Judaism and Christianity; Emperor Constantine and the Development
of Christianity in Rome and Constantinople; Monasteries and Crusades; The Bubonic Plague and the Cult
of Relics; Luther and Protestantism; Columbus, the Pilgrim Fathers and the ”New Promised Land“;
National Socialism and Christianity; The Atom Bomb and Christianity.
Genre Educational, History Category Documentary TV Year
of Production 1999/2000 Directors/Screenplay Georg
Graffe, Friedrich Klütsch, Marvin Entholt, Martin Papirowski, Klaus
Kafitz, Michael Gregor, Jürgen Czwienk, Werner Herzog, Thomas
Wartmann, Thomas Riedelsheimer, Matthias Unterburg, Günther
Klein, Gero von Boehm Directors of Photography Stephan
Heinz, Gabriela Schmidt, and others Editors Monika MunckHoch, Lodur Tettenborn, and others Music by B. Hering, M.
Wester, M. Krüger Production Companies ARD, Frankfurt,
IT-Media, Dresden, Tellux Film, Munich Special Effects Thomas
Frei, Stephan Hempel, Michael Vogler Length 13 x 45 min
Format Digital Beta, color, 4:3 Original Version German
Dubbed Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR
International Awards Bavarian Television Prize 2000 With
backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Mitteldeutsche
Medienförderung German Distributor Degeto Film GmbH,
Frankfurt
Werner Herzog was born in 1942 and has produced, written and
directed more than forty films, published more than a dozen books of
prose, and directed as many operas. His films include documentaries such
as Fata Morgana (1970), God’s Angry Man (1980), My Best
Fiend (1999), and New Worlds: God and the Burdened
(episode of 2000 Years of Christianity).
Georg Graffe was born in 1957. Since 1987, he has worked as a writer
and director for IFAGE Filmproduction in Wiesbaden. His documentary
filmography includes C14 – Vorstoss in die Vergangenheit (TV,
1993), Die Jagd nach der Bundeslade (TV, 1999), Heldensaga
im Eismeer (TV, 2000), From Jesus to Christ and Saints and
Demons (episodes of 2000 Years of Christianity).
Jürgen Czwienk was born in 1956. Since 1985, he has been active as
a documentary writer and director for numerous TV documentaries,
reports and magazine clips on cultural and historical subjects. His credits
include: Qumran: The Secret of the Dead Sea Scrolls (TV,
1993), Secrets of Tibet - the Ernst Schäfer Expedition 1938
(TV, 2001), and Heaven and Hell (episode of 2000 Years of
Christianity).
World Sales:
Cine-International Filmvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG · Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh
Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich
phone +49-89-39 10 25 · fax +49-89-33 10 89
www.cine-international.de · email: email@cine-international.de
Kino 3/2001
43
Birthday
The decision to die, the determination to live, and
the friendship that comes between.
Four friends meet again to celebrate their 30th
birthdays, making good on a promise they had
made to each other years ago. Tamara, Bibiana,
Harald and Claudio had gone their own ways,
getting on with their lives and dreams.
The quiet Harald is the first to turn thirty, and
the four are thrilled to get together again. Yet
deep-seated fears and forgotten emotions soon
resurface, their past slowly catching up with them.
While the feisty Claudio, a bundle of contagious
joy, rediscovers his love for the pretty, self-centered
Tamara, Harald and Bibiana revive a secret that is
to cast a long shadow on the birthdays to come:
Bibiana’s plan to take her own life on her 30th
birthday. The pensive, broody Bibiana is the
youngest of them all. So, with three parties to go,
Harald fights on with dogged determination to
change her mind. But before it is too late, he
realizes he has only one choice …
A celebration of friendship, life and death,
Birthday is the realistic portrayal of a generation
of people in their late twenties, their yearnings
and fears.
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Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2000 Director/Screenplay Stefan Jäger
Directors of Photography Knut Schmitz, Stefan Runge
Editors Nicholas Goodwin, Oliver Keidel Music by Angelo
Berardi Production Design Lars Janowitz Producers
Sabine Lamby, Giulio Ricciarelli Production Company naked
eye Filmproduction, Munich Principal Cast Bibiana Beglau,
Tamara Simunovic, Harald Koch, Claudio Caiolo Casting Die
Agenten, Beate Wolgast, J.S. Productions, Marlis Heppeler, Karin
Freitag Length 91 min, 2489 m Format Digital video Blow
up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German
Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR
International Festival Screenings Ophüls-Festival
Saarbrücken 2001, Filmkunst Fest Schwerin 2001, Karlovy Vary
2001 (in competition) International Awards Audience
Award, Best Screenplay, Saarbrücken 2001, Discovery Award,
Schwerin 2001 With backing from MFG Baden-Württemberg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg
German Distributor Delphi Filmverleih GmbH, Berlin
Stefan Jäger was born in 1970 in
Switzerland and studied Direction and
Script-writing at the Baden-Württemberg
Film Academy from 1992-97. In 1996,
he founded the handsUP! Filmproduction
company. His films include: Une petite
histoire d’eau (1990), 65 Jahre
(documentary, 1991), Von Grund
auf wär ich ein Mensch zum
Leben (documentary, 1992), Mitten
in der Stadt (documentary, 1993),
Im Reich der Sinne (1993), b8-el!
(1994), Schritte gegen den Wind
(documentary, 1994), Rattenfang (short,
1995), Himmelfahrt (TV, 1995), and
Misguided Angel (1998), which
premiered at the Cannes Market in 1998.
World Sales:
Peppermint GmbH · Michael Knobloch
Rauchstr. 9-11 · D-81679 Munich
phone +49-89-9 82 47 08 30 · fax +49-89-9 82 47 08 11
www.seepeppermint.com · email: mail@seepeppermint.com
44
Kino 3/2001
Black Box BRD
B L AC K B OX G E R M A N Y
Black Box BRD steps back into German
history, it shows the Federal Republic of
Germany of the 70s and 80s. The country is
polarized due to the power struggle of the
German state and the ”Red Army Fraction“,
and thus on a constant brink of civil war.
Society is torn, the fronts are irreconcilable.
The life stories of both Wolfgang Grams and
Alfred Herrhausen are tragically linked to this
era. Grams is the one who takes up arms for
moral rigor; Herrhausen however seizes power
and dies when powerful. Their curricula vitae
lead through the enemy camps of the Federal
Republic, through opposing worlds that have
had a speechless and uncomprehending attitude
towards each other until now. The fight is over,
but the wounds are still open.
xxxxxx
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Genre Drama Category Documentary Cinema
Year of Production 2001 Director/Screenplay
Andres Veiel Director of Photography Jörg Jeshel
Editor Katja Dringenberg Music by Jan Tilman Schade
Producer Thomas Kufus Production Company zero
film, Berlin, in cooperation with Hessischer Rundfunk,
Frankfurt, Südwest Rundfunk, Baden-Baden, ARTE,
Strasbourg Length 107 min, 3020 m Format 16 mm
Blow up 35 mm, color/b&w, 1:1.66 Original Version
German/some Spanish Subtitled Versions English,
German Sound Technology Dolby SR International
Festival Screenings Locarno 2001 With backing
from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Hessische RundfunkFilmförderung, MFG Baden-Württemberg, FilmFörderung
Hamburg, Kulturelle Filmförderung des Landes Hessen
German Distributor X Verleih AG, Berlin
Andres Veiel was born in 1959 in Stuttgart
and studied Psychology in Berlin from 1982-88.
He then attended seminars in Directing and
Dramaturgy at the Artist House Bethanien in
Berlin from 1985-89. Since then, he has been
active writing film and theater scripts and
lectures at the Free University in Berlin. His films
include: A Winternight’s Dream
(Winternachtstraum, documentary,
1991/92), Balagan (documentary, 1993) –
winner of the IFFS Main Prize and the German
Film Award in Silver, The Survivors (Die
Überlebenden, documentary, 1995/96) –
winner of the Main Prize at the International
Documentary Film Festival Munich and the Adolf
Grimme Award in 1998. Acting Crazed (Die
Spielwütigen), a documentary observation of
drama students, is currently in production.
World Sales:
Telepool-Europäisches-Fernsehprogrammkontor GmbH
Wolfram Skowronnek, Angelika Schulze
Sonnenstr. 21 · D-80331 Munich
phone +49-89-55 87 60 · fax +49-89-55 87 61 88
www.telepool.de · email: skowronnek@telepool.de
Kino 3/2001
45
Denis Katzer Expedition:
Die große Reise
D E N I S K AT Z E R E X P E D I T I O N : T H E B I G J O U R N EY
The Big Journey is a journey to the borders.
To and across the borders of countries,
continents, peoples and cultures – and to
the border of the own physical and
psychological capacity, to the border of one’s
own being.
Denis Katzer (photo © rsg rundfunk service)
The Big Journey of Denis Katzer and Tanja
Hofmann tells about the longest expedition in
this century, about an exciting life of travelling
at the turn of the millennium and about one
of the riskiest undertakings since Marco Polo.
Genre Adventure, Ecology, Educational
Category Documentary TV Year of
Production 2000/01 Director Denis Katzer
Screenplay Bianca Bauer-Stadler Directors of
Photography Denis Katzer, Tanja Hofmann
Editor Florian Zimmermann Music by Romin
Katzer, Peter Haider Production Company
RSG Rundfunk Service, Nuremberg Length 13 x
26 min Format Digital Beta, color, 4:3 Original
Version German Dubbed Version English
Sound Technology Dolby SR
Denis Katzer was born in 1960 in
Nuremberg. After vocational school and
military service, he worked as a sales
director and began travelling all over the
world. In 1991, he gave up his job and
began The Big Journey, an expedition
that took him, together with Tanja
Hofmann, around the world. He also
publishes reports on a regular basis for
various magazines, holds slide presentations
and writes books and documentaries for
television.
World Sales:
Cine-International Filmvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG · Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh
Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich
phone +49-89-39 10 25 · fax +49-89-33 10 89
www.cine-international.de · email: email@cine-international.de
46
Kino 3/2001
Endstation: Tanke
T H E M I D D L E O F N OW H E R E
The searing heat of summer isn’t the only thing that dominates this film. It’s also the melancholy of the provinces,
so spare in its spoken words. Marek, a petty thief on the run, and Heinrich, a callous financial advisor, meet up
one hot day. Each is unaware that fate awaits them at a forlorn filling station in the countryside of reunited EastGermany. There, in the tiny town of Friedfelde, is where Margot lives and works as the filling station attendant,
despite her disability ever since a reckless car accident. Margot daydreams of a better life which could come true
if she could only win the prize money for the crossword puzzles she fanatically solves every day – without ever
posting them. Marek, who has stolen Heinrich’s car, blows into Friedfelde, a village of 238 souls, and passes
himself off as a financial whiz kid. Unwittingly, he stumbles into the pent up anger of the community who thinks
that he is the man who not only stole their money but also their pride. One beer-soaked night, the furious mob,
armed with lit torches, set out on a march with fatal consequences. The very filling station to which Marek flees
for safety, surprisingly provides the setting for a tender love story, leading up to an explosive showdown.
Tamara Simunovic, Vadim Glowna, Florian Panzner (photo © Bavaria Film International)
Playing on the myth of the wild west, The Middle of Nowhere relates deep fears and suppressed emotions
running riot on a single summer day somewhere in an emaciated rural district of eastern Germany.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2001 Director Nathalie Steinbart Screenplay
Peter d’Ambrosio, Nathalie Steinbart Director of Photography Charlie Koschnick Music by Wohlklang, Lovekrauts
Producers Pit Riethmüller, Bernd Vorjans Production
Company Octopus Media, Berlin, in co-production with Linda
Film, Munich, Tellux-Film, Dresden, Cine Image, Munich
Principal Cast Tamara Simunovic, Florian Panzner, Oliver
Bröcker, Vadim Glowna, Horst-Günter Marx, Hendrik Arnst,
Marc Richter, Tobias Schenke Casting Annette Borgmann,
Chun Mei Than Length 84 min, 2298 m Format 35 mm,
color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled
Version English Sound Technology Dolby Stereo
International Festival Screenings Montreal 2001 With
backing from Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Kuratorium junger
deutscher Film, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, BKM
Nathalie Steinbart was born in 1966 in Düsseldorf. In
1984, she was one of the founding members of the cabaret
group EXEKUTION 27/b and directed various children’s
theater productions from 1984-89. She then studied Acting
at the Etage e.V. in Berlin from 1990-93, followed by studies
in Direction and Script-writing at the German Film &
Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin from 1993-99. Her films
include: Ein moderner Tod and Taschendiebe
(shorts, 1994), Neulich, im Antiquariat (short, 1995),
Der Großwildjäger (short, 1996), Aussen/Nacht
(short, 1997), and Motown (short, 1998). Endstation:
Tanke is her graduation film.
AL
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World Sales:
Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH
Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann
Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
Kino 3/2001
47
Engel & Joe
L
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It’s the love of their lives. When the punk Engel and the runaway Joe meet, that adventure called
life just begins for them. Engel gets by on a day to day basis, and Joe learns from him how to
dream. They fall head over heels in love and Joe gets pregnant. But where do they belong? Where
can they be just as they are? They decide to have the baby. Their feelings promise a future for
them, if they could just overcome their fears and believe in their dreams. So they mount their
desires against the rest of the world. But before the dream of a life in the mountains can come
true, they have to fight against the reality of life on the street and societal expectations.
Jana Pallaske, Robert Stadlober (photo © Prokino)
The screenplay by ”Stern“ reporter Kai Hermann (Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo) is
based on true events and, in the hands of director Vanessa Jopp (Forget America), Engel & Joe
becomes a merciless yet poetic drama of youth. German shooting stars Robert Stadlober (Crazy)
and Jana Pallaske (alaska.de) shine in this dense, authentic story.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 2001 Director Vanessa Jopp
Screenplay Kai Hermann Director of Photography
Judith Kaufmann Editor Martina Matuschewski Music by
Beckmann Producers Michael Eckelt, Volker Stolberg
Production Company Neue Impuls Film Produktion,
Hamburg, in co-production with Prokino Filmproduktion,
Munich, in cooperation with WDR, Cologne Principal
Cast Robert Stadlober, Jana Pallaske Casting Filmcast,
Sabine Schwedhelm Length 96 min, 2627 m Format 35
mm, color, cs Original Version German Subtitled
Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR
International Festival Screenings Montreal 2001 (in
competition) With backing from Filmstiftung NRW,
FilmFörderung Hamburg, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), BKM,
Cine Tirol German Distributor Prokino Filmverleih
GmbH, Munich
Vanessa Jopp, born in 1971, studied at the
Academy for Television & Film (HFF) in Munich
from 1993-99. After shooting several films on
video, she directed her first short on film,
Aquavitae, in 1994. This was followed by
Alpaliens (short, 1995), One Night
Suicide (short, 1996) and This Is A True
Story About A Puker On The Roof
(short, 1997). Jopp has also made some music
videos and has worked for the comedy show
Wochenshow. Together with six other HFF
students, she co-directed the episodic film
Honolulu (1999) which opened in German
cinemas in July 2001. Her first feature film
Forget America (2000) opened in the
autumn of 2000.
World Sales:
Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH
Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann
Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
48
Kino 3/2001
Herr Schmidt und
Herr Friedrich
Wilfried Friedrich, Kurt "Kuddel" Schmidt (photo © Filmproduktion Loeken Franke)
Scenes from the life of an aging homosexual couple – Wilfried Friedrich and Kurt ”Kuddel“ Schmidt.
A relationship-comedy and at the same time, a trip into the German past and provincial life.
The two men lead a life full of passion for trivial things, and they lead a pretty good marriage. Their
story began before the fall of the Wall: one was a salesman in the west, the other was a waiter at a
train station restaurant in East Berlin. The days of employment are long gone and the two men, both
in their mid fifties, are confronted daily with the question of the meaning of life. They occupy themselves with various hobbies, like mini-golf, gardening, grilling, and above all, various well-maintained
collections. For example, records, video cassettes, decorative plates, model trains, letters, and secret
police files. Wilfried and Kuddel open closets to display their unbelievably well-organized collection
of things and are themselves overwhelmed by all the memories.
Herr Schmidt and Herr Friedrich let us participate in their lives. They grip us, surprise us, move us
and make us laugh. But be careful! He who finds these two petit bourgeois men amusing, will
discover the same – in himself.
Genre Love Story, Tragicomedy Category Documentary
Cinema Year of Production 2001 Directors/
Screenplay Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken Director of
Photography Jörg Adams Editors Timothy McLeish,
Dagmar Filoda Producers Michael Loeken, Ulrike Franke
Production Company Filmproduktion Loeken Franke,
Cologne, in cooperation with NDR, Hamburg Principal
Cast Wilfried Friedrich, Kurt ”Kuddel“ Schmidt Length
72 min, 1966 m Format Digi-Beta Blow up 35 mm,
color, 1:1.66 Original Version German Subtitled
Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR
International Festival Screenings International
Documentary Film Festival Munich 2001, The New Festival
New York 2001 With backing from Filmbüro NW,
Kulturelle Filmförderung Niedersachsen German
Distributor Filmproduktion Loeken Franke, Cologne
Ulrike Franke was born in 1970 in Dortmund and studied
Theater, Film & Television Studies, Romance Languages and Art
History at the University of Cologne. She then worked on several
television and film productions as well as independent work in
script-writing and documentaries. Since 1996, she has been active
as a screenplay writer, director and producer.
Michael Loeken was born in 1954 in Neviges/Rhineland and
studied Theater, Film and Television Studies in Cologne. In 1981,
he wrote the screenplay for and directed the documentary Ich
hatte schon begonnen die Freiheit zu vergessen. He
worked from 1992-96 as a recording supervisor for numerous
documentary and feature film productions. Since 1996, he too has
been active as a screenplay writer, director and producer. Their
other films include Und vor mir die Sterne - Das Leben
der Schlagersängerin Renate Kern (1998), Ein
Sommer und eine Liebe (1999), a documentary series directed by
Dieter Bongartz, and Truppenbetreuung (2001).
World Sales: please contact
Filmproduktion Loeken Franke · Michael Loeken, Ulrike Franke
Neusser Platz 22 · D-50670 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-94 33 91 01 · fax +49-2 21-94 33 91 06
email: loekenfranke@gmx.de
Kino 3/2001
49
Ich werde Dich
auf Händen tragen
I ' L L WA I T O N YO U H A N D A N D F O OT
Eva Löbau
Ramona, not quite 18, leaves Vienna for a German provincial town to be
reunited with Toni, the love of her life and her baby's father. The girl
puts all her faith in Toni’s promise, made on a whim, to marry her. Straight
after her arrival, she begins to realize that he's no longer interested in
her. All the same, Ramona tries to make her dream of a family come true.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2000 Director Iain Dilthey Screenplay
Iain Dilthey, Silke Parzich Director of Photography
Sibylle Grunze Editors Barbara Hoffmann, Dirk Stoppe
Music by Stefan Schulzki, David Steffen Producer Silke
Parzich Production Company Filmakademie BadenWürttemberg, Ludwigsburg Principal Cast Eva Löbau,
Dirk Waanders, Manfred Kranich, Sigrid Skoetz, David
Steffen, Maximilian Hummler Length 62 min, 1800 m
Format Super 16 mm Blow up 35 mm, color, 1:1.66
Original Version German Subtitled Versions English,
French Sound Technology Dolby SR International
Festival Screenings Hof 2000, Biberach 2000,
International Festival of Film Schools Munich 2001, Locarno
2001 (in competition) International Awards
Nachwuchsförderpreis Biberacher Festspiele 2000, German
Film School Award in Gold 2001, Student Camera Award 2001
With backing from MFG Baden-Württemberg
German Distributor Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Ludwigsburg
Iain Dilthey was born in 1971 in Scotland.
From 1992-97, he studied Chemistry and
Pharmaceutics in Marburg and Mainz, followed
by work as a scriptwriter and director’s and
production assistant on various television
programs, reports and short films. He began
studying Directing in 1997 at the Film Academy
Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg. His other
films include the shorts: Es war einmal ein
Kind (1995), Gegen die Stille (1996),
Bergpredigt (1998), Joseph 98 (1998),
Partisanen! (1999), Sommer auf
Horlachen (1999). He is currently working
on his graduation film Glaube, Liebe,
Hoffnung.
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World Sales: please contact
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg · Peter Beutel, Eva Steegmayer
Mathildenstr. 20 · D-71638 Ludwigsburg
phone +49-71 41-96 91 03 · fax +49-71 41-96 92 98
www.filmakademie.de · email: peter.beutel@filmakademie.de
eva.steegmayer@filmakademie.de
50
Kino 3/2001
It Don’t Mean a Thing,
If It Ain’t Got That Swing
Robin Merill & The Savoy Dance Orchestra (photo © Niels Bolbrinker)
It Don’t Mean a Thing, If It Ain’t Got That Swing, named after the legendary Duke Ellington
song from the 30s, shows what ”swing“ really meant in the post-war years.
When songs like Meine gute alte Tante or Put’n on the Ritz are played, Alfred Erblich, an active dandy at
the Hot Club Hanover, knows that music has more to do with the heart than with the mind.
Together with Heinz Both, the ”Mr. Swing“ of the British occupied zone, Alfred Erblich,
another still active swing-veteran, experienced how fingers were snapped and feet flew in Hanover,
Berlin and Paris to old role-models like Louis Armstrong.
Swing was like a language that everyone understood; it brought people together and was part of a
lifestyle between ruins and a new beginning. Swing popularized jazz, the music of the liberators, and
post-war Germany experienced the liberation from dictators and chamber music with a new form of
music that caused goose-bumps then just as much as it does today.
Genre Music Category Documentary TV Year
of Production 1999-2001 Director Niels Bolbrinker
Screenplay Niels Bolbrinker, Claus Ivar Bolbrinker
Director of Photography Niels Bolbrinker Editor
Kerstin Stutterheim Music/Principal Cast Heinz Both,
Gerhard Evertz, Kurt Wiegemann, Horst Wagner, Robin
Merill, Hubertus Krohne, Gerhard Lehner, Alfred Erblich,
Stefan Warmuth, Wilhelm Baumeister, Marko Paysan,
Claude Luter, Eddie Hayes, Sebastian Wittstock, Mowgli
Jospin, Konstantin Krohne Producers Michael Sombetzki,
Klaus Armbruster Production Company Trigon Film,
Hamburg, in co-production with interartes, Essen Length
90 min, 2462 m Format Digi-Beta Blow up 35 mm,
color, 1:1.85 Original Version English/French/German
Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby
With backing from Filmförderung NDR Niedersachsen,
Filmbüro NW German Distributor Trigon Film,
Hamburg
Niels Bolbrinker was born in 1951 in Hamburg. He studied
Photography in Hamburg and graduated with a degree in Visual
Communication. He began working as a cameraman in documentary films with the Bauhaus-student and cultural film director
Alfred Ehrhardt and continued his work in various TV productions. In 1978, he was one of the founding members of the
Wendländischen Filmkooperative. He won the German Film Award
for cinematography and editing for the short film Tue recht
und scheue niemand (1977) and the Film Critics’ Award for
Zwischenzeit (1986). He continued work in the fields of
camera, editing and writing for films, including Schuss
Gegenschuss (1989/90), Das Ende des blauen Montag
(1992), Das industrielle Gartenreich (1994/95), Original
Wolfen. Aus der Geschichte einer Filmfabrik (1995),
Der Heringsexpress (1996/97), and Bauhaus – ein
Mythos der Moderne (1997/98).
World Sales: please contact
Trigon Film · Michael Sombetzki
Donnerstr. 5 · D-22763 Hamburg
phone +49-40-39 75 88 · fax +49-40-3 90 77 88
email: trigonfilm@t-online.de
Kino 3/2001
51
Jazz Seen
Jazz Seen is a feature-length journey
through decades of American entertainment history and the remarkable life
and talent of jazz photographer William
Claxton. The film focuses on the man
whose eyes have seen images of people
we have all grown up with: film stars,
jazz musicians, top models, icons of the
American dream.
Chet Baker (photo © William Claxton)
Claxton started his career in the early
fifties with a photograph of a young
Chet Baker, who became a role model
for the young rebels of that time.
Claxton captured the moments when
a young actor turned into Steve
McQueen, an elderly lady into Marlene
Dietrich, a saxophone player into Gerry
Mulligan. The style of the film is very
personal, a mix of interviews with
celebrities who recall working together
with Claxton including Chico Hamilton,
Burt Bacharach, Russ Freeman, John
Frankenheimer, Dennis Hopper,
Helmut Newton, Vidal Sassoon, and
many others.
Genre Art, Biopic, Music Category Documentary
Cinema Year of Production 2001 Director/
Screenplay Julian Benedikt Director of Photography Matthew J. Clark Editor Andrew Hulme Music
by Till Brönner Production Design Vincent de Felice
Producer Marina Mueller Production Company
EuroArts Entertainment Filmproduktion, Berlin, in co-production with North by Northwest Entertainment, Spokane,
Bravo Television, New York, in association with ZDF,
Mainz, ARTE, Strasbourg Length 77 min, 2190 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version English
Subtitled Version German Sound Technology
Dolby SR International Festival Screenings
Stuttgart/Ludwigsburg 2001, Emden 2001, Valladolid 2001
With backing from MFG Baden-Württemberg,
Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) German Distributor
Salzgeber & Co. Medien GmbH, Berlin
World Sales:
EuroArts Entertainment GmbH · Bettina Kunde
Hohenzollerndamm 150 · D-14199 Berlin
phone +49-30-88 70 81 00 · fax +49-30-88 70 81 70
www.euroarts.com · email: b.kunde@euroarts.com
52
Kino 3/2001
Julian Benedikt has served as associate
producer for commercials, documentaries and
motion pictures in Germany, France, Italy and
the United States. Additionally, he has created
music videos and electronic press kits for EMI,
BLUE NOTE Records and others. He is also an
award-winning actor for both film and stage.
His films include: Begegnung/Rencontre
(TV, 1992-93), Chico Hamilton –
Dancing to a Different Drummer
(documentary, 1993/94), Voodoo Chile –
The Music of Jimi Hendrix (documentary, 1995), Blue Note – A Story of
Modern Jazz (documentary, 1996/97) –
winner of the C.I.C.A.E Award for Best Film in
1997, as well as the Vision Award and the
Peabody Award in 1998.
Königskinder
Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola (photo © Wahid Rofaga)
The story of the friendship between a deaf boy and a dancer, set in a small
town in Italy. A film about the desire for hearing and moving, the sounds of
silence, the beauty of sign language. Deaf can dance. A film nearly without
words. Physical cinema.
Genre Art, Drama, Theater, Music Category
Feature Film Cinema Year of Production
2001 Director/Screenplay Lutz Gregor
Director of Photography Michael Ole
Nielsen Editor Verena Neumann Music by
Patricio Wang Production Design Annette
Bätz Producer Lutz Gregor Production
Company Contact Film, Cologne
Principal Cast Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio
Esnaola, Walid Agoune, Liane Stephan, Olivier
Schetrit, Jean-Luc Yerlès, Thomas Falk, and others
Length 70 min, 1915 m Format Digi Beta
Blow up 35 mm, color, 1:1.66 Original
Version English/French/Italian/German
Subtitled Version English Sound
Technology Dolby SR With backing from
Filmbüro NW
Lutz Gregor was born in 1952 in Berlin.
He studied German and Political Science and
has since then worked in Media Education.
Since 1983, he has been a freelance filmmaker
for television broadcasters, particularly in the
fields of dance and film. After establishing
himself in the sphere of experimental documentaries, he began to specialize in video
dance film. His other films include: The
Wall (Die Mauer, short documentary,
1986), Der Gehängte im Garten der
Venus (short, 1988), Angelus Novus
(1991), and Kontakt Triptychon (1992)
– winner of a cinematography award at the
Grand Prix Vidéo Dance Paris in 1992.
Several dance film productions have resulted
from his own dance practice, Contact
Improvisation.
World Sales:
Brussels Ave s.p.r.l. · Jochen D. Girsch
rue des Visitandines 1/48 · B-1000 Brussels
phone +32-2-5 11 91 56 · fax +32-2-5 11 81 39
email: brusselsavenue@compuserve.com
Kino 3/2001
53
Lammbock - Alles in Handarbeit
LAM M BOC K
Moritz Bleibtreu, Lucas Gregorowicz (photo © Senator Film)
”Take a drag first“ – that’s the motto of the best friends Stefan and Kai when they start talking
about life’s great topics, like women, the future, and their favorite football player Mehmet
Scholl. So that others don’t go hungry, they set up a pizzeria called Lammbock. When their
customers order a pizza under the code word ”pizza gourmet“, they expect to receive one of
the finest cannabis products available on short order - home grown, of course. While Kai is
satisfied with his lifestyle, Stefan has his doubts if their debates about style, coolness, and
”God and the world“ are enough in life. As a long-time student and son of a judge, he feels
obligated to make something of himself. But everything goes awry when their new friend and
cannabis-expert Achim turns out to be an undercover narcotics officer. Suddenly, Kai and
Stefan have only one option - and this could mean the end of their time together at
Lammbock and the end of their friendship …
Genre Comedy, Coming-of-Age Story Category Feature
Film Cinema Year of Production 2001 Director/
Screenplay Christian Zübert Director of
Photography Sonia Rom Editor Andrea Mertens
Music by Chris Jones Production Design Stefan
Schönberg Producers Sönke Wortman, Hanno Huth
Production Company Little Shark Entertainment,
Cologne, in co-production with Senator Film Produktion,
Berlin, WDR, Cologne, ARTE, Strasbourg Principal Cast
Lucas Gregorowicz, Moritz Bleibtreu, Marie Zielcke,
Alexandra Schalaudeck Casting Anja Dihrberg Length
90 min, 2462 m Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original
Version German Sound Technology Dolby SR
International Festival Screenings Munich 2001
With backing from Filmstiftung NRW,
Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
German Distributor Senator Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin
Christian Zübert was born in 1973 in
Würzburg. Since 1997, he has concentrated
on scriptwriting and has written numerous
screenplays for film and television. Sönke
Wortmann took up contact with him upon
recommendation, and after receiving Zübert’s
script for Lammbock, convinced him to
take over direction of the film, making
Lammbock his directorial debut. He has
also co-written the scripts for the films
Fandango (1998) and Girls on Top (Mädchen,
Mädchen, 2001).
World Sales: please contact
Little Shark Entertainment GmbH · Sönke Wortmann, Tom Spieß
Eifelstr. 19 · D-50667 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-33 61 10 · fax +49-2 21-3 36 11 12
email: littleshark@littleshark.de
54
Kino 3/2001
Leo & Claire
Germany 1933. Leo Katzenberger is a wealthy businessman, a prominent member of the community. At heart a
German patriot, born in Nuremberg where he spent all his life, he is also a Jew. His company resides in a courtyard he considers to be his own little kingdom. Leo's world is shattered when he rents an apartment out to the
young and attractive photographer Irene. She capriciously flirts with Leo and soon people are talking about the
Jew and the German girl …
In a time when ”the purity of the Aryan race“ is ascendant, this mild affair rapidly becomes a political issue – Leo,
after all, is a Jew. Denounced by his hate-filled neighbors, he is condemned to be executed via the guillotine.
Michael Degen, Franziska Petri (photo © Rolf v. d. Heydt/KLICK)
Leo & Claire captures in straightforward imagery a chapter of Nazi history based on a true story as documented
in the book Der Jude und das Mädchen by Christiane Kohl.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2001 Director Joseph Vilsmaier Screenplay Reinhard Klooss, Klaus Richter Director of
Photography Joseph Vilsmaier Editor Hans Funk Music
by Gert Wilden Jr. Production Design Uwe Szielasko
Producers Reinhard Klooss, Joseph Vilsmaier
Production Company Odeon Film, Munich, in co-production with Perathon Film, Grünwald Principal Cast
Michael Degen, Franziska Petri, Suzanne v. Borsody,
Alexandra Maria Lara, Jasmin Schwiers, Rüdiger Vogler,
Jochen Nickel, Andrea Sawatzki, Axel Milberg, Dietmar
Schönherr, Jürgen Schornagel Casting Rita Serra-Roll
Length 106 min, 2915 m Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85
Original Version German Subtitled Version English
Sound Technology Dolby Digital International
Festival Screenings Montreal 2001 (in competition)
With backing from Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA),
Filmstiftung NRW, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
Joseph Vilsmaier was born in 1939 and grew
up in Munich and Pfarrkirchen. He undertook an
apprenticeship at Arnold & Richter (ARRI) from
1953 to 1961 as well as studying Music at the
Munich Conservatory. In 1961, he became a
camera assistant at Bavaria Film and has been a
director of photography since 1972. He made his
directorial debut in 1988 with Autumn Milk
(Herbstmilch) followed by Rama Dama
(1990), Stalingrad (1992), Charlie & Louise
(1993), Brother Of Sleep (Schlafes
Bruder, 1995), Comedian Harmonists
(1997) and Marlene (1999).
EAL
ONTR
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PETIT
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IN C
World Sales:
Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH
Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann
Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
Kino 3/2001
55
Love the Hard Way
Claire, a brilliant graduate student, is searching for the answers to life’s questions in the quiet logic of
her biology laboratory. One day at the local cinema, she meets a mysterious young man named Jack.
Claire is intrigued by his style, his surly demeanor, and the sense of danger that surrounds him.
Jack is, in fact, a bona-fide con artist. With his loyal partner Charlie and two struggling actresses, he runs
a regular scam conning foreign businessmen. But he also has a secret side beneath his tough surface –
a passion for antiquarian books and a dream of one day writing a novel. Jack is thoroughly charmed by
Claire’s hopefulness, purity, and curiosity about life.
An unlikely romance begins between the innocent college co-ed Claire and the hard-boiled Jack. But
Jack won’t allow anyone to get too close and retreats behind his tough exterior. Abandoned and confused, Claire begins to neglect her studies and throws herself info a self-destructive downward spiral.
Adrien Brody, Pam Grier (photo © Abbot Genser)
Jack tries to ignore her and concentrate on his scams. But detective Linda Meier is on to him. Jack and
Charlie barely escape by the skin of their teeth. Once so self-assured and coolly confident, Jack finds
his world crumbling. His emotions, once fully under his control, are tugging him into strange territory.
Claire has affected him more profoundly than he ever expected. Only when Jack and Claire both hit
rock-bottom can Jack admit how much she means to him.
Genre Drama, Love story Category Feature Film
Cinema Year of Production 2000/01 Director Peter
Sehr Screenplay Peter Sehr, Marie Noëlle, based on the
novel Yi ban shi huo yan, yi ban shi hai shui by Wang Shuo
Director of Photography Guy Dufaux Editor
Christian Nauheimer Music by Dahoud Darien, Susan
Jacobs Production Design Debbi De Villa Producers
Wolfram Tichy, Peter Sehr Production Companies Vif
International Films, Babelsberg, P’Artisan Film Produktion,
Munich, in co-production with Open City Films, New York,
Daybreak, New Zealand Principal Cast Adrien Brody,
Charlotte Ayanna, Jon Seda, Pam Grier, August Diehl
Casting Ellen Parks Length 106 min, 2600 m Format
35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version English
Subtitled Version French Sound Technology Dolby
Digital International Festival Screenings Locarno
2001 (in competition) With backing from
FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM
Peter Sehr earned a degree in Physics and Chemistry
in Zurich. After a year in South America, he pursued doctoral studies in Biophysics in Oxford from 1975-1979.
During this period, he ran the University Film Society and
made his first short films To Shoot a Bicycle (1978)
and A Group of People (1979). In 1980, he moved
to Paris, where he spent two years as a research scientist
at the Institut Curie. At the same time, he began to work
as an assistant director. In 1982, he moved back to
Germany and worked with various German and French
directors. In 1988, he founded P’Artisan Filmproduktion
with Marie Noëlle. His other films include: Und nicht
ein Tohuwabohu (1987), Serbian Girl (Das
Serbische Mädchen, 1991) – winner of the main
prize at Uppsala and nominated for the German Film
Award, Kaspar Hauser: Crime Against a Man’s
Soul (1993) – winner of three German Film Awards for
Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor, and Obsession
(1997), also nominated for the German Film Award.
World Sales:
Storm Entertainment · Michael Heuser
127 Broadway Avenue, #200 · USA-Santa Monica, California 90401
phone +1-3 10-6 56 25 00 · fax +1-3 10-6 56 25 10
email: storment95@aol.com
56
Kino 3/2001
ARNO
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AT
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I N CO
Malunde - Eine Freundschaft wider Willen
M A LU N D E – A N U N L I K E LY F R I E N D S H I P
South Africa, post-apartheid. Wonderboy, a wiry 11-year-old, is trying to survive on the streets of
crime-ridden Johannesburg. Kobus, a former soldier of the apartheid army, can’t forget the ”good old
days“ when he was ”somebody“ – a man honored for his bravery. Now he’s hoping for something to
make life worth living again.
Kobus takes on a job as a travelling delivery man. His pick-up loaded to the brim with tins of Rainbow
Wax, he meets up with Wonderboy at a traffic intersection, where the boy eagerly cleans the car’s
windscreen, hoping for some small change.
A gangster arrives on the scene, waving a gun - he wants to kill Wonderboy. The boy has only one
chance: he leaps into Kobus’ car, urging him to drive like hell because he is about to be ”car-jacked“.
Kobus buys the story and they race off, shaking the gunman off their tail.
Ian Roberts, Kagiso Mtetwa (photo © Traumwerk)
Kobus wants to get rid of the ”little gangster“ as soon as he can. But he needs someone to guard the
car – and he is not much of a salesman. Wonderboy uses all his street-wise skills to make Rainbow
Wax big business! And so begins a journey which moves from mutual antagonism and suspicion, even
hatred, to friendship, coming to terms with a troubled past and creating an unexpected future.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 2001 Director/Screenplay
Stefanie Sycholt Director of Photography Jürgen
Jürges Editor Ulrike Tortora Music by Annette Focks
Production Design Birrie Le Roux Producers Dieter
Horres, Jürgen Biefang Production Company
Traumwerk Filmproduktion, Munich, in cooperation with
Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich Principal Cast Ian
Roberts, Kagiso Mtetwa Length 119 min, 3256 m
Format Super 35 mm, color, 1:2.35 Original Version
English Sound Technology Dolby Digital International Festival Screenings Munich 2001 With
backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM,
Filmstiftung NRW, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film
Stefanie Sycholt was born in 1963 in
Pretoria, South Africa. She studied African
Studies, Philosophy and Literature from 1985-89
in Natal and Cape Town. During her studies, she
worked in the anti-apartheid movement and as a
journalist. In 1990, she began studying at the
Academy of Television & Film in Munich. Her
graduation film was MBUBE: The Night of
the Lion (1998), a documentary on the most
important South African music group Ladysmith
Black Mambazo. Her other films include: One
Step Forward, Two Steps Back (1991),
Born to Shop (1993), and A Changing of
the Seasons (1996).
World Sales: please contact
Traumwerk Filmproduktion GmbH · Jürgen Biefang
Oberföhringerstr. 186 · D-81925 Munich
phone +49-89-95 99 55 00 · fax +49-89-95 99 55 01
email: jbiefang@muc.das-werk.de
Kino 3/2001
57
Null Uhr 12
12 PA S T M I D N I G H T
An armored truck is robbed in Berlin. The loot: 30 million. On a subway platform, nearby, at twelve past
midnight, five unusual suspects, each carrying a bag: Frank, the unemployed gambler and loose cannon;
Kathrin, the harassed waitress and single mother of two; Martin, the seemingly apathetic cleaning gear
salesman and family father; Jonas, the war site photographer turned taxi driver and Marie, the beautiful
computer programmer on the verge of rediscovering her own sexuality.
”Arrest them“ says Ben, the chief inspector, to his four young colleagues. But after a relentless interrogation
procedure, the five police officers are undecided on the question of guilt: an unlikely lot to have committed
such a perfect crime. Ben’s verdict: ”Let them go, but keep an eye on them …“
Isabella Parkinson, Dieter Landuris, Bernd M. Lade, Mario Irrek, Meret Becker (photo © Christa Köfer)
12 Past Midnight is the story of five seemingly ordinary young adults altered forever by one singular,
radical event. A flip of a switch and nothing is as it used to be: Is it chance, or is it five individuals trying to
wring a brighter future from a dismal present? Or does it even matter? What matters is, like in life itself,
dreams can shatter and lies can become true …
Genre Drama, Love Story, Ensemble Drama Category
Feature Film Cinema Year of Production 2001
Director Bernd Michael Lade Screenplay Stefan Kolditz
Director of Photography Michael Paul Heiter
Editor Sabine Brose Music by Michael Kobs Production
Design Thomas Kuhn Producers Olivier Deflou, Peter
Lohner Production Company Clasart Film & Fernsehproduktion, Munich Principal Cast Meret Becker, Bernd M.
Lade, Isabella Parkinson, Dieter Landuris, Mario Irrek, Reiner
Schöne, Uwe Kockisch, Esther Esche Casting Simone Bär
Special Effects Geyer Video Length 91 min, 2500 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German
Sound Technology Dolby SRD German Distributor
Concorde Filmverleih GmbH, Munich
Bernd Michael Lade was born in 1964 in Berlin.
He studied Acting at the ”Ernst Busch“ Academy of
Television & Film in Berlin and Directing at the
”Konrad Wolf“ Academy of Film & Television in
Babelsberg. He has acted in numerous television films
including Tatort (1991-2001), Babysitter (1992),
Verrückt nach Dir (1994), Wolff ’s Revier (1997),
Helicops: Euro (1998), Der letzte Zeuge (2000) and
Heimat Ost (2001), as well as in the feature films
Karniggels (1991), Looosers (1994), Dumm gelaufen
(1996), Viehjud Levi and Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller
(1998), and Komm’ süßer Tod (2000). He began
directing for the theater in 1991 with Pippi Langstrumpf
and Dreigroschenoper, and directed his first film,
Rache (Revenge), in 1995.
World Sales:
Tele-München Fernseh GmbH & Co. Produktionsgesellschaft · Olivier Deflou
Kaufingerstr. 24 · D-80331 Munich
phone +49-89-29 09 30 · fax +49-89-29 09 31 09
www.telemuenchen.de · clasart@tmg.de
58
Kino 3/2001
Rave Macbeth
Marcus (as a modern-age Macbeth) and his friend Troy fling themselves into an ecstatic rave, driven
by the pumping beats and sounds. They have just been named seconds to Dean, a drug czar who is
the ”king of the rave“. They are to control the sale of ecstasy on the dance floor. Their girlfriends
Lydia and Helena are ecstatic about their promotion: all four friends share the same aim: to rave
and have fun - the longer the better. But the good mood doesn’t last long – Marcus and Lydia are
intoxicated by the new position of power. Soon they are conspiring to take over control of the
rave, goaded on by the dark premonitions and promises of the Petry Girls.
Jamie Elman, Marguerite Moreau, Nicki Lynn Aycox, Michael Rosenbaum
(photo © Dirk Grimminger/FRAMEWERK)
Set entirely to brand new techno tracks, adapted to the rave milieu from the apocalyptic and morbid
settings of the Shakespearean drama, Rave Macbeth is a ”rave’olution“, the first completely digital
feature film, shot on SONY 24P 1080, digitally post-produced, and mixed on the hard disk.
Genre Drama, Music Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 2001 Director Klaus Knösel
Screenplay Harry Ki Director of Photography
Arturo Smith Editor Birgit Klingl Music by Mona Davis,
Tom Novy, Tomcraft, Phil Fuldner Producer Stefan Jonas
Production Company Frame Werk Filmproduktion,
Munich, in co-production with MEDIA!, Munich, Silhouette
Media Group, Toronto Principal Cast Michael
Rosenbaum, Nicki Lynn Aycox, Kirk Baltz, Jamie Elman,
Marguerite Moreau Casting Susan Peck Special Effects
DAS WERK, Munich Length 89 min, 2435 m Format
Sony 24P-High Definition Blow up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85
Original Version English Subtitled Version German
Sound Technology Dolby Digital SR 5.1 International Festival Screenings Munich 2001 With
backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern German
Distributor Filmwelt Verleihagentur GmbH, Munich
Klaus Knösel was born in 1964 in Erlangen. After
studying Theater, he worked as an assistant director in
theaters in Berlin and Munich. From 1987-1992, he
attended the Academy of Television & Film in Munich,
specializing in directing and producing feature films.
He worked on the computer animation of Roland
Emmerich’s film Moon 44. Knösel also directs
commercials and video clips. His films include: Ein
Tryptychon von Otto Dix (short, 1989),
co-direction with Holger Neuhäuser on the films Star
Track – The Next Generation (short, 1990),
Supermantas räumen auf – und zwar
gründlich (1991), G.E.Z. - er kam aus
dem Nichts (short, 1992), Die Vorboten
Armageddons (short, 1992) and High Crusade
– Frikassee im Weltraum (1994), as well as
independent direction for Drei Tage Angst (TV,
1997) and Doggydog – Eine total verrückte
Hundeentführung (TV, 1998).
World Sales:
310 Entertainment · Chris Bialek
1801 Century Park East, Suite 2300 · USA-Los Angeles, California 90067
phone +1-3 10-5 59 83 10 · fax +1-3 10-5 59 31 08
www.ravemacbeth.com · email: chrisbialek@aol.com
Kino 3/2001
59
Die Reise nach Kafiristan
T H E J O U R N EY TO K A F I R I S TA N
Scene from "The Journey to Kafiristan" (photo © Dubini Filmproduktion/Bernd Spauke)
In 1939, the author Annemarie Schwarzenbach and the ethnologist Ella Maillart travel together by car
to Kabul, but each is in pursuit of her own project. Annemarie Schwarzenbach, who was among Erika
and Klaus Mann’s circle of friends in the 30s, is searching for a place of refuge in the Near East to
discover her own self. Ella Maillart justifies her restlessness, her need for movement and travel, with a
scientific pretext: she would like to explore the mysterious Kafiristan Valley and make a name for herself
with publications on the archaic life of the nomads living there. Both women are on the run, but
political developments and their own biographies catch up with them again and again. Their mutual
journey through the outside world, which runs from Geneva via the Balkans and Turkey to Persia, is
compounded by the inner world of emotions with a tender love story. As both women arrive in Kabul,
World War II breaks out and puts an end to their plans.
Genre Art, Biopic, Drama, History, Literature, Love
Story, Women’s Film Category Feature Film Cinema
Year of Production 2001 Directors Fosco Dubini,
Donatello Dubini Screenplay Fosco Dubini, Donatello
Dubini, Barbara Marx Director of Photography
Matthias Kälin Editor Christel Maye Music by
Madredeus, Jan Garbarek, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan,
Wolfgang Hamm Production Design Gudrun
Roscher Producers Fosco Dubini, Donatello Dubini
Production Company Dubini Filmproduktion,
Cologne, in co-production with Tre Valli Filmproduktion,
Zurich, Artcam The Netherlands, Arnhem, in association
with ZDF, Mainz, ARTE, Strasbourg Principal Cast
Jeanette Hain, Nina Petri Length 100 min, 2900 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version
German Subtitled Versions English, French Sound
Technology Dolby Stereo SR International
Festival Screenings Locarno 2001 (Piazza) With
backing from FilmFörderung Hamburg, Filmbüro NW,
Filmförderung Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung NRW,
Filmförderung Zürich, Suissimage, Eurimages
Fosco Dubini was born in 1954 in Zurich. From 1975 –
1981, he studied Drama, Film and Television at the University
of Cologne. From 1977-79, he was a member of the Film
Collective Zurich. Since 1991, he has been an instructor
at the ESAV Ecole Supérieure d’Art Visuel in Geneva.
Donatello Dubini was born in 1955 in Zurich. He pursued Film Studies at the Film Academy in Vienna from 1975-77,
followed by studies of Drama, Film and Television Studies at
the University of Cologne. He too was a member of the Film
Collective Zurich from 1977-79 and is also a member of the
filmmakers’ and distributors’ initiative ”Der Andere Blick“.
Their films include: Blindgänger (1983), Über mir der
Himmel, unter mir ein schwarzes Loch, The
Disappearance of Ettore Majorana (Das
Verschwinden des Ettore Majorana, 1986), Klaus
Fuchs – Atom Spy (Klaus Fuchs – Atomspion,
documentary, 1989), J.K. - Experience in Dealing
with One’s Own Ego (J.K. - Erfahrungen im
Umgang mit dem eigenen Ich, documentary, 1991),
Ludwig 1881 (1993), Jean Seberg – American
Actress (documentary, 1995), and P. – A Journey into
the Mind of Thomas Pynchon (documentary, 2001).
World Sales:
Media Luna Entertainment GmbH & Co. KG · Ida Martins
Hochstadenstr. 1-3 · D-50674 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-1 39 22 22 · fax +49-2 21-1 39 22 24
email: info@mediaLuna-entertainment.de · idamartins@mediaLuna-entertainment.de
60
Kino 3/2001
O
CAR N
AT L O
DE
G RAN
A
Z
PIAZ
Sainkho
At a time of globalization and reclining traditions, Sainkho is an attempt to investigate the
ways artists deal with the phenomenon of missing links. Sainkho Namchylak is an exceptional
singer and musician from the far deserts of the Tuva, a small country on the border to
Mongolia. She has created an outstanding style that combines musical traditions of her nomad
past with influences of the present in a world of drum ’n bass, hip hop and jazz.
Sainkho Namchylak
London, Rome, Berlin, Vienna and the breathtaking landscapes of the Tuva are the backdrop
for a journey that explores the source of Sainkho’s inspiration and talent. Sainkho Namchylak
is an icon of a generation that bridges the gap between the modern and the traditional.
Genre Music Category Documentary Cinema
Year of Production 2000/01 Director/
Screenplay Erika von Moeller Director of
Photography Daria Moheb Zandi Editor
Gesa Martens Producer Titus Kreyenberg
Production Company Colonia Media
Filmproduktion/Label 131, Cologne, in
association with WDR, Cologne, 3sat, Cologne,
Academy of Media Arts, Cologne Principal
Cast Sainkho Namchylak Length 80 min,
2190 m Format Digital video Blow up 35 mm,
color, 1:1.85 Original Version English
Sound Technology Dolby SR With
backing from Filmbüro NW German
Distributor Colonia Media Filmproduktions
GmbH, Cologne
Erica von Moeller was born in Wiesbaden
in 1968. After studying Fine Arts at the
University of Mainz, she went on to study Film
at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Her
other films include: Borders (1997), Wenn
wir schreiten (documentary, 1996-99),
mariemarie (1999), and Von einem
Sommer (2000).
World Sales:
Colonia Media Filmproduktions GmbH · Titus Kreyenberg, Frank Döhmann
Moltkestr. 131 · D-50674 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-9 51 40 40 · fax +49-2 21-9 51 40 44
www.coloniamedia.de · email: coloniamedia@coloniamedia.de
Kino 3/2001
61
Salamander
Henriette Heinze
For one very last time, Sandra agrees to help her ex-lover Ronny with the risky delivery of
some forged passports. But as Ronny continues to lay his weirdo-routine on her, Sandra finally
gives him the boot. To make sure that she will not change her mind in the very last minute,
she swallows two sleeping pills and hits the sack. In the middle of the night Sandra is
surprised by a burglar. Mike, who is literally over-powered by the young lady’s expert martial
art abilities, comes out with some not so surprising news: Ronny has run into trouble – big
time. Sandra forces Mike to lead her to her awkward friend, and thus slips into the very
maneuver she positively meant to avoid. The night ride in Mike’s beat-up Peugeot turns into
a tricky cat-and-mouse game between the drug-hazed kung-fu-fightress and the seemingly
left-handed burglar.
Genre Thriller Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2000 Director Barbara Gebler Screenplay Wieland Bauder Director of Photography Eeva
Fleig Editor Birgit Berndt Music by Andreas Koslik
Production Design Ingrid Jebram, Katia Fouquet
Producers Christian Hohoff, Anke Scheib, Lucas Schmidt
Production Company dffb, Berlin, in co-production
with Colonia Media Filmproduktion, Cologne, ZDF, Mainz
Principal Cast Henriette Heinze, Bela B. Felsenheimer,
Mario Mentrup Length 60 min, 1710 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version
German Subtitled Version English Sound
Technology Dolby SR International Festival
Screenings Hof 2000, Berlin 2001 (Forum), Saarbrücken
2001 German Distributor dffb Deutsche Film- und
Fernsehakademie Berlin GmbH, Berlin
Barbara Gebler, born in 1963 in Rheinfelden, first studied German, History and
Philosophy at the University of Constance,
followed by an apprenticeship and work as an
editor in London, Wiesbaden and Mainz. She
then studied Directing at the German Film and
Television Academy Berlin (dffb). Her films
include: Die Ermittler (short, 1992),
Selber schuld (1994), Svevo (music video,
1995), Fangt schon mal an (short, 1996),
I Like the Fire (short, 1996), A Rough
Idea (Geheime Pläne, short, 1997), and
40 Love (short, 1999). Salamander is her
graduation film from the dffb.
World Sales:
Colonia Media Filmproduktions GmbH · Anke Scheib
Moltkestr. 131 · D-50674 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-95 14 04 35 · fax +49-2 21-9 51 40 44
www.coloniamedia.de · email: a.scheib@coloniamedia.de
62
Kino 3/2001
Sass – Die Meisterdiebe
Berlin in the Golden Twenties. Social unrest and joblessness are side-by-side with incredible wealth
and decadence – it is a time when everything is possible! This is the world of the working-class
brothers Franz and Erich Sass, who started out going through life as honest men and ended up
becoming Berlin’s most notorious gangsters – loved by the people, hunted by the cops.
Jürgen Vogel, Ben Becker (photo © MOOVIE – the art of entertainment)
After carrying out a series of robberies which leave the police wringing their hands in frustration,
Franz and Erich Sass become Berlin’s most celebrated heroes. The newspapers report admiringly and
the brothers are the talk of the town. As their fame grows, so does their fortune. Exhilarated by their
success, the brothers plan a final, daring coup: Berlin’s richest and most highly-guarded bank, where
the Nazis also have 15 million Reichsmarks campaign funds deposited. Although they get away with
the loot, they are apprehended at the Danish border. As their trial proceeds, the suspense mounts.
Could this really be the end for the daring duo? To everyone’s surprise, Franz and Erich are acquitted
by the jury. But the Nazis won’t let anybody get away with stealing from them …
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of
Production 2001 Director Carlo Rola Screenplay
Uwe Wilhelm, Holger Karsten Schmidt Director of
Photography Martin Langer Editor Friederike von
Normann Music by Georg Kleinebreil Production
Design Bettina Schmidt Producer Oliver Berben
Production Company MOOVIE-the art of entertainment, Berlin, in co-production with TaurusProduktion,
Munich, Roxy Film, Munich, Constantin Film, Munich
Principal Cast Ben Becker, Jürgen Vogel, Henry Hübchen,
Karin Baal, Otto Sander, Jeanette Hain Casting Drews
Casting Studio, Berlin Special Effects Spezialeffekte Gerd
Voll, Effective, Flash Art Length 110 min, 3009 m
Format Super 35 mm, color, 1:2.35 Original Version
German Sound Technology Dolby Digital 6-Channel
With backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg,
FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW,
Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) German Distributor
Constantin Film Verleih GmbH, Munich
Carlo Rola, born in 1958 in Germany, began his
Law Studies in Frankfurt in 1976 and earned a living
working as a stuntman at the theater. Starting in
1981, he decided to focus fully on the theater and
opera, and was a director’s assistant, working with,
among others, Hans Neuenfels, Ruth Berghaus and
Peter Stein for various productions in Hamburg,
Frankfurt and Berlin. His debut as a director was in
Frankfurt in 1983 with the English language performance of A Streetcar Named Desire. Also at this time,
he was the production manager of numerous feature
films and TV movies. In 1994, he was an instructor
for Promotional Film at the ”Konrad Wolf“ Academy
of Film & Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg, in 1999
he was an instructor for Direction at the German
Film & Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin. Since then,
he has directed over 60 national and international
commercials, trailers and music videos. In 1996, he
founded MOOVIE-the art of entertainment together
with Oliver Berben in Berlin, where he has lived for
20 years.
World Sales:
Beta Film GmbH · Dirk Schürhoff
Robert-Buerkle-Str. 2 · D-85737 Ismaning
phone +49-89-99 56 21 34 · fax +49-89-99 56 27 03
www.betafilm.com · email: Dschuerhoff@betafilm.com
Kino 3/2001
63
Vortex
Somewhere in the distant future … the United Nations have decided on a new system of imprisonment as an answer to escalating street violence: VORTEX, a mysterious and completely isolated prison
complex that is said to securely keep anyone arriving from ever going back.
Vincent, a constructional engineer in his mid-thirties, is attacked by a man in a dark alleyway. To
protect his own life, he shoots the man. Vincent must stand trial for murder – despite his protest and
affirmations that he only acted in self-defense, he is found guilty and sent to VORTEX, where according
to the judge, he will have to fulfill a certain ”rate“ each week.
Gilbert von Sohlern, Hardy Krüger Jr. (photo © Candela Film)
Once in VORTEX, he realizes that he has been cast out into what is in fact a whole subterranean city
solely inhabited by criminals. And his ”rate“ is that from now on he is supposed to execute one fellow
prisoner per week. Deeply shocked and repelled, Vincent refuses to kill his first assigned victim. But the
system is merciless: if he doesn’t comply, he himself will be assigned to be killed. Vincent is drawn
deeper and deeper into a vortex of fear, aggression and violence, with no apparent way out …
Genre Fantasy/Science-Fiction Category Feature Film
Cinema Year of Production 2001 Director/
Screenplay Michael Pohl Director of Photography
Dixie Schmiedle Editor Uli Schön Music by Philipp F.
Kölmel Production Design Renate Huber Producer
Markus Zimmer Production Company Candela Film,
Munich, in co-production with ARRI Film & TV, Munich,
Academy of Television & Film, Munich, Fieber Film, Munich
Principal Cast Hardy Krüger Jr., Arne Fuhrmann, Harald
Leipnitz, Gilbert von Sohlern, Inés Gress Special Effects
ARRI Digital Film, Munich, UPSTART Filmproduktion,
Wiesbaden Length 50 min, 1368 m Format 35 mm,
color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled
Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital/SR
With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
World Sales:
Candela Film GbR · Markus Zimmer
Blutenburgstr. 108 · D-80636 Munich
phone/fax +49-89-1 23 48 20
www.vortex-derfilm.de
64
Kino 3/2001
Michael Pohl was born in 1967 in Wolfsburg. During his
schooling, he did work in marketing and decoration of display
windows for various cinemas as well as in graphic print design.
From 1988-1990, he worked as an assistant location manager
on various productions for Creative Media Productions in
Munich, followed by an internship and work as a production
assistant for Bavaria Film. In 1992, he began his studies at the
Academy of Television & Film in Munich. His films include:
Leben und Sterben in Transylvanien (short, 1991),
Phantasmagoria (short, 1993), Der fliehende
Teppich (short, 1993), Ausgestorben (short, 1994-95) –
winner in 1996 of the Audience Award at the International
Fantasy Film Festival Brussels, the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau
Short Film Award and First Prize in Pro7’s CINEMA-TV short film
competition, Emmeran (TV, 1996), Ohne Gewähr (TV,
1997), and Cineon – Einführung in die digitale
Filmbearbeitung (documentary, 1998).
Was tun, wenn’s brennt?
W H AT TO D O I N CA S E O F F I R E ?
In the 80s, the ”Autonomen“ were a group of hippie-like anarchists – rebellious Tim, pretty Flo, crazy
Terror, dynamic Nele, creative Maik, and the Berliner Hotte were a sworn fraternity. House squatters
during Berlin’s heyday of punk and new wave, they led wild and unruly existences, enjoying life to its
fullest during their street demonstrations. Like many of their peers who gave up their passionate
participation in demonstrating in exchange for starting a family or profession, they too grew up and
conformed, well, almost all of them. Tim and Hotte have remained true to fighting the causes they
believed in 12 years ago. But the others developed into exactly the types that they once viewed as
their enemy, the revolting establishment. Commercial producer Maik has successfully brought his
company onto the stock market, the blossoming punk Flo will soon marry into money, and Terror is
an attorney with the prospect of a career in the prosecutor’s office. Nele, a single mother raising two
children, is one of those that got stuck, like Tim and Hotte.
Til Schweiger, Sebastian Blomberg, Nadja Uhl (photo © Marco Nagel)
The ”winners“ would be discussing real estate deals during power lunches, if the past hadn’t suddenly
brought them all back together: more than twelve years ago, they placed one of their Molotov cocktails in an abandoned American military-occupied villa in Berlin’s wealthy area. It never exploded, but
Tim, passionate about his hobby of filmmaking, had documented the entire process on his Super 8
camera. And when the villa is sold and the dormant bomb explodes, the past brings the group
together once again …
Genre Action/Adventure, Comedy Category Feature Film
Cinema Year of Production 2000 Director Gregor Schnitzler
Screenplay Stefan Dähnert, Anne Wild Director of Photography Andreas Berger Editor Hansjörg Weißbrich Production
Design Albrecht Konrad Producers Andrea Willson, Jakob
Claussen, Thomas Wöbke Production Company Deutsche
Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion, Berlin, in co-production with
Claussen + Wöbke Filmproduktion, Munich Principal Cast Til
Schweiger, Doris Schretzmayer, Martin Feifel, Nadja Uhl, Sebastian
Blomberg, Matthias Matschke, Klaus Löwitsch Casting Nessie
Nesslauer Special Effects CA Scanline Production, Munich, SFX
Department, Berlin Studio Shooting Magicmove, Munich Length
100 min, 3600 m Format Super 35 mm, color, 1:2.35 Original
Version German Sound Technology Dolby SR/SRD & SDDS
With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Filmförderung Berlin-Bandenburg, MFG BadenWürttemberg German Distributor Columbia TriStar Film
GmbH, Berlin
Gregor Schnitzler was born in 1964 in Berlin.
At the age of 14, he began performing live with a
band and at age 16 produced his own albums
together with his father. From 1987-1999, he studied Social and Economic Communication in Berlin,
with an emphasis in Visual Communication. He
founded his own production company and produced and directed music videos for various bands
as well as television advertisements. His films
include: Das Fenster (short, 1991), Sonntage
(short, 1992), Im Namen des Gesetzes (TV,
1994-98), Team Berlin – Unternehmen
Feuertaufe (TV, 1997/98), Team Berlin –
Tödlicher Wind (TV, 1998), Balko –
Gefährliche Vaterschaft (TV, 1999) and
Finnlandia (1999) which he co-directed with
Eleni Ampelakiotou.
World Sales:
Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International · Sal Ladestro
10202 West Washington Blvd. · USA-Culver City, California 90232-3195
phone +1-3 10-2 44 20 73 · fax +1-3 10-2 44 18 75
www.sony.com · email: sal_ladestro@spe.sony.com
Kino 3/2001
65
www.
germancinema.
de/
INFORMATION ON GERMAN FILMS.
GERMAN
CINEMA
Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH
Sonnenstrasse 21 · D-80331 Munich · phone +49-89-5 99 78 7 0 · fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 · email: export-union@german-cinema.de
Export-Union of German Cinema
Shareholders and Supporters
Verband Deutscher Spielfilmproduzenten e.V./
Association of German Feature Film Producers
please contact Franz Seitz
Beichstr. 8, D-80802 Munich
phone +49-89-39 11 23, fax +49-89-33 74 32
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Neuer Deutscher Spielfilmproduzenten/
Association of New Feature Film Producers
please contact Margarete Evers
Agnesstr. 14, D-80798 Munich
phone +49-89-2 71 74 30, fax +49-89-2 71 97 28
email: ag-spielfilm@t-online.de
Verband Deutscher Filmexporteure e.V./
Association of German Film Exporters
please contact Lothar Wedel
Tegernseer Landstr. 75, D-81539 Munich
phone +49- 89-6 92 06 60, fax +49-89-6 92 09 10
email: vdfe@kanzlei-wedel.de
Filmförderungsanstalt
Große Präsidentenstr. 9, D - 10178 Berlin
phone +49-30-27 57 70, fax +49-30-27 57 71 11
www.ffa.de, email: presse@ffa.de
Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für
Angelegenheiten der Kultur und der Medien
Referat K 36, Graurheindorfer Str. 198 , D - 53117 Bonn
phone +49-18 88-6 81 36 43, fax +49-18 88-6 81 38 53
email: Hermann.Scharnhoop@bkm.bmi.bund.de
Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
August-Bebel-Str. 26-53, D - 14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg
phone +49-3 31-7 43 87-0, fax +49-3 31-7 43 87-99
www.filmboard.de
email: filmboard@filmboard.de
FilmFernsehFonds Bayern GmbH
Sonnenstr. 21, D - 80331 Munich
phone +49-89-5 44 60 20, fax +49-89-54 46 02 21
www.fff-bayern.de
email: filmfoerderung@fff-bayern.de
FilmFörderung Hamburg GmbH
Friedensallee 14–16, D - 22765 Hamburg
phone +49-40-3 98 37-0, fax +49-40-3 98 37-10
www.ffhh.de
email: filmfoerderung@ffhh.de or location@ffhh.de
Filmstiftung NRW GmbH
Kaistr. 14, D - 40221 Düsseldorf
phone +49-2 11-93 05 00, fax +49-2 11-93 05 05
www.filmstiftung.de
email: info@filmstiftung.de
Medien- und Filmgesellschaft
Baden-Württemberg mbH
Filmförderung
Breitscheidstr. 4, D - 70174 Stuttgart
phone +49-7 11-90 71 54 00, fax +49-7 11-90 71 54 50
www.film.mfg.de
email: filmfoerderung@mfg.de
Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH
Hainstr. 17-19, D - 04109 Leipzig
phone +49-3 41-26 98 70, fax +49-3 41-2 69 87 65
www.mdm-foerderung.de
email: info@mdm-foerderung.de
Film Exporters
Members of the German Film Exporters’ Association
please contact Lothar Wedel · Tegernseer Landstr. 75 · D-81539 Munich
phone +49-89-6 92 06 60 · fax +49-89-6 92 09 10 · email: vdfe@kanzlei-wedel.de
DWF
Dieter Wahl Film
Progress Film-Verleih GmbH
Türkenstr. 89
D-80799 Munich
phone +49-89-38 09 12 88
fax +49-89-38 09 16 19
www.arri-mediaworldsales.de
email: aexacoustos@arri.de
please contact Dieter Wahl
Sörgelstr. 15b
D-81477 Munich
phone +49-89-53 27 21
fax +49-89-53 12 97
email: wahlfilm1@aol.com
Burgstr. 27
D-10178 Berlin
phone +49-30-24 00 32 25
fax +49-30-24 00 32 22
www.progress-film.de
email: c.jansen@progress-film.de
Atlas International
Film GmbH
Exportfilm Bischoff & Co. GmbH
Road Sales GmbH Mediadistribution
please contact Jochem Strate,
please contact Denise Booth
please contact
Philip Evenkamp
Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum
Isabellastr. 20
D-80798 Munich
phone +49-89-2 72 93 60
fax +49-89-27 29 36 36
email: philipevenkamp@csi.com
Clausewitzstr. 4
D-10629 Berlin
phone +49-30-8 80 48 60
fax +49-30-88 04 86 11
www.das-werk.de
email: office@road-movies.de
german united distributors
Programmvertrieb GmbH
RRS Entertainment Gesellschaft für
Filmlizenzen GmbH
please contact Silke Spahr
please contact Robert Rajber
Richartzstr. 6-8a
D-50667 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-92 06 90
fax +49-2 21-9 20 69 69
email: silke.spahr@germanunited.com
and
Bavaria Media Television
Sternwartstr. 2
D-81679 Munich
phone +49-89-2 11 16 60
fax +49-89-21 11 66 11
email: info@rrsentertainment.de
ARRI Media Worldsales
please contact Antonio Exacoustos jun.
Rumfordstr. 29-31
D-80469 Munich
phone +49-89-21 09 75-0
fax +49-89-22 43 32
www.atlasfilm.com
email: mail@atlasfilm.com
Bavaria Film International
Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH
please contact Michael Weber,
Thorsten Schaumann
Bavariafilmplatz 8
D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 26 86
fax +49-89-64 99 37 20
www.bavaria-film-international.de
email: Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
Beta Film GmbH
please contact Dirk Schürhoff
Robert-Buerkle-Str. 2
D-85737 Ismaning
phone +49-89-99 56 - 21 34
fax +49-89-99 56 - 27 03
www.betafilm.com
email: DSchuerhoff@betafilm.com
cine aktuell
Filmgesellschaft mbH
please contact Eugen Schaarschmidt,
Ralf Faust, Axel Schaarschmidt
Werdenfelsstr. 81
D-81377 Munich
phone +49-89-7 41 34 30
fax +49-89-74 13 43 16
email: cine_aktuell@compuserve.com
Cine-International Filmvertrieb
GmbH & Co. KG
please contact Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh
Leopoldstr. 18
D-80802 Munich
phone +49-89-39 10 25
fax +49-89-33 10 89
www.cine-international.de
email: email@cine-international.de
please contact Rosemarie Dermühl
Telepool – EuropäischesFernsehprogrammkontor GmbH
Bavariafilmplatz 8
D-82031 Geiselgasteig
phone +49-89-64 99 36 66
fax +49-89-64 99 22 40
email: tvinfo@bavaria-film.de
please contact Wolfram Skowronnek
Annegret Rönnpag
please contact Loy Arnold, Mark Grünthal
Schwere-Reiter-Str. 35/Geb. 14
D-80797 Munich
phone +49-89-3 07 96 70 60
fax +49-89-3 07 96 70 67
www.kinowelt-world-sales.com
email: worldsales@kinowelt.de
Dachauer Str. 35
D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-59 98 85-0
fax +49-89-59 98 85-20
email: transitfilm@compuserve.com
Sonnenstr. 21
D-80331 Munich
phone +49-89-55 87 60
fax +49-89-55 87 61 88
www.telepool.de
Kinowelt Lizenzverwertungs GmbH email: skowronnek@telepool.de
A Division of Kinowelt Medien AG
Transit Film GmbH
please contact Jochen Hesse,
Media Luna Entertainment
GmbH & Co.KG
please contact Ida Martins
Hochstadenstr. 1-3
D-50674 Cologne
phone +49-2 21-1 39 22 22
fax +49-2 21-1 39 22 24
email: info@mediaLuna-entertainment.de
idamartins@mediaLuna-entertainment.de
Uni Media International GmbH & Co.
Produktions- und Vertriebs KG
please contact Irene Vogt
Bayerstr. 15
D-80335 Munich
phone +49-89-59 58 46
fax +49-89-5 50 17 01
email: UniMediaInt@t-online.de
Waldleitner Media GmbH
please contact Michael Waldleitner,
Metropolis
Filmvertrieb GmbH
please contact Luciano Gloor
Schönberger Ufer 71
D-10785 Berlin
phone +49-30-26 39 56 30
fax +49-30-26 39 56 59
email: luciano.gloor@metropolis-film.de
68
please contact Christel Jansen
Angela Waldleitner
Münchhausenstr. 29
D-81247 Munich
phone +49-89-55 53 41
fax +49-89-59 45 10
email: media@waldleitner.com
The Export-Union of German Cinema –
The Export-Union of German Cinema is the national information
A Profile
EXPORT-UNION’S RANGE OF ACTIVITIES:
and advisory center for the export of German films. It was established in 1954 as the ”umbrella“ association for the Association of
Close cooperation with the major international film
German Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German
festivals, e.g. Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Montreal, Toronto,
Feature Film Producers and the Association of German Film
San Sebastian, Tokyo, New York, Locarno, Karlovy Vary;
Exporters, and operates today in the legal form of a limited company.
Shareholders in the limited company are the Association of
Organization of umbrella stands for German sales companies
German Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German
and producers at international TV and film markets, e.g.
Feature Film Producers, the Association of German Film Exporters
MIP-TV, MIPCOM, NATPE, AFM;
and the German Federal Film Board (FFA).
The members of the board of the Export-Union of
Staging of German Film Weeks in key cities of the interna-
German Cinema are: Jochem Strate (chairman), Rolf Bähr,
tional film industry (2001: Buenos Aires, London, Los Angeles,
Antonio Exacoustos Jr. and Michael Weber.
Madrid, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Rome, Warsaw);
The Export-Union itself has nine permanent staff:
• Christian Dorsch, managing director
Providing advice and information for representatives of
• Susanne Reinker, PR manager
the international press and buyers from the fields of
• Julia Basler, project manager
cinema, video, TV;
• Angela Hawkins, publications editor
• Andrea Rings, assistant to the managing director
• Stephanie Weiss, PR assistant
Providing advice and information for German filmmakers and
• Nicole Kaufmann, project coordinator
press on international festivals, conditions of participation
• Petra Bader, office manager
and German films being shown, e.g. publication of a
• Barbara Hirth, accounts
comprehensive guide to international film festivals as well as
a German film festival guide;
In addition, the Export-Union shares foreign representatives
in eight countries with the German Federal Film Board (FFA).
(cf. page 70)
Publication of informational literature on the current
German cinema: KINO-Magazine and KINO-Yearbook;
The Export-Union’s budget of presently approx. DM 4
million (including projects, administration, foreign representatives)
comes from the export levies, monies from the office of the Federal
An Internet website (http://www.german-cinema.de)
Government Commissioner for Cultural Affairs and the Media, and
offering both information about new German films as well
the FFA. In addition, the six main economic film funds
as a film archive;
(Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, FilmFörderung Hamburg, Filmstiftung NRW, Medien- and Filmgesellschaft
Baden-Württemberg and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung) have
Organization of the selection procedure for the German
made a financial contribution, currently amounting to DM 0.45
entry for the OSCAR for Best Foreign Language Film.
million, towards the work of the Export-Union. In 1997, the ExportUnion and five large economic film funds founded an advisory
committee whose goal is the ”concentration of efforts for the
The focus of the work: feature films; documentaries with
promotion of German film abroad“ (constitution).
theatrical potential and shorts that have been invited to the main
sections of major festivals.
The Export-Union is a founding member of the ”European Film
Promotion“, an amalgamation of twenty national film-PR
agencies (UNIFRANCE, the Scandinavian film institutes, Italia
Cinema, Holland Film, among others) with similar responsibilities to
those of the Export-Union. The organization, with its headquarters
in Hamburg, aims to develop and realize joint projects for the
presentation of European films on an international level.
Foreign Representatives
Argentina
Dipl. Ing. Gustav Wilhelmi
Lavalle 1928 · 1º Piso
C1051ABD Buenos Aires
phone +54 -11- 49 52 15 37
phone + fax +54 -11- 49 51 19 10
email: gustav.wilhelmi@german-cinema.de
Italy
Alessia Ratzenberger
Angeli Movie Service
Piazza Massa Carrara, 6
I-00162 Rome
phone +39-06-86 20 44 14 / 8 60 54 21
fax +39-06-8 60 74 75
email: alessia.ratzenberger@german-cinema.de
United Kingdom
Iris Kehr
Top Floor
113-117 Charing Cross Road
GB-London WC2H ODT
phone +44-20-74 37 20 47
fax +44-20-74 39 29 47
email: iris.kehr@german-cinema.de
China & South East Asia
Lukas Schwarzacher
G/F, 71-B Peak Road
Cheung Chau, Hong Kong
phone +8 52-29 86 85 55
e-fax +1-240-255-71 60
email: lukas.schwarzacher@german-cinema.de
Japan
Tomosuke Suzuki
Nippon Cine TV Corporation
Suite 123, Gaien House
2-2-39 Jingumae
Tokyo, Shibuya-Ku, Japan
phone +81-3-34 05 09 16
fax +81-3-34 79-08 69
email: tomosuke.suzuki@german-cinema.de
USA/East Coast & Canada
Brigitte Hubmann
1202 Lexington Avenue, #352
New York, NY 10028, USA
phone +1-2 12-4 39-07 70
fax +1-2 12-4 39-91 93
email: brigitte.hubmann@german-cinema.de
France
Cristina Hoffman
33, rue L. Gaillet
F-94250 Gentilly
phone + fax +33-1-49 86 44 18
email: cristina.hoffman@german-cinema.de
Spain
Stefan Schmitz
Avalon Productions S.L.
C/ Duque de Rivas, 2-2°D
E-28012 Madrid
phone +34-91-3 66 43 64
fax +34-91-3 65 93 01
email: stefan.schmitz@german-cinema.de
USA/West Coast
Corina Danckwerts
Capture Film, Inc.
2400 W. Silverlake Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA
phone +1-3 23-6 68-01 12
fax +1-3 23-6 68-08 53
email: corina.danckwerts@german-cinema.de
Imprint
published by:
Editors
Production Reports
Export-Union des
Deutschen Films GmbH
Contributors for this issue
Sonnenstr. 21
D-80331 Munich
phone +49-89-5 99 78 70
fax +49-89-59 97 87 30
Translations
www.german-cinema.de
email: export-union@german-cinema.de
© Export-Union des Deutschen Films
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or
transmission of this publication may be made
without written permission.
70
Martin Blaney, Simon Kingsley
Martin Blaney, Frauke Hanck, Carolina Heske,
Simon Kingsley, Hans-Günther Pflaum,
Stefan Reinecke
Lucinda Rennison
Design Group
triptychon · agentur für design
und kulturkommunikation, Munich
Art Direction
Werner Schauer
ISSN 0948-2547
Credits are not contractual for any
of the films mentioned in this publication.
Angela Hawkins, Susanne Reinker
Printing Office
Financed by
ESTA-DRUCK GMBH,
Obermühlstr. 90, D-82398 Polling
the office of the Federal Government
Commissioner for Cultural Affairs and the Media.
Printed on ecological, unchlorinated paper.
www.
germancinema.
de/
INFORMATION ON GERMAN FILMS.
GERMAN
CINEMA
Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH
Sonnenstrasse 21 · D-80331 Munich · phone +49-89-5 99 78 7 0 · fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 · email: export-union@german-cinema.de
Bavaria Film International
presents at the fall festivals
MOSTLY MARTHA
by Sandra Nettelbeck
Locarno International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
by Vanessa Jopp
ENGEL & JOE
Montreal World Film Festival
LEO & CLAIRE
by Joseph Vilsmaier
Montreal World Film Festival
HEIDI M.
by Michael Klier
Montreal World Film Festival
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
by Nathalie Steinbart
Montreal World Film Festival
HOW HARRY BECAME A TREE
by Goran Paskaljevic
Venice International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
EMIL & THE DETECTIVES
by Franziska Buch
Toronto International Film Festival
INTERNATIONAL
Bavaria Media GmbH
D-82031 Geiselgasteig
Phone +49 - 89 - 64 99 26 86
Fax
+49 - 89 - 64 99 37 20
e-Mail Bavaria.International@bavaria-film.de
www.bavaria-film-international.de