Quarterly 1 · 2009

German Films Quarterly 1 · 2009

AT THE BERLINALE EVERYONE ELSE (In Competition) STORM (In Competition) GERMANY 09 (Out of Competition)

PORTRAITS Emily Atef, Hans Steinbichler, Flying Moon Film, Heike Makatsch German Films Quarterly 1 · 2009

directors’ portraits 4 THE STRANGER IN HER A portrait of Emily Atef 6 INITIATION IN THE “EXECUTIONERS’ CINEMA” A portrait of Hans Steinbichler

producers’ portrait 8 FLYING HIGH FOR 10 YEARS A portrait of Flying Moon Filmproduktion

actress’ portrait 10 AS TIMES CHANGE A portrait of Heike Makatsch

12 news

in production 18 AYLA Su Turhan 19 DIE FRAU MIT DER GEBROCHENEN NASE Srdjan Koljevic 20 FRIENDSHIP! Markus Goller 21 GANGS Rainer Matsutani 21 HANGTIME Wolfgang Groos 22 HENRI VIER Jo Baier 23 MARIA, IHM SCHMECKT’S NICHT! Neele Leana Vollmar 24 THE OTHER CHELSEA: THE DONETSK STORY Jakob Preuss 25 DIE PAEPSTIN Soenke Wortmann 26 POLL Chris Kraus 27 POSTKARTEN NACH COPACABANA Thomas Kronthaler 28 RÉSISTE – AUFSTAND DER PRAKTIKANTEN Jonas Grosch 29 SOUL KITCHEN Fatih Akin 30 TANNOED Bettina Oberli 31 WAFFENSTILLSTAND Lancelot von Naso 32 ZARTE PARASITEN Christian Becker, Oliver Schwabe 33 ZIMMER Michael Dreher 34 ZWOELF METER OHNE KOPF Sven Taddicken

new german films 36 24h BERLIN – EIN TAG IM LEBEN 24H BERLIN – A DAY IN THE LIFE 70 different directors 37 ALLE ANDEREN EVERYONE ELSE Maren Ade 38 DER ARCHITEKT THE ARCHITECT Ina Weisse 39 DEUTSCHLAND 09 GERMANY 09 13 different directors 40 DEUTSCHLAND NERVT MADE IN DEUTSCHLAND Hans-Erich Viet 41 DISTANZ DISTANCE Thomas Sieben 42 DORFPUNKS Lars Jessen 43 EFFI BRIEST Hermine Huntgeburth 44 DIE GEDULDETEN WE CAME, WE STAYED, WE GOT DEPORTED Natascha Breuers, Ralf Jesse 45 DIE GESCHICHTE VOM BRANDNER KASPAR Joseph Vilsmaier 46 IL GIARDINO Michael Ester 47 HARLAN – IM SCHATTEN VON JUD SUESS HARLAN – IN THE SHADOW OF THE JEW SUESS Felix Moeller 48 HILDE Kai Wessel 49 HIMMEL UND MEHR – DOROTHEA BUCK AUF DER SPUR THE SKY AND BEYOND – ON THE TRAIL OF DOROTHEA BUCK Alexandra Pohlmeier 50 IM WINTER EIN JAHR A YEAR AGO IN WINTER Caroline Link 51 IN BERLIN Michael Ballhaus, Ciro Cappellari 52 JOHN RABE Florian Gallenberger 53 LA BOHÈME Robert Dornhelm 54 LIPPELS TRAUM LIPPEL’S DREAM Lars Buechel 55 MARIANNE VON WEREFKIN – ICH LEBE NUR DURCH DAS AUGE MARIANNE VON WEREFKIN – I LIVE WHAT I SEE Stella Tinbergen 56 MITTE ENDE AUGUST SOMETIME IN AUGUST Sebastian Schipper 57 PARKOUR Marc Rensing 58 PERESTROIKA – UMBAU EINER WOHNUNG PERESTROIKA – RECONSTRUCTION OF A FLAT Christiane Buechner 59 DIE PERLMUTTERFARBE Marcus H. Rosenmueller 60 PHANTOMSCHMERZ PHANTOM PAIN Matthias Emcke 61 POLAR Michael Koch 62 REMARQUE – SEIN WEG ZUM RUHM ERICH MARIA REMARQUE Hanno Bruehl 63 SANKT PAULI! RAUSGEHEN – WARMMACHEN – WEGHAUEN SANKT PAULI! RUN OUT – WARM UP – SCORE OFF Joachim Bornemann 64 DIE SCHIMMELREITER SHEEP AND CHIPS Lars Jessen 65 SCHLAEFT EIN LIED IN ALLEN DINGEN SLEEPING SONGS Andreas Struck 66 SEEMANNSTREUE SEA DOG’S DEVOTION Anna Kalus 67 SIEBEN TAGE SONNTAG SEVEN DAYS SUNDAY Niels Laupert 68 STURM STORM Hans-Christian Schmid 69 TANGERINE Irene von Alberti 70 EIN TEIL VON MIR A PIECE OF ME Christoph Roehl 71 DAS VATERSPIEL KILL DADDY GOOD NIGHT Michael Glawogger 72 WELTSTADT CITY OF THE WORLD Christian Klandt 73 DIE WUNDERSAME WELT DER WASCHKRAFT THE WONDROUS WORLD OF LAUNDRY Hans-Christian Schmid 74 ZUM DRITTEN POL TO THE THIRD POLE Andreas Nickel, Juergen Czwienk

77 film exporters

79 foreign representatives · imprint Emily Atef (photo © Maciej Zienkiewicz) IN HER STRANGER THE DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT DIRECTOR’S postnatal depression. “Of course this is an illness that only women can coursethisisanillnessthatonly postnatal depression. “Of in women; mostrecently And yet upuntilnow, itistruethatshehasexplored theworldsof hopesomechance. that stillgive characters,” closetomy she says. Sheisinterestedstory indramas Ijustwanttotella kind. any like categories.wantalabelof “Idon’t you callherworks“women’sbecauseshedoesn’t films,” heat upif Andthingsreally aboutfilms. canarguequitepassionately Atef Emily themselves. –insearch traveling of theworld:hercharactersare for always films Talented filmmaker otato EmilyAtef A portrait of 1 ·2009 filmsquarterlygerman Emily Atef The StrangerinMe lives inBerlin,butshemakes lives , whichisallabout finement viaherspiritualrebirthtolaterattempt torebuild her finement –from birth Rebecca’s con- of with hermotifs, withaniconography precisely worksvery isrealistic,butatthesametimeAtef The film –and her baby. herself she disappearstosave properly.social pressure: amotherwhodoes notfunction Andthen helplessnessand abandon- tomomentsof ment tothetimebeforeherflight, keeps cuttingbackfrom this stateof Atef thefilm, of part inthewoods,nowhere: unprotected sheislying andlifeless.Inthefirst the illnesshasledyoung motherRebeccaintothemiddle of thefilm, credible way.environment –inanequally Atthe beginningof butalso her thewomanconcerned, family.” Sheshowsnotonly awoman’s fathers, everyone: friends, andthewhole get. Butitaffects a part in a part her didnotoffer theBritishfilmmaker encouragement todirect films: Night Train toLisbon planning toshoot national awardsinBrusselsandSãoPaulo todate.In2009,sheis (2008) celebrateditspremiere inCannes,inter- andhasreceived wonprizesallovertheworld. sequently WayMolly’s inherthird year: film toallowhermake afull-length Reinhard Hauff I Love You IKillYou films wants tobecomeaman.Aftertheshort onapersonwhohadlostherroots:already focused awomanwho email: [email protected] ·www.players.de 6 68 51 +49-30-28 0·fax 68 51 phone +49-30-28 Sophienstrasse 21·10178Berlin/Germany Players Contact: occasion. casting: shestillhastheenthusiasticletterthathesentheron that sheproducedday, inasingle the for film a short especially short documentary documentary short there, the Film&TelevisionGerman film Herfirst (dffb). Academy atthe Nicole GerhardshertomoveBerlinandstudy advised Finally, films. short herfriend aters, butalsoworked onherfirst variousLondonthe- an actress. Latersheappeared onthestageof town inFrench Jura:whenshewas19,wenttoParis tobecome toorestricted felt inthesmall withFrench relatives.ButAtef lived 12shereturnedtoEurope, where she Attheageof wasseven. Atef ther’s workasanengineer, movedtoLosAngeleswhen thefamily Atef You getmuchmoreinBerlin1971, can’t multicultural:born a rnhmte n nIainfte.Bcueo herfa- has aFrench motherandanIranianfather. Becauseof 8 1 / 2 Women was premiered andsub- attheMunichFilmFestival, Kill Me XX toXY–FightingbeJake . Atef says thatPeter says hervital gave Greenaway . Atef after acasting,buthewasmostimpressed by (2003), shepersuadedthecollegedirector n n21,tefl eso fthenovel versionof and in2010,thefilm The StrangerinMe Sundays director’s portrait (2002) and (2003), Emily 4 relationship. A woman who was ready to drown herself becomes a film, and Kill Me – being produced by Wueste Film West – should person buoyed up by water. cost three million Euros or more. The next step is already definite: Night Train to Lisbon. The Swiss company C-Films will take res- Atef ’s cameraman Henner Besuch found restrained but eloquent ponsibility for the film version of Pascal Mercier’s best-seller, which is images of this using a hand-held camera: “He had to narrate the state to be a large-scale international production. Here, an aging professor of depression without words,” says Atef. For her heroine has lost the faces a crisis over the meaning of life and sets off in search of his place ability to speak; she does nothing more than stare blankly at the in the world. world. Emily Atef spoke with Christoph Groener Susanne Wolff plays the silent, lost Rebecca in a wonderfully convincing way; Atef chose her for this role precisely because she does not have a child yet. And Wolff has an acting partner of equal ability in Johann von Buelow: he plays a man who is little more than a pro- vider initially, making very little effort to understand his wife, but who suffers from feelings of guilt later on. “Why are the women in Germany left alone so much?” the director was asked after screenings at the Mar del Plata festival in Argentina. “Why is the man willing to take his wife back?” was the question asked by one woman (!) when Atef presented the film in Pusan. This kind of experience makes Atef happy: when different cultures chafe against each other as a result of her film.

For she represents several cultures in herself, having lived in Germany, France, the USA and Great Britain. Perhaps it is the “stranger in her” that leads Atef to these universal themes.

She writes in English, which is the closest she comes to a language of “her own” among many. Her “creative partner” Esther Bernstorff translates English passages into German and writes part of the screenplay herself: in the case of The Stranger in Me, this team work took an uncharacteristically long time – two years: “We made so many mistakes,” Atef recalls. In earlier versions of the script, Rebecca was over-burdened by her past as a child brought up in an institution. But dramaturge Annedore von Donop recommended telling just the mother’s story, rather than presenting a “social drama”. A second supportive colleague was found in Nicole Gerhards; she and Nikofilm demonstrated great courage in backing such difficult material.

However, Atef’s assertive ability had already been obvious at an earlier date, when she pushed through her third-year film as a full-length feature: in Molly’s Way, pregnant Irish woman Molly travels all the way to Poland in order to find a man with whom she has spent only one night. The film discovers poetry in industrial grime and presents some unusual encounters: in the end, Molly does not find the man of her dreams, but she does find herself. This is exactly what Atef ’s full- length films to date have been: journeys to oneself – and that is not going to change with her next project.

Kill Me tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who does not want to go on living. When she comes across an escaped murderer close to her parents’ house, she makes a plan. She will help him to escape and in return for this, she will ask him to kill her. This road movie begins in the German countryside and leads through the South of France to Marseille. A girl and a 43-year-old man on the road – not a women’s film, surely?

Atef has had the material in mind for a long time, she says, for the idea was born around the same time as Molly’s Way. Up until now, however, she thought that it seemed too complex: even the dramatic story of a mother was easier than a road movie involving a child. She is taking one step at a time: 100,000 Euros were invested in her first

german films quarterly director’s portrait

1 · 2009 5 Hans Steinbichler (photo © Karin Kohlberg) INITIATION “ DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT DIRECTOR’S A portrait of Hans Steinbichler Hans A portrait of seeking distractionfrombooks inthecity’s“Executioners’seeking hislaw student.However,as alaw hewassoonlosttothesilverscreen after thecinemauntilhe wenttoPassau also lackedreal any experienceof setand up withoutatelevision the boyfrom theruralChiemgaugrew reason this, for because him.Andthere is a specific cinema hasgiven footprints.Today,first whatthe for grateful hestillseemsextremely leftthe thathisconsciousnesswaslikesays fresh snowinwhichfilms quitestirredbyhisownmemories, Obviously 1 ·2009 filmsquarterlygerman EXECUTIONERS Hans Steinbichler Hans films like films passage,sotospeak,in there. cinematicritesof Iexperiencedmy thecinema amazingexperiencesof truly first, Cinema”: “Ihadmy siders it a wink of fate that the theme for applicationsthatyear thatthethemefor was fate siders itawinkof academy. appliedtothelocalfilm Eventoday,immediately hecon- examinationin1995,hemoved toMunichand alaw When hefailed Tom Tykwer’s bution in 1977. His other films include: the shorts include:theshorts bution in1977.Hisotherfilms dary directors’ response tothelegen- generationof intended asthenew to theepisodicfilm Frau Disco CinemaPromotionalGerman Award for premiered where attheMunichFilmFestival, hehadalreadywon compensation inAfrica.Steinbichler’s subsequentworkswere also swindleandseeks byanInternet whoisfooled manic depressive a of FilmAwardhisportrayal theGerman asBestActorfor receiving into making his first feature film featurefilm hisfirst into making Munichin1999.Afterwards, however, heputallhisenergies City of Angelika Schrobsdorff film documentary first Film&Television andwasacceptedin1995.Hisvery of University booksandmovedtoMunich,where hislaw heappliedtothe away hisexaminations, put oneof inPassau, failed studied law narrowly today. beHittenkirchen’sprobably biggestfarmer Asthingswere, he ried aProtestant andbeendisinheritedasaresult, Steinbichlerwould hadnotmar- hisCatholicgrandfather Andif Hittenkirchen inBavaria. theChiemseein shore uponthewestern of 1969, butgrew Steinbichler Hans email: [email protected] ·www.players.de 6 68 51 +49-30-28 0·fax 68 51 phone +49-30-28 Sophienstrasse 21·10178Berlin/Germany Players Agent: Chiemsee Vittorio HoesleentdecktAmerika Roemisch-Deutsche Karrieren and bichler’s nextproject Bierbichleralsoplayedthekeyrole inStein- Leading actorJosef GrimmeAward inGold. theAdolf received itself 2003, andthefilm leading actress JohannaWokalek FilmAward wontheBavarian in Chiemgau,oftencompared toFassbinder’s work. Its home region of Mono Germany inAutumn Germany , 2008).Mostrecently, Steinbichlercompletedhiscontribution (2007) and h iec ftheLambs The Silenceof (1998), andthedocumentaries (2003). Winter Sleepers IN THE THE IN My Mother, MyBride I and Germany 09 Germany Winter Journey Verspiegelte Zeit–Erinnerungen an was born in the Swiss town of Solothurn in Solothurn intheSwisstownof was born , to which Fassbinder made a famous contri- , towhichFassbindermadeafamous eevdtePooinlAado the thePromotionalreceived Award of .” Hierankl , Breaking theWaves ( Deutschland 09 Deutschland (2000), ( , a family dramasetinhis , afamily ’ Winterreise (2003), and Hierankl Die Germaniker – director’s portrait CINEMA” Der Moralist – Abstieg ( , Die zweite The Piano : Inseln im ), whichis Autistic ) in2006, (1996) or 6 the “home region” of all things – in other words, it was something he people there had not seen Sukowa on their cinema screens for almost could relate to quite naturally as the result of a youth spent at the foot twenty years. We experienced the most fervid responses there, of the Chiemgau Alps. His previous photographic experience also because the film obviously provided viewers with a remarkably strong gave him an advantage, for Steinbichler had been taking photographs reference back to something that was familiar to them. It was here, so with a medium-format camera since he was twelve. And so he was to speak, that the film was perceived as most German.” All in all, accepted at the film academy and joined the documentary class taught there are several good reasons why Steinbichler can be grateful to the by Professor Klaus Schreyer. cinema for creating tracks in the fresh snow of his consciousness.

Hans Steinbichler did not come to filmmaking quite like the Virgin to Michael Althen spoke to Hans Steinbichler her child, but the differences in film socialization were nonetheless noticeable: “I simply did not have a repertoire of roots and things that I could refer to, because unlike the others, I had no tradition of view- ing whatsoever. So I learned film like a baby and gradually came to know and develop an interest in certain directors.” By contrast to his fellow students, however, Steinbichler already had most of a university course behind him, and he knew that he had very little time to lose. Perhaps it was this single-mindedness that helped him to win the Promotional Award of the City of Munich in 1999 with his first documentary film Verspiegelte Zeit, which is about the Jewish writer Angelika Schrobsdorff. His feature film debut Hierankl (2003) also caused an immediate sensation, first at the Munich Film Festival and later at the Bavarian Film Awards.

This film about a fateful family get-together was already impressive, because Steinbichler revived two bygone traditions of German cinema; on the one hand, the “Heimat film” and on the other hand, the melodramatic intensity that is best associated with Rainer Werner Fassbinder perhaps, but made way for coolness after his death. Steinbichler is not terribly keen on this reference and prefers to avoid the comparison: “In his time, Fassbinder created such a colossal œuvre that there is no real way around it as a filmmaker. But it would be a trifle embarrassing if I was to measure myself against him. It is the courage he shows by not evading pathos that impresses me in his work.”

Of course, what prompted comparisons with Fassbinder was the fact that Barbara Sukowa plays a role in Hierankl, while Hanna Schygulla appears in his next film Winter Journey. But when casting his actors, he was actually less concerned with Fassbinder and more with a need for strong women to play opposite his leading actor Josef Bierbichler; women who were able to match the latter’s tremendous physical presence. “Bierbichler is a performer and not an actor. Basically, he always plays himself. But that does not mean that all you have to do at the start of a film is give him a kick in the backside and things will go swimmingly. We didn’t want the film to be a Bierbichler show, but the story of a man who is pushed to the fringes of society as a result of his manic depression.” But whatever the background – Bierbichler received the German Film Award for his performance in Winter Journey.

Hans Steinbichler is also the kind of man who goes his own way. He does not believe that he is part of the so-called “Berlin School”, the Nouvelle Vague Allemande, or indeed any other category. And yet he belongs to the generation of directors, who – in the episodic film Germany 09 – are currently investigating the work of their cinematic fathers. A group that includes Tom Tykwer, Dominik Graf, Wolfgang Becker, Fatih Akin, Hans Weingartner, Romuald Karmakar and others.

Heimat remains Steinbichler’s theme – even when he is traveling abroad with his films: “The screenings of Hierankl in North America,” Steinbichler says, “were of great interest to me, as the

german films quarterly director’s portrait

1 · 2009 7 PRODUCERS’ PORTRAIT Helge Albers & Roshanak Behesht Nedjad (photo © Konstantin Kroening) Kroening) Helge Albers & Roshanak Behesht Nedjad (photo © Konstantin

Flying Moon Filmproduktion was founded in 1999 by (Investigation), the Teddy Award for Best Documentary at the Roshanak Behesht Nedjad, Helge Albers and 2008 Berlinale (Football Under Cover), and four prizes at Konstantin Kroening with a focus on the development and pro- Antalya’s Golden Orange Film Festival (The Market – A Tale of duction of high quality feature films and documentaries with a uni- Trade). Flying Moon’s other productions include: Weg!, Heirate versal appeal. From the outset, the company’s founders were interest- mich – Casate conmigo, Hallesche Kometen, Summer ed in international co-productions and the development of new Palace, Roma wa la n’touma, Comrades in Dreams, La talent. Consequently, the company joined forces with various Fine del mare, 32A, Better Things, Liebeslied, Pink experienced professionals from other parts of Europe to set up the Taxi, Endstation der Sehnsuechte and Red Cross (in deve- pan-European company Unlimited S.A. based in France. Films by lopment). Flying Moon have won numerous awards and distinctions, including the German Film Award in 2001 for Best Documentary (Havanna Contact: mi Amor), the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2003 (Silent Flying Moon Filmproduktion GmbH Waters), the Sundance International Filmmaker’s Award (Waiting Seestrasse 96 · 13353 Berlin/Germany for the Clouds), the Max Ophuels Prize 2007 (Full Metal phone +49-30-3 22 97 18 0 · fax +49-30-3 22 97 18 11 Village), the Main Prize at the 2007 FilmFestival Cottbus email: [email protected] · www.flyingmoon.com FLYING HIGH FOR 10 YEARS A portrait of Flying Moon Filmproduktion

“We looked for an English name because we knew from the outset “Konrad Wolf ” that Albers met his future partners during the pro- that we wanted to work internationally,” says Helge Albers, one of duction of Ulrike Klein’s film Das Erbe des Foersters: Roshanak the founders of Flying Moon Filmproduktion which celebrates Behesht Nedjad, a mechanical engineer by training who had come its tenth anniversary this year. to the film industry through her involvement in the Kommunales Kino and a film festival in Stuttgart, was serving as a production manager on It was during his studies at Babelsberg’s Academy of Film & Television the film, while Konstantin Kroening was the director of photo-

german films quarterly producers’ portrait

1 · 2009 8 graphy (he was also DoP on Flying Moon’s co-production of The Anne Hoegh Krohn – Liebeslied – is a first attempt by us to have Market in 2007). As Nedjad recalls, the three became friends a higher profile for German cinema.” Shooting on location in Halle – through this film although they continued working as freelancers on where the company has a branch office – in winter 2007, other productions before deciding to take the plunge at the beginning Liebeslied stars Nicolette Krebitz and Jan Plewka in a film which of 1999 and set up their own production company. Nedjad describes “as not being a music film in the classic sense but incorporating songs into the action on a narrative level.” “I liked the name ’Flying Moon’ because it is quite poetic and is something people can remember,” Albers says. “The name also refers to In addition, Flying Moon’s success with Uli Gaulke’s documentaries the helium balloon which is used for lighting night shots with a warm have led other documentary filmmakers to knock on the company’s and soft light, so it just seemed to be the right thing.” door. One of the most fruitful collaborations of these first ten years has been with Korean-born Sung-Hyung Cho on her Full Metal The company got off to a good start with Uli Gaulke’s feature docu- Village which won film prizes in Hessen and Schleswig-Holstein as mentary Havanna mi Amor, which was screened at the Berlinale well as becoming the first documentary to ever win the top prize at in 2000 and won the German Film Award for Best Documentary in the Max Ophuels Festival in 2007. Albers recalls that there was con- 2001. “This partnership with Uli has continued ever since for his fea- siderable interest from distributors in Full Metal Village, which ture documentaries – he works with other companies for his TV also screened in the Berlinale’s Perspectives German Cinema section documentaries – and we are now at our fourth film with him on Pink in 2007, but nobody had the courage to make the next step and pick Taxi,” Albers notes. the film up for release. Believing in the film’s theatrical potential, Albers and Nedjad (Konstantin Kroening stepped down as a partner At the same time, international co-productions have been a charac- of Flying Moon in 2007) decided to release the film through their own teristic element of Flying Moon’s output: “From the beginning, we in-house distribution outlet. “We had had some experience of wanted to make films which are understood and noticed beyond the distributing when we put Heirate mich into the cinemas and the borders of Germany,” he explains. “That can happen with films success of Full Metal Village [over 180,000 admissions and coming from Germany too because it wasn’t a hard and fast dogma almost 1 million Euros box-office] showed that the film worked in the that we are only going to make international films. It just happened re- cinema.” latively quickly that we came upon projects at places like Rotterdam, which were too exciting and attractive to pass up.” Since then, Flying Moon plans to theatrically distribute its in-house produced documentaries – around 2-3 titles a year – through Thus, the company became a co-producer on Yesim Ustaoglu’s 2003 Zorro Film as a booking and billing agent and operate its own DVD film Waiting for the Clouds and Sabiha Sumar’s Golden label for these productions. “The documentaries we make are speci- Leopard winner Silent Waters because of the strength of their fically aimed at the cinema and really function best when they are seen screenplays. “When we read the screenplay, we knew right away that up on the cinema screen,” Albers explains. “I also find the work on the people watching the film later in the cinema would be moved,” the distribution helps me a lot in production because you have to be Nedjad adds. much clearer about the positioning of a project at an earlier point in time. I think it is an experience every producer should have.” It was after the experience of collaborating with French producer Philippe Avril on Silent Waters that Flying Moon decided to be- Apart from its membership with the Unlimited platform, Albers and come a member in the pan-European company Unlimited S.A. “The Nedjad have built up their network of contacts through their partici- idea behind the venture was to build up a network of contacts pation in such European producer training programs as EAVE and through Europe so that one knows what is going on in other coun- ACE. “We wouldn’t have co-produced Better Things or 32A if tries,” Albers explains. “At the same time, there is no exclusivity so it had not been for EAVE,” Albers recalls. “And I think these programs that we can produce with other French companies and Philippe, for played a big part in taking the company forward when one looks back example, can work with other German producers as he did on at the past ten years." Susanne Schneider’s Es kommt der Tag with Wueste Film.” The collaboration within Unlimited is decided on a project-by-project basis, Looking to the future, 2009 will see the company dealing with the the last one being with Nora Hoppe’s 2007 film La Fine del mare. release of a number of films made over the past two years as in- house productions or co-productions: from Uli Gaulke’s Pink Taxi Flying Moon’s involvement in UK director Ben Hopkins’ collaboration through Marian Quinn’s 32A and Anne Hoegh Krohn’s Liebeslied The Market came about through a contact made thanks to the to a second collaboration with Sung-Hyung Cho on the documentary German distributor Piffl Medien. “Everything would seem to speak Endstation der Sehnsuechte. against such a project with an English director in Turkey,” Nedjad notes. “We had to explain to everybody why this should be – after all, In addition, Albers is in the process of raising the finance for why not?” Portuguese filmmaker Hugo Vieira da Silva’s Red Cross which was presented at the Torino Lab in November and won a 200,000 Euro Nevertheless, raising the finance for The Market was, as she production grant there. The co-production has already received sup- admits, quite a challenge and took around three years to complete. port from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Portugal’s ICA. “The film’s success at festivals though shows we were right to believe Moreover, projects in development include the German-Polish pro- in the project,” she says. ject The Pope Project which received support from the German- Polish Co-Development Fund last summer. The comedy is set against Flying Moon has also made forays into German fiction feature films the background of Pope John Paul II’s visit to his homeland in 1987. over the past ten years in co-productions with broadcaster ZDF on Michael Baumann’s 2000 film Weg! and Susanne Irina Zacharias’s Helge Anders and Roshanak Behesht Nedjad spoke with Martin Blaney 2005 drama Hallesche Kometen. “Meanwhile, the new film from german films quarterly producers’ portrait

1 · 2009 9 Heike Makatsch (photo © d:press media) AS TIMES CHANGE ACTRESS’ PORTRAIT ACTRESS’ ‘non-artificial naturalness’intheroles thatshe plays, andthosewho ‘non-artificial thesame candiscern aremarkable they depth.Critics believe conveys butwhenshe speaks, she youthful, actress hasremained delightfully asoutward the37-year-old appearanceisconcerned, ers. Asfar jeans, sneak- She iswearingskin-tight aloose blacksweaterandgreen studio at the first interview and photo shoot for her latest film her latestfilm andphotoshootfor interview studio atthefirst Heike Makatsch monthswithnorespite,” almostfive justmadetwofilms, “I have Heike Makatsch A portrait of · 2009 1 filmsquarterlygerman tells uswhenwemeetherinaBerlinphoto Hilde . crs sarayavr nltcloe u ntecs fextremely one. Butinthecaseof actress analytical isalreadyavery concretevery way. Ideally, theprocess thatonegoesthrough asan ‘naturalness’ unconsciously. Obviously, role ina Ithinkaboutevery ments,” Makatschreplies, actwiththat but then adds:“ButIdon’t course Iampleasedwhenhearsuchcom- and experienced.“Of older,ence; asshegrows sheseemstobecomemore andmore adept characteractress’ withthisgreat mediapres-the years are familiar herprofessionalcareer enoughtofollow over beenfortunate have scene withappearancesin film theGerman established herpositionasawelcomememberof Film Award. Sincethenshehasactedinover30productions, having theGerman thatshewasnominatedfor herself finding process of womaninthe amodern intherolewhich shewassoconvincing of TV presenter –withthedramaticlovestory –alsoduetoherpreviousmediapresence asa she stillhadtoface her actingcareer. Eventually, shedispelledtheoccasionalcriticismthat itisoftenconsideredstoneof today; thefoundation still legendary sings The momentinonescenewhensheshyly FilmAwardtheBestUp-and-ComingActress.24, theBavarian for andbrought Makatsch,whowasthen million tocinemasinGermany ( heraroleBuck’s earned inDetlev comedy sonality finally nel VIVA nineties. Heruninhibited,openandcandidper- intheearly becoming well-knowntothenationasapresentermusicchan- for 1971. Afterherschooling,shestudiedPolitics before andSociology hockey goalkeeper, schoolteacherandanationalice- anelementary The daughterof ( anEmmy.nominated for outingsasascreenwriter Afterfirst TelevisionMedia PrizeandtheBavarian Award andwaseven whichshewasawardedtheBambi for Margarete Steiff, manufacturer bear theteddy of aboutthelife brillianceintheTVfilm captivating nuanceand Most recently, of shehasdemonstratedhergrasp Love No Songsof email: [email protected]·www.wasted-management.de 06 00 58 +49-30-37 05·fax 00 58 phone +49-30-37 Gotzkowskystrasse 20/21·10555Berlin/Germany Wasted Management Agent: in chanson singerandshowbusinesslegendHildegard Knef in2009,whenshecanbeseenasthedazzling screens withaflourish like terest infilms demonstratedhermusicalin- discount; andonewhohasfrequently Germany, by2005shehademergedasacharacteractress noonecan Love Actually like andappearancesinfilms England experiencewithamoveto international also gathered herfirst ( Beautiful? Maennerpension Twisted Sister Liebe DeineNaechsten Liebe ( Bin ichschoen? (2003). Aftertheyears inLondonandherreturnto Almost Heaven / Heike Makatsch Schwesterherz 95,wihde uine foverthree , 1995),whichdrewaudiencesof ( Keine dieLiebe Liederueber · SibylleBreitbach Aimèe &Jaguar , 1998)and , 1998), Resident Evil (2005) ortheBerlinaleentry ), sheisreturningtocinema a oni usedr in inDuesseldorf was born Love Your Neighbor! Gripsholm Obsession Stand ByYour Man actress’ portrait (1998), (2000). She (2002) and Jailbirds (1996), in Hilde , 2005). Am I . is 10 emotional scenes in particular, you have to discover something within careers with such an open, honest, single-minded and yet tranquil yourself that does justice to the feelings needed. Usually, I dig deep in approach as Heike Makatsch. my innermost self and find something that I can work with.” “I think it’s very healthy to remain attentive, to take note of positive In the case of Hildegard Knef, the great chanson singer who was changes and, above all, to herald them.” Heike Makatsch says at the obsessed with the urge to continue changing throughout her life, she end of our conversation, so clarifying her view of life. And we think obviously found this difficult – mainly because her personality is to ourselves – if only there were more people like her. fundamentally different to that of Knef. “In reality, perhaps I am also more ambitious than I admit to myself, but there is no way that I am Heike Makatsch spoke with Johannes Bonke a person who is driven, who has to keep moving onwards and upwards.” In order to come close – despite this difference – to the personality of the show icon who died in 2002, she read a lot of books, spoke to Knef ’s contemporaries, pored over her music, and watched past appearances on talk shows in order to study her char- acteristic language and so approximate to her nature.

“I am convinced that acting is something that works from the inside outwards and not from the outside in. When I notice one of Hildegard Knef ’s poses, for example, I don’t attempt to mimic it – I try to find out what it was that moved her to make that particular gesture at that particular moment. It is a matter of imitating a person’s inner feelings. If I can manage to empathize with that, the rest of my body will automatically act in a similar way to hers.”

Expending a budget of several million Euros and including ninety motifs in fifty shooting days, the film – directed by Kai Wessel – recounts a period of twenty years, which the actress informs us are intended to highlight the key moments of Knef ’s life. “From the very beginning, it was clear that we had to set a variety of emphases while working on this project. You can’t capture someone like Hildegard Knef, who was so very complex, in a simple way. I don’t think you could ever claim to do that.”

Heike Makatsch ought to know, for in the recent past – with Hilde, Margarete Steiff and Hope (working title) – she has made three bio-pics about the lives of strong women who actually existed. “It was primarily a coincidence that those particular projects were the most exciting ones that I had been offered in recent years,” Heike Makatsch admits by way of explaining her choice of roles. “But that doesn’t mean that I want to specialize in biographies now, by any means. However, often film material that is chiefly centered on one character is naturally a special challenge to the actor or actress, who automatically has an opportunity to play a complex role.”

Over the last fifteen years, the 37-year-old actress has demonstrated that she is capable of taking on such key roles on several occasions, even though she had a difficult time convincing the German feature pages of her presence in front of the camera during her early career. “Those who marry art must accept criticism as their mother-in-law,” Hildegard Knef once said, and this is true of Makatsch more than most other actresses. However, over the years she has proved all the doubters wrong with her talent and iron determination. “I don’t have any problems with criticism anymore,” Makatsch explains. “In fact, I would even say that more than fifty percent of my films that have meant something to me personally didn’t get a very good general reception. That means I’m not so sensitive in that respect; I tend to be quite fearless.”

Looking back, it is difficult to say whether this relaxed attitude is connected to her now very contented private and family life together with musician Max Schroeder and their daughter Mieke Ellen. But one thing is certain: very few German actresses have pursued their

german films quarterly actress’ portrait

1 · 2009 11 NEWS 1/2009 “Peaceful Times” premieres in New York (photo © Karin Kohlberg) (photo © Karin in New York premieres Times” “Peaceful

“PEACEFUL TIMES” IN NEW YORK SHORT REPORT 2008

For its first German Premiere in 2009, German Films presented the In November 2008, the German Short Film Association feature film Peaceful Times by Neele Leana Vollmar in January in the published the second edition of its magazine which is dedicated en- Tribeca Cinemas in the “Big Apple”. tirely to German short films. Once a year, SHORT report gives an over- view about events in and successes of the German short film scene, Together with the producer Caroline Daube from Royal Pony Film, informs about developments, trends and recent film political issues. It the leading actress Katharina Schubert and sales agent Michael Weber also offers reports by filmmakers who presented their short films (The Match Factory) were also on hand for the event. The film was successfully abroad. As a printed publication, SHORT report is intended well received by more than fifty representatives of the New York to complement the existing short film portal shortfilm.de. distributors’ and film scene who used the reception afterwards for Furthermore, its aim is to provide international industry professionals, networking with the German guests. e.g. editors, journalists and festivals, with insight into the vivid German short film scene. SHORT report is available on request from the The next German Premiere will take place in New York on March 16. German Short Film Association (www.ag-kurzfilm.de).

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 12 KINO!2008 AT THE MOMA

Packed screenings, a stimulating atmosphere and much praise charac- terized the small but perfectly formed German program during the annual presentation at the MoMA from 5 – 13 November 2008. The opening film Cherry Blossoms – Hanami (US distributor: Strand Re- leasing) was attended by the director Doris Doerrie and lead actress Hannelore Elsner. At the opening reception, director Andreas Dresen (Cloud 9), director Dennis Gansel and actress Jennifer Ulrich (The Wave, US distributor: IFC), and directors Michael Althen and Hans Helmut Prinzler (Eye to Eye – All About German Film) also met with over 100 guests from the New York buyers and festival scene. Eastman Promotion Award-winner Friederike Jehn (photo © Kodak/Dieter Neidhardt) Neidhardt) Jehn (photo © Kodak/Dieter Friederike Award-winner Eastman Promotion Hannelore Elsner, Larry Kardish, Doris Doerrie Larry at the MoMA Kardish, Elsner, Hannelore

There was very positive response in particular to the drama Clara by Helma Sanders-Brahms during the festival’s 29th edition. The documentary Trip to Asia – The Quest for Harmony by Thomas Grube was also a crowd pleaser. In the area of short films, there were screenings of NEXT GENERATION 2008 and a double feature of the Student Academy Award-winner On the Line by Reto Caffi and The Other Day in Eden by Jan Speckenbach.

The successful KINO! program at the MoMA will have a special birth- 25TH EASTMAN PROMOTION AWARD FOR day from 20 – 27 April 2009 with an extensive retrospective and many “WEITERTANZEN” IN HOF guests of honor celebrating 30 years of German cinema in New York.

For the 25th time, the Eastman Promotion Award was presented at the Hof International Film Festival at the end of October to Friederike Jehn for her feature debut Weitertanzen. Since 1984, the Stuttgart- based Kodak Company has been supporting up-and-coming talent in German-speaking countries with this award, which is endowed with €4000 worth of film material. Other past German winners have included Caroline Link (1990), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (2002), Toke Constantin Hebbeln (2006), and many more now internationally successful and well-known directors.

The support and promotion of young talent has been a central part of D. Gansel, N. Kaufmann in New York in New York Gansel, N. Kaufmann D. Kodak’s marketing activities for years. The Eastman Promotion Award is just one of the many initiatives within the framework of the worldwide Kodak Student Program which seeks to recognize and support young filmmakers from leading film schools. A. Dresen, M. Althen, H. Prinzler, J. Ulrich, O. Mahrdt, J. Ulrich, O. M. Althen, H. Prinzler, A. Dresen,

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 13 Max Penzel, Nicole Kaufmann, Andreas Lechner at Villa Aurora Night 2008 Lechner at Villa Aurora Andreas Nicole Kaufmann, Max Penzel,

VILLA AURORA NIGHT 2008 erary adaptation which was also shot in part in North Rhine- Westphalia. Screen Daily praised Stephen Daldry for his adaptation of The 2nd annual Villa Aurora Night took place in Berlin in October Bernhard Schlink’s bestseller: “It takes Daldry to another level as a 2008 at the Martin-Gropius-Bau. In the presence of cultural, political filmmaker of great nuance, and should be a major draw for intelligent and business representatives, the recipients of the Villa Aurora audiences everywhere.” David Kross, who also played the lead in Scholarship in the fields of Literature, Fine Arts, Music and Film were Krabat, is one of 10 Shooting Stars being presented by the European presented in a festive atmosphere. Film Promotion at the Berlinale.

The film jury – made up of Alfred Holighaus (director of the Berlinale section Perspectives German Cinema), Hartmut Bitomsky (director, NEW PRODUCTION GUIDE FOR HAMBURG producer, script writer), Marc Rothemund (director of Sophie Scholl – SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN The Final Days and former scholarship recipient), Andreas Stroehl (director of the Munich Film Festival) and Nicole Kaufmann (German Premiere in Berlin: Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig- Films) – awarded 3-month scholarships to the Villa Aurora in Los Holstein is presenting its new Production Guide during this year’s Angeles to: director Anna le Faroqhi, director Andreas Lechner Berlinale. The comprehensive handbook contains all the important (Butterflies in the Night, Hot Dogs), and DoP Max Penzel (second came- information needed for filming in northern Germany and offers an ra on Whisky with Wodka, Berlin Calling, Strajk, Beautiful Bitch). Director extensive address section with contact information for filmmakers, Dagmar Knoepfel (Requiem fuer eine romantische Frau, Durch diese service companies and free- Nacht sehe ich keinen einzigen Stern) also received a one-month- lancers. The detailed, bilingual scholarship. brochure also features photos from the renowned photographer Jim Rakete, who shot NRW STARTS THE NEW YEAR WITH photos of directors, screen- “HELEN” & “THE READER” writers and actors, including Armin-Mueller Stahl, Martina World premiere in the snow: Helen, the new film by Sandra Gedeck, Kostja Ullmann and Nettelbeck, was invited to the Sundance Film Festival in January. The Fatih Akin. Portraits and drama, starring Ashley Judd and Goran Visnjic, was one of three quotes about Hamburg and Filmstiftung NRW-supported films that screened in Park City. Schleswig-Holstein as film Peter Sehr and Marie Noëlle also presented The Anarchist’s Wife at the locations are also featured. most important American independent festival. Oskar Roehler’s latest Further photographs by Jim Cover of the new Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein

film, Lulu & Jimi, was also shown. Rakete will be exhibited during Guide (photo © Jim Rakete/FFHSH)Production the Berlinale at the representa- January also saw the U.S. release of The Reader. Kate Winslet and tive office for Hamburg and German Shooting Star David Kross play the leading roles in this lit- Schleswig-Holstein in Berlin.

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 14 (photo courtesy of FFF Bayern) On the set of “Der grossein Geissach near Bad Toelz Kater”

A GOOD YEAR FOR FFF BAYERN 6TH RENDEZ-VOUS IN HAMBURG A GREAT SUCCESS The cinema year 2008 was a booming one for local productions: eleven German films booked more than one million admissions, and German Films and Unifrance organized the German-French Film nine of these eleven films were supported by FilmFernsehFonds Rendez-vous for the sixth time in November 2008, holding the Bayern: Die Welle, Der Baader Meinhof Komplex, Die Wilden Kerle 5, event in Hamburg on this occasion. 300 participants from both coun- Krabat, Warum Maenner nicht zuhoeren und Frauen schlecht einparken, tries discussed co-productions and current developments in VoD, Kirschblueten-Hanami, Sommer, Asterix bei den olympischen Spielen and heard about new trends in the field of financing and saw the presen- Freche Maedchen. These films were not only popular in Germany, they tations of young actors from Germany and France. A gala dinner in also impressed international audiences: Kirschblueten-Hanami toured Hamburg's City Hall and a party at the Mandarin Bar provided the the whole world, going from one festival to another. Further pro- ideal setting to discuss things further in more detail. When the film- mising films for 2009 are now in the pipeline, including: Der grosse makers, producers and distributors from both countries met together Kater with Bruno Ganz, Christiane Paul, Ulrich Tukur, Marie Baeumer, for the first time six years ago, there were only a few familiar faces for and Justus von Dohnányi under the direction of Wolfgang Panzer; most of the participants. This no longer seemed to be the case in Maria, ihm schmeckt’s nicht! with Christian Ulmen and Mina Tander Hamburg. People have really gotten to know each other over the past under the direction of Neele Leana Vollmar; and John Rabe with Ulrich six years and have developed closer relationships. A concrete finding Tukur, Daniel Bruehl and Anne Consigny. was that the number of German-French co-productions have more (photo © Udo Thomas) Panel discussion at 6th German-French Film Rendez-vous discussion at 6th German-French Panel

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 15 than quadrupled from 4 in 2001 to 17 in 2007, many of them now being German majority productions.

Two innovations were announced at this year’s Rendez-vous: the FFG revision, which went into effect on 1 January, envisages that, in future, co-productions can already apply for funding where there is a German share of only 10% – not 20% as previously required. And there are

plans within the framework of the mini-traité for a development fund: (photo © Distant Dreams) €300,000 is to be made available annually, with a maximum of €50,000 per project.

This year's Rendez-vous started with a visit to Studio Hamburg and was rounded off with a tour through the harbor of Hamburg. German Films and Unifrance would like to take this opportunity to thank the Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein most sincerely for the “Bende Sira” – Best Short Film at Femina Film Festival“Bende Sira” – Best Short Film at Femina good collaboration. The Rendez-vous will take place in France again in 2009.

MORE GERMAN SHORTS GO EAST European Capitals of Culture 2010. And Usit n.L. in the Czech Repbulic was host to a number of German short film programs: in Last autumn, the German Short Film Association successfully October at the Femina Film Festival and in November within the compiled short film programs for various international organizers, framework of the German-Czech Cultural Days. thereby continuing longtime partnerships and establishing new contacts. The cooperation of the German Short Film Association, German Films and the Molodist Festival in Kiev has been growing for GERMAN PRODUCERS IN SINGAPORE several years. What’s more, in 2008 the “Long Night of German Short Films” with a total of 26 films was created. As in the previous years, In cooperation with the Media Development Authority (MDA) in various directors were on hand to present their films personally. Singapore, German Films organized an informational trip for German producers to Singapore at the end of 2008. Uli Pfau (Eikon Media), Forming a new cooperation with Jens Becker, professor at the Thilo Graf Rothkirch (Cartoon Media) and Norbert Sauer (UFA Film- Academy of Film & Television “Konrad Wolf ”, the German Short Film und Fernsehproduktion) were on hand to gather valuable information Association compiled a short film program for the Moscow Short Film about the comprehensive film funding programs and co-production Festival – Debutes. Furthermore, the association organized a German possibilities in Singapore. short film program in the Hungarian city of Pécs, one of the five German delegation with MDA representatives and producers in Singapore in Singapore representatives and producers German delegation with MDA

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 16 Short Films 2009, which contains 100 of the most interesting short film productions of 2008 as well as an extensive service appendix. The association – in cooperation with German Films – was also present with a booth at the short film market in Clermont-Ferrand and organized the market screening “Matinée Allemande · Coup de Foudre – Le Court Métrage Allemand” with another ten outstanding German short films. (photo © Stoptrick.com)

KICK-OFF IN KIEV Scene from “The Rat Train Robbery” “The RatScene from Train At the end of September, German Films organized, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institute Ukraine and the German Embassy in Kiev, a German film festival within the framework of the first German- Ukrainian Co-Production Conference. With support from the collecting societies VFF and GWFF, numerous representatives from public and private broadcasters, as well as producers and 4TH EDITION OF THE SOIRÉE ALLEMANDE directors had the opportunity to establish contacts to the rapidly IN CLERMONT-FERRAND developing and dynamic Ukrainian film industry. Johannes Kreile (managing director of VFF): “We hope that this will be the beginning The International Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand has become of common cooperative media efforts.” one of the world's premier cinema events dedicated to short films. During its 31st edition, the fourth issue of the “Soirée Allemande · Over 500 cinemagoers celebrated the kick-off event with Achim Coup de Cœur – Le Court Métrage Allemande” project had its pre- Bornhak’s film 8 Miles High. And interest didn’t wane on the following miere. This extraordinary short film project is a cooperation of the festival days: prize-winning films like The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin), German Short Film Association, German Films, the Festival Cloud 9 (Andreas Dresen), According to the Plan (Franziska Meletzky) du Court Métrage Clermont-Ferrand, the Goethe-Institut Lyon and and A Father’s Music (Igor Heitzmann) were screened to sold-out the KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg. After its premiere at the Festival du audiences. Even the after-show party had its focus on film: the Court Métrage, this program will be touring the Goethe Institutes of Lubitsch classics Sumurun and Anna Boleyn were projected in Kiev’s French-speaking countries and institutes of the Alliance française. hottest club, accompanied by contemporary sounds from German and Ukrainian DJs. From almost 300 German festival entries in Clermont-Ferrand, nine films were chosen to be part of the program, which offers a wide A special sidebar was dedicated to the premieres of television pro- variety of genres – from short fiction and animation to experimental ductions, followed by a discussion round with the audience, moderat- shorts: The Rat Train Robbery (Kathrin Albers, Jim Lacy), Samsa – ed by the sidebar’s curator Cathy Rohnke. Another program focused Homage to Franz Kafka (René Lange), Summer Sunday (Fred on the up-and-coming generation of filmmakers, offering information Breinersdorfer, Sigi Kamml), Seedog’s Devotion (Anna Kalus), Polar about educational programs in Germany and featuring German Films’ (Michael Koch), Journey to the Forest (Joern Staeger), Mite (Karl NEXT GENERATION showcase. Tebbe), To Be a Good One (Satu Siegemund) and Our Wonderful Nature (Tomer Eshed). Another premiere at the festival was the presentation Following their presentation in Kiev, all of the festival films went on a of the German Short Film Association’s short film catalog German tour of five further Ukrainian cities. Kick-off in Kiev (photo © Arthouse Traffic)

german films quarterly news

1 · 2009 17 IN PRODUCTION

rapher Ayhan. Little does she know that he embodies the very part of their common culture she has sought to reject and she will subsequently be faced with the dilemma of having to make a decision between her love and her convictions …

As Bareiss recalls, “the main challenge on this project which we developed together for the last two years was finding the right actress for Su Turhan, Pegah Ferydoni, Pegah Su Turhan, the part of Ayla.” The search ended when they found Pegah (photo courtesy of TV60 Film) Ferydoni who will be known to German TV audiences from her Sven Burgemeister, Andreas Bareiss Andreas Sven Burgemeister, role in the series Tuerkisch fuer Anfaenger – for which she won the German Television Award and Adolf Grimme Award – as well as appearances in the Tatort and Sperling series.

“The film’s story was consciously not set in Berlin or Cologne where there are large Turkish communities,” Bareiss explains, “but rather in Munich where the Turkish community is more integrated. Another Ayla reason to have the story set here was because Su grew up in Bavaria and so could bring in some of his own experiences of living between Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama, Love Story the two worlds.” Production Company BurkertBareiss for TV60 Film/Munich, in co-production with Goldkind Filmproduktion/Munich With While Bareiss says that the focus is on the dramatic love story in backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Ayla, he points that the film is naturally also “drawing on what Fund (DFFF) Producers Andreas Bareiss, Sven Burgemeister happens every day in Germany and is about the struggle between Commissioning Editors Stefanie Gross, Claudia Gladziejewski, modernity and tradition within a integrated culture.” Barbara Haebe Director Su Turhan Screenplay Su Turhan, Beatrice Dossi Director of Photography Florian Schilling Ayla is the feature film debut for the self-taught Turhan although he Editor Tobias Forth Music by Hannes Vester Production has made several shorts and documentaries over the past 15 years. In Design Renate Schmaderer Principal Cast Pegah Ferydoni, 2001, he came to the film industry’s attention with Gone Underground Mehdi Moinzadeh, Timur Isik, Tuerkiz Talay, Saskia Vester, Sesede which could claim to be the first short to be fully digitally produced Terziyan Casting Lore Bloessl Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby worldwide. Starring Katja Flint and Ralph Herforth, the short was in- SR Shooting Languages German, Turkish Shooting in Munich, vited to countless festivals and won several awards, marking Turhan’s November – December 2008 German Distributor Zorro first collaboration with the veteran DoP Michael Ballhaus which they Film/Munich repeated on the short Triell in 2004.

World Sales Meanwhile, Bareiss is enthusiastic about the collaboration with Beta Cinema / Dept. of Beta Film GmbH Turhan: “He is a very professional first-time director in the clearness Andreas Rothbauer of his vision and the way he works with the actors. We have a very Gruenwalder Weg 28 d · 82041 Oberhaching/Germany good producer-director working relationship.” phone +49-89-67 34 69 80 · fax +49-89-6 73 46 98 88 email: [email protected] MB www.betacinema.com

After producing Luigi Falorni’s Berlinale competition film Heart of Fire last year, Munich-based producer Andreas Bareiss has joined forces once more with Sven Burgemeister of TV60Film and Goldkind Film for Su Turhan’s feature debut Ayla.

The culture clash drama had been developed by Turhan with co- screenwriter Beatrice Dossi within the First Movie Program run by Christiane Conradi at the Bayerisches Filmzentrum on the studio lot of Bavaria Film in Geiselgasteig, and was subsequently offered to Bareiss by Turhan’s agent Astride Bergauer of Scenario.

The story centers on the attractive 25-year-old Ayla who, separated from her Turkish family, leads a double life between a day job in a kindergarten and working as a cloakroom attendant in a night club. Caught between her existence as a single and the longing for a home to call her own, she falls passionately in love with the sensitive photog-

german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 18 The film opens with a young woman sporting a freshly broken nose, who steps out of a taxi in a traffic jam on one of Belgrade’s bridges, leaving her baby behind in the car and throwing herself into the river below. This suicide attempt connects and binds together three Mediopolis Film) witnesses of this desperate act on the bridge and has repercussions for their emotionally frozen lives …

“It’s a film about Belgrade today,” Koljevic observes, “in a moment when the pendulum of energy and emotions is swinging from the years of wars, destruction, hatred – to the other end: to life, the re- discovery of love, and overcoming the scars of the past. It’s a film

(photo courtesy of Neue about people fixing their messed-up lives, about people in ‘emotional transition’.” On the set of “Die Nase” Frau mit der gebrochenen “In his sensibility, Srdjan tends to lean more towards comedies,” Mitrovic explains, “but this film is more drama albeit with comedic Die Frau mit der elements.” “The story is set in Belgrade, but it is very universal and could happen anywhere,” Golubovic adds, praising the director’s gebrochenen Nase “great dialogues and well-developed characters in a script that is both universal and connected with the local mentality.” Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Tragicomedy Production Company Neue Mediopolis Filmproduktion/Leipzig, The new film sees Koljevic reunited with his cinematographer in co-production with Film House Bas Celik/Belgrade With (Goran Volarevic) and costume designer (Nebosja backing from Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung, Medienboard Lipanovic) from Red Colored Grey Truck, but there is also collabora- Berlin-Brandenburg, ZDF/ARTE Producers Alexander Ris, Joerg tion again with some of the cast and crew from The Trap such as the Rothe, Jelena Mitrovic, Srdan Golubovic Director Srdjan Koljevic German sound crew and composer Mario Schneider as well as Screenplay Srdjan Koljevic Director of Photography Goran the actors Nebojsa Glogovac, Anica Dobra, and Vuk Volarevic Editor Marko Glusac Music by Mario Schneider Kostic. Production Design Zorana Petrov Principal Cast Nebojsa Glogovac, Anica Dobra, Vuk Kostic, Branka Katic, Nada Sargin, Stipe The cast for Die Frau mit der gebrochenen Nase also in- Erceg, Jasna Zalica Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby SR cludes L.A.-based Serbian actress Branka Katic, who appeared Shooting Language Serbian Shooting in Belgrade and Erfurt, opposite Johnny Depp in Michael Mann’s Dillinger, Nada Sargin October – December 2008 German Distributor Neue Visionen from Oleg Novkovic’s award-winning Tomorrow Morning, and Stipe Filmverleih/Berlin Erceg, known to international audiences from such films as The Edukators and The Baader Meinhof Complex. Contact Neue Mediopolis Filmproduktion GmbH “We are very happy to have this mix of Serbian and Croatian actors Kochstrasse 130 · 04277 Leipzig/Germany in the cast where there are also people like Anica Dobra and Stipe phone +49-3 41-3 03 72 24 · fax +49-3 41-35 53 20 53 Erceg who are known by audiences in both markets,” Ris points out. email: [email protected] www.mediopolis-online.de Meanwhile, for Bas Celik, Koljevic’s project is the first time they will have been shooting outside of Serbia. After seven weeks filming in Shooting wrapped at the beginning of December in Erfurt on prolific Belgrade, the production came to the East German town of Erfurt for screenwriter Srdjan Koljevic’s second feature film Die Frau a week at the end of November/beginning of December to shoot mit der gebrochenen Nase (“The Woman with a Broken interiors in an empty hospital that is awaiting demolition. Nose”) after his 2004 award-winning directorial debut Red Colored Grey Truck. “We brought the key crew members with us from Belgrade, but we also have Germans on the team for the Erfurt shoot and local extras For Koljevic, who was a co-screenwriter on Stefan Arsenijevic’s debut in some scenes,” Mitrovic explains. Love and Other Crimes, it is the second collaboration with producers Neue Mediopolis Filmproduktion and Film House Bas Die Frau mit der gebrochenen Nase will be distributed in Celik after writing the screenplay for Srdan Golubovic’s thriller The Germany by Neue Visionen and in Serbia by The Trap’s distributor Trap with his wife Melina Pota Koljevic. Tuck Vision.

“From the outset, we were all convinced of Srdjan’s story and want- MB ed to work on the project together again,” Neue Mediopolis’ Alexander Ris recalls. “Unfortunately, Laszlo Kantor [of Uj Budapest Film] couldn’t join us this time because there weren’t enough Hungarian elements,” Bas Celik’s Jelena Mitrovic adds, so Die Frau mit der gebrochenen Nase ended up becoming a majority German-Serbian co-production.

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1 · 2009 19 diary on his trip across the USA – and they provided the basis for the film’s plot.

The screenplay for Friendship! was written by Oliver Ziegenbalg, who had previously worked with Wiedemann & Berg Film on the submarine comedy U-900 and for Tom Zickler’s 1 Barefoot Films on their comedy 1 /2 Ritter which opened in German cinemas before Christmas.

As the two Germanies celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall in Markus Goller, Matthias Schweighoefer, Matthias Schweighoefer, Markus Goller, Friedrich Muecke (photo © Mark Popp) (photo © Mark Popp) Friedrich Muecke November 1989, two friends Veit and Tom, aged 22, head off for San Francisco to find Veit’s father who had escaped from the GDR more than ten years before. Since then, the only communication has been an annual birthday card from San Francisco. Barely speaking English and with nothing more than 100 Marks in their pockets, they have four weeks to get to San Francisco for Veit’s birthday and wait at a Friendship! specific post office for Veit’s father to turn up …

Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Comedy, Road As Wiedemann explains, the choice of Matthias Schweighoefer Movie Production Company Wiedemann & Berg Film/Munich, to play Veit was made pretty quickly, “but it took much longer to find in co-production with Seven Pictures/Munich With backing the right actor for the second male lead. It is not easy to find actors from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Federal Film Board of this age who also have a drama school training. Friedrich (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), New Mexico Production Muecke, though, is quite a discovery: he has not been seen in films Tax Credit Producers Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Tom Zickler or on television, but has appeared on stage at Munich’s Volkstheater Co-Producers Marco Beckmann, Dr. Stefan Gaertner, David and is a graduate of the Ernst Busch Academy in Berlin.” Groenewold Executive Producer Mark Popp Director Markus Goller Screenplay Oliver Ziegenbalg Director of Photog- While Goller has directed over 300 commercials and worked in the raphy Ueli Steiger Editor Olivia Retzer Production Design past as an editor and 2nd unit director, Friendship! will be his Deborah Riley Principal Cast Matthias Schweighoefer, Friedrich second feature film – after 2001’s Under the Mask. “He is fired up with Muecke, Alicja Bachleda Casting Simone Baer, Todd Thaler, Cathy the passion of a debutant filmmaker,” notes Wiedemann. The crew Sandrich Format 35 mm, color, cs, Dolby Digital 5.1 Shooting behind the camera includes such experienced hands as DoP Ueli Languages German, English Shooting in Berlin, New York, San Steiger, whose credits include Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla, The Day Francisco, Albuquerque, December 2008 – February 2009 German After Tomorrow and 10,000 BC, costume designer Maria Schicker Distributor Sony Pictures Releasing/Berlin who knows the culture clash from personal experience having come to the USA from East Germany herself, and production designer Contact Deborah Riley who has worked on such movies as 21 Grams and Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG Moulin Rouge. Bauerstrasse 2 · 80796 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-45 23 23 70 · fax +49-89-45 23 23 99 The production team will go to New York and San Francisco for exte- email: [email protected] · www.wb-film.com riors and a second unit will work its way across America for the travel shots, but the bulk of the shoot will be located in New Mexico This year sees the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall thanks to the variety of locations found there as well as the financial coming around on November 9th and German filmmakers are busy incentive on offer. working away at their own cinematic commemorations of this historical event. Production will wrap with scenes in Berlin in February, and the final film is expected to include archive footage of the Berlin Wall as Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, the producers of the well as excerpts from films Tom Zickler himself made in the former Academy Award-winning feature film The Lives of Others, are no GDR. exception, as they have teamed up with Tom Zickler to produce the road movie Friendship! by the prolific commercials director MB Markus Goller.

“Markus has been involved in the project from the outset,” recalls Wiedemann. “The film is based on a true story about two East Germans who traveled across the USA from New York to San Francisco shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall – and one of the couple was none other than [producer] Tom Zickler! Tom told Markus about his story when they met in Los Angeles, and he became really enthusiastic about what he sees as the perfect culture clash comedy and a real ‘fish out of water’ tale.”

During the film’s development, Markus was able to draw inspiration from some cassettes Tom Zickler had recorded as a kind of audio- german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 20 “We are not showing the sad, realistic world of big cities like Berlin and elsewhere which are gripped by hopelessness, crime and un- employment,” Matsutani continues. “It is more of an idealized world where you can also have some fun. It is more West Side Story, pop- corn cinema and action, and less of a realistic portrayal. The positive aspects of the gangs are shown, and the film is more about friendship, loyalty, having fun, chasing after girls and listening to great music!”

International/Maria Krumwiede) For Matsutani, this is his first feature film for the cinema since the 2001 comedy 666 – Traue keinem, mit dem Du schlaefst!, and he admits that it was quite a challenge having so many teenage actors on set at the same time and hordes of screaming girls turning up at loca- On the set of “Gangs” (photo © Buena Vista tions around Berlin when they heard that Jimi Blue and Wilson Gonzalez would be there.

“They are no longer children, but aren’t yet adults either,” he explains Gangs about his young cast. “But it was really good fun working with them because you get infected by their youthful energy – even if I may have Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Gang Film a few more grey hairs at the end of the shoot than when we started!” Production Company SamFilm/Munich With backing from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, This film also gave him the opportunity to work again with the DoP German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) Clemens Messow, with whom he had made three TV films in- Producers Andreas Ulmke-Smeaton, Ewa Karlstroem Director cluding the event movie Das Papst-Attentat. Rainer Matsutani Screenplay Peer Klehmet, Sebastian Wehlings Director of Photography Clemens Messow Editor Marco Pav In fact, Gangs is Messow’s first film lensed for the cinema “and the D’Auria Production Design Carola Gauster Principal Cast producers are very happy with the results,” Matsutani explains. Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht, Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht, Emilia “Indeed, great care has been taken in developing a specific style con- Schuele, Jannis Niewoehner, Michael Keseroglu, Christian Bluemel, cept for the film’s look. The baddies are dressed all in white, while the Michael-Kai Mueller, Sina Tkotsch, Marie Lou-Sellem Casting Uwe Rocks, who are the good ones, are in black.” Buenker Casting Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby Digital Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin and surroun- According to Matsutani, Gangs will not shy away from showing dings, September – November 2008 German Distributor Walt crime and violence; he sees “the film more as a coming-of-age story Disney Studios Motion Pictures Germany/Munich with comic and action elements together with a big love story.” MB World Sales TELEPOOL GmbH · Anja Uecker Sonnenstrasse 21 · 80331 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-55 87 60 · fax +49-89-55 87 62 29 email: [email protected] · www.telepool.de

It is a case of the saying “never change a winning team” for Rainer Matsutani’s new film Gangs, which reunited Munich-based production house SamFilm with Jimi Blue and Wilson Gonzalez

Ochsenknecht, both of whom became household names in recent “Hangtime” Scene from years through the SamFilm family entertainment franchise The Wild Soccer Bunch and the 2008 romantic comedy Summer.

At the same time, Gangs marks the first time that director Matsutani and his producer Andreas Ulmke-Smeaton have worked together on a feature film even though they studied together at (photo courtesy of Little Shark Entertainment) Munich’s University of Television & Film almost 20 years ago.

“Like Andy, I am a big fan of the gang film genre with such films as The Wanderers, The Outsiders or The Warriors,” Matsutani recalls. “I Hangtime thought that the genre is dead, but it was Andy’s idea to resurrect it. Of course, it was a good omen that we could get such a teen idol as Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Coming-of-Age Jimi Blue for the cast, so I thought ‘Let’s go for it!’”. Story, Sports Production Company Little Shark Entertain- ment/Cologne, in co-production with 3L Filmproduktion/Dortmund, As Ulmke-Smeaton points out, the action of the screenplay by Peer Pandora Filmproduktion/Cologne, WDR/Cologne, ARTE/ Klehmet and Sebastian Wehlings is “set in the present day, Strasbourg With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, German but is a little outside of reality because we are not wanting to make a Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) social drama.” Producers Tom Spiess, Soenke Wortmann, Werner Wirsing Director Wolfgang Groos Screenplay Christian Zuebert, german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 21 Heinrich Hadding Director of Photography Alexander Fischerkoesen Editor Martin Wolf Music by Robert Matt Pro- duction Design Andrea Kessler Principal Cast Max Kidd, Misel Maticevc, Ralph Kretschmar, Max Froehlich, Mirjam Weichselbraun, Veit Stuebner Casting Filmcast – Sabine Schwedhelm Format 35 mm, color, cs, Dolby Digital 5.1 Shooting Language German Shooting in Hagen, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Duesseldorf, September – November 2008 German Distributor 3L Film- verleih/Dortmund Film GmbH & Co. KG/Reiner Bajo) KG/Reiner Film GmbH & Co. Contact

Little Shark Entertainment GmbH “Henri Vier” (photo © ZieglerScene from Maria-Hilf-Strasse 15-17, Haus C 50677 Cologne/Germany phone +49-2 21-33 61 10 · fax +49-2 21-3 36 11 12 email: [email protected] · www.littleshark.de Henri Vier Vinz (Max Kidd) has his high-school diploma in his pocket and is about to begin the next phase of his life, one that involves making big Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama, History, decisions. As the top scoring player with basketball team Phoenix Literature Production Company Ziegler Film/Berlin, in co-pro- Hagen, he has what it takes to turn pro. His big brother Georg duction with GETEVE/Paris, Institut del Cinema Català/Catalonia, (Misel Maticevc) cannot imagine a better life, but his dream of a Wega Film/Vienna, B.A. Produktion/Munich, ARRI Group/Munich, professional baseball career crashed ten years ago after their parents’ Magic Media Company/Cologne, WDR/Cologne, BR/Munich, tragic death. Now Vinz can achieve what, back then, Georg was SWR/Baden-Baden, MDR/Leipzig, NDR/Hamburg, ORF/Vienna, denied. But is that what Vinz wants to begin with? The two brothers DEGETO/Frankfurt am Main, France 2/Paris With backing from have to learn to part from each other and go their separate ways. And Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFern- what it means to make difficult decisions all by oneself is something sehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Vinz has to demonstrate in the end; during the decisive match as to Film Fund (DFFF), MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg Producer Regina which team will gain promotion to the first division … Ziegler Co-Producers Christian Charret, Joan Antoni Gonzales, Dr. Veit Heiduschka Executive Producer Hartmut Koehler Max Kidd, who has previously been seen in the TV series Unter Uns, Director Jo Baier Screenplay Jo Baier, Cooky Ziesche, based on as well as occasional guest roles, makes his feature film debut with Young Henry of Navarre and Henry, King of France by Heinrich Mann Hangtime. Misel Maticevic, who is equally at home in the theater Director of Photography Gernot Roll Editor Alexander as well as on the screen, won the Best Actor Award for Lost Killers Berner Production Design Klaus-Peter Platten, Christian Strang (1999) at the Thessaloniki film festival. His most recent credits include Principal Cast Julien Boisselier, Joachim Król, Andreas Schmidt, A Year Ago in Winter (dir: Caroline Link) and Effi Briest (dir: Hermine Roger Casamajor, Armelle Deutsch, Chloé Stefani, Sven Pippig, Huntgeburth). In 2008 he won the German Television Award for Best Sandra Hueller, Hannelore Hoger, Ulrich Noethen, Devid Striesow, Actor (Im Angesicht des Verbrechens, dir: Dominik Graf). Adam Markiewicz, Gabriela Maria Schmeide Casting Sabine Schroth Format ARRI DS21, color, cs, Dolby SR Shooting Language Hangtime’s director, Wolfgang Groos, cut his teeth as first AD, on, German, French, Spanish Shooting in Prague, Bourges, Cologne, among others, The Miracle of Bern (dir: Soenke Wortmann), Napola August – December 2008 German Distributor Central Film (dir: Dennis Gansel) and The Treasure of the White Falcons (dir: Vertrieb/Berlin Christian Zuebert). World Sales In 2000, producers Tom Spiess and Soenke Wortmann set up Bavaria Film International Little Shark Entertainment, whose credits include Christian Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH · Thorsten Ritter Zuebert’s Lammbock and The Treasure of the White Falcons, as well as Bavariafilmplatz 7 · 82031 Geiselgasteig/Germany The Miracle of Bern. Soenke Wortmann himself is currently directing phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20 Pope Joan. email: [email protected] www.bavaria-film-international.com Co-producer 3L Filmproduktion is Werner Wirsing’s shingle. Founded in 2005, the company’s credits include actress July The story of the legendary French King Henri IV has accompanied Delpy’s directorial debut, 2 Days in Paris, Ob Ihr Wollt, oder nicht (dir: producer Regina Ziegler of Berlin-based Ziegler Film Ben Verbong) and Paul Schrader’s Adam Resurrected. (www.ziegler-film.de) practically all of her life and now led to the realization of an opulent feature film and two-part TV series based on Hangtime could not have a better pedigree, with some of the two-volume novel by Heinrich Mann, Young Henry of Navarre and Germany’s best production names behind it. The proof of the film Henry, King of France. pudding is always in the watching, but Hangtime looks set to be a box office slam dunk. “My life with Henri began very early on when I was studying for my school exams between the ages of 18 und 19,” Ziegler recalls. “I read SK Heinrich Mann’s novels and couldn’t get enough of the story. I was fascinated by this character, who had already experienced as a child

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1 · 2009 22 what violence means and then dedicates his life to fight against Gerhard Gollnhofer, with whom Jo Baier and I are working with violence as a humanist.” for the first time,” Ziegler adds. MB “No project of Ziegler Film over the last 35 years has prompted me to invest so much passion and energy – and to take so many risks as this,” Ziegler says, pointing out that she approached director Jo Baier with the idea of directing Henri Vier (working title: “Henry of Navarre”) when they both were at the Adolf Grimme Award cere- mony.

“Before I spoke with Jo Baier I got in touch with [co-writer] Cooky Ziesche because they had been a good combo on Der Laden and

both were excited about being involved in the project.” Baier and Ulrich) Filmproduktion/Heike Ziesche worked together for the last years on the screenplay. (photo © Claussen+Woebke+Putz Jo Baier says: “A clichéd costume drama about a French king in Renaissance times is not what we are making here! There will be no nicht!” “Maria, ihm schmeckt’s Scene from orgy of costumes, no festival of extravagant wigs!

“Henri Vier” is going to be different: simple and immediate, costumes and set reduced to the bare necessity, the focus on the actors, their motives, emotions and psychology.” Maria, ihm

The financing of the 19 million Euro project – the most ambitious pro- schmeckt’s nicht! ject in Ziegler Film’s history and one of the most expensive German feature films of 2008 – took four years to mount with production Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Comedy partners from France, Spain and Austria, a service production partner Production Company Claussen+Woebke+Putz Filmpro- in the Czech Republic, and support from numerous broadcasters and duktion/Munich, in co-production with Schubert International public funders from Germany, France, Spain and Austria. Filmproduktion/Utting, Orisa Produzioni/Rome, ZDF/Mainz, Constantin Film Produktion/Munich With backing from An international cast is led by French newcomer Julien Boisselier FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW, Eurimages, German (who received the 2007 Lumiere Award) as Henri, appearing with the Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Apulia young Catalan actor Roger Casamajor (El Laberinto del fauno), Film Commission Producers Uli Putz, Jakob Claussen, Lothar Armelle Deutsch (Le malade imaginaire), Chloé Stefani Schubert, Cristiano Bortone Director Neele Leana Vollmar (Marquise de Pompadour) and Karl Markovics (The Counterfeiters). Screenplay Daniel Speck, Jan Weiler Director of Photog- In addition, the production boasts a whole galaxy of German stars raphy Torsten Breuer Editor Bernd Schlegel Production ranging from Joachim Król (Gloomy Sunday), Hannelore Design Johannes Sternagel, Doerthe Komnick Principal Cast Hoger (Bella Block) and Ulrich Noethen (Runaway Horse) Lino Banfi, Christian Ulmen, Mina Tander, Maren Kroymann, Gundi through Sandra Hueller (Requiem) and Devid Striesow (Yella) Ellert, Peter Prager, Sergio Rubini Casting Daniela Tolkien Format to Gabriela Maria Schmeide (Grill Point) and Andreas 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby SR Shooting Languages German, Schmidt (Summer in Berlin). Italian Shooting in Gravina (Apulia), Munich, Krefeld, Duisburg, October – December 2008 German Distributor Constantin The superlatives don’t end there: principal photography lasted some Film Verleih/Munich 80 shooting days from August to December at locations in the Czech Republic, France, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, with interiors Contact at the MMC Studios in Cologne. Some 5,800 extras were hired for Claussen+Woebke+Putz Filmproduktion GmbH the battle scenes and over 1,300 historical costumes were specially Herzog-Wilhelm-Strasse 27 · 80331 Munich/Germany made for the film at costume workshops set up in Berlin, Poland and phone +49-89-23 11 01 0 · fax +49-89-26 33 85 the Czech Republic. email: [email protected] www.claussen-woebke-putz.de “Gernot Roll was Jo Baier’s and my first choice for the DoP because we both have worked with him in the past on various films,” The Munich-based production house Claussen+Woebke+Putz Ziegler explains. “He was exactly the right person because he’s Filmproduktion made its first foray into European co-production someone who supports innovation. This is the first big feature film with Neele Leana Vollmar’s adaptation of Jan Weiler’s best- which is being shot in Germany on HD using the ARRI DS21 camera. selling novel Maria, ihm schmeckt’s nicht! (“Maria, He In fact, we shot the big battle scenes with three of these cameras at Doesn’t Like It!”) the same time together with eight smaller ones. Jo Baier and I have also worked together before with the production designer Klaus- “We came to acquiring the film rights to Jan Weiler’s book after Peter Platten.” meeting through a common friend in Munich who had worked with the author on the adaptation of the novel for an audio book,” pro- “But there are also a few other, new people behind the camera such ducer Jakob Claussen recalls. “Originally, we worked just with Jan as the editor Alexander Berner or the costume designer Weiler on the screenplay, but then brought the screenwriter and

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1 · 2009 23 dramaturg Daniel Speck onboard. The collaboration between the two worked very well, it was important for the script to move away from the episodic structure of the novel towards a dramatical structure that we needed for the film.”

Around three years were spent on honing the screenplay before going into production. Claussen points out that “the nature of the story made it ideal for a co-production. Uli Putz met the producer Cristiano Bortone from Orisa Produzioni through her participation in the ACE producers program; he became our Italian part- “The Other Chelsea” Scene from ner in the project together with our Italian distribution partner Osvaldo De Santis of Fox Italy.” (photo courtesy of Medien) Kloos & Co.

Claussen notes that it was a big challenge to adapt the bestseller which had sold over 1.7 million copies in Germany and stayed 66 weeks in the Top Ten list. “People love the book and we want them to love our film as well. It is going to be a very funny comedy with real The Other Chelsea: emotional depth and truth about Germans and Italians that we hope will work in both Germany and Italy.” The Donetsk Story The culture clash comedy centers on the young German Jan who is Type of Project Documentary TV Genre Society, Politics, traveling to southern Italy to marry his fiancée Sara, who is half-Italian. Human Interest Production Company Kloos & Co. Jan’s encounter with the Italian mentality is made all the more com- Medien/Berlin, in co-production with ZDF Das kleine plicated by Sara’s stubborn Italian father Antonio, who initially makes Fernsehspiel/Mainz With backing from Robert Bosch Stiftung, Jan’s life a living hell although he ought to know better. After all, MEDIA, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Producer Antonio had himself once been a foreigner in a foreign land when he Stefan Kloos Director Jakob Preuss Screenplay Jakob Preuss came to Germany as a guest worker in the late 1960s. Director of Photography Eugen Schlegel Editor Markus CM Schmidt Format HD, blow-up to 35 mm, color, 16:9, Stereo “Christian Ulmen was always our dream in casting for the role of Shooting Language Russian Shooting in Donetsk (Ukraine), Jan, his name had also cropped up in our very first meeting with Jan February – September 2009 Weiler,” Claussen recalls. “It was quite a coup to win Lino Banfi for the part of Antonio. Lino is a real superstar in Italy and we were very Contact pleased to get him. When we shot in Munich, the Italian community Kloos & Co. Medien GmbH made a real fuss of him and even the footballer Luca Toni came by to Schlesische Strasse 29-30 · 10997 Berlin/Germany our set to say hello! This again impressed our German team a lot.” phone +49-30-47 37 29 80 · fax +49-30-47 37 29 820 email: [email protected] “The part was quite a challenge for Lino because he has to speak www.kloosundco.de German in the film and he had never been to Germany before. At the same time, Christian doesn’t speak any Italian – he doesn’t under- Production is now beginning on Jakob Preuss’ The Other stand a single word – and that’s where parts of the comedy come Chelsea (working title) which is described as “a serious and from. We play with the clichés on both sides and carry them to ex- humorous study on post-Soviet reality” through a portrait of Eastern tremes.” Ukraine beyond the Orange Revolution.

At the same time, Claussen says that the experience of working with “I met Jakob some years ago through a common friend Sebastian an international team drawn from both countries was “enriching on Heinzel with whom I had made the documentary 89 Millimetres,” pro- both a human and professional level.” He and fellow producer Uli ducer Stefan Kloos recalls about the genesis of their collaboration Putz acquired a smattering of Italian while the director Neele Leana on The Other Chelsea. Vollmar reached a level of proficiency that enabled her to give direc- tions to her actors in Italian. A self-taught filmmaker, Preuss did his civilian service in Russia and has regularly worked as an election observer for international organi- “A lot of what you see in the film was also encountered on the set zations, notably in the former Soviet Union, as well as making films. and in the production office with the different cultures and mentali- ties,” Claussen adds. “The story of the film is about bringing these After the young filmmaker received a grant in 2007 from the Robert two worlds into harmony with one another.” Bosch Foundation to do research in the field, Kloos and Preuss then presented the project at Docs Barcelona and Amsterdam’s IDFA MB Forum last year. The film was supported by the MEDIA Program as part of a slate development funding application by Kloos & Co. Medien and has also received backing from the prestigious Sundance Institute Documentary Program as well as attracting ZDF’s Das kleine Fernsehspiel unit as co-producer.

“The film presents us with a view of Ukrainian reality that is not so

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1 · 2009 24 familiar to us,” Kloos explains. “The country is emotionally and politically divided into East (the “blue” party) and the West (the “orange” party). We all know about the revolution although it is known from the other – blue – side as the ‘Orange Putsch’. When we see this blue side and look behind the scenes, we can then understand how fragile this post-Soviet construction is.”

“Just like Georgia,” Preuss adds, “Ukraine experiences serious internal tensions. Not everyone who lived in the former Soviet Union Johanna Wokalek as “Pope Joan” as “Pope Johanna Wokalek dreamed of becoming an American, joining NATO or living according to Western values. They want Russian as a regional language and fear a forced Ukrainization.”

“If there was a ‘Cold War II’ taking place, the Donbass region just like GmbH) (photo © 2008 Constantin Film Verleih Crimea would be on the frontline,” Preuss continues. “The Other Chelsea also deals with parallel social worlds, with the losers and winners of the Soviet Union’s collapse. These worlds are united by Die Paepstin three things: a strong local patriotism, a love for the local football club, and the conviction that they belong with Russia rather than the West. Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre History, Literature, This is just as true for Alexei and Kolya, veteran coal-miners, as it is Drama Production Company Constantin Film Produktion/ for Nikolai Levtshenko, an ambitious young oligarch and politician.” Munich, in co-production with UFA/Potsdam, Medusa Film/Rome, Ikiru Films/Barcelona, ARD (NDR, WDR, SWR, MDR) With “The football reference of our working title draws a comparison be- backing from Filmstiftung NRW, Mitteldeutsche Medien- tween London’s Chelsea, owned by oligarch Roman Abramovitch, foerderung, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Board and Rinat Achmetov, owner of the Shakhtar Donetsk club. Achmetov (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) Producers Martin is the richest man of the Ukraine, a native of the Donbass, both an Moszkowicz, Oliver Berben Co-Producers Herman Weigel, important economic and political figure,” Kloos observes. “It is taken Norbert Sauer, Doris J. Heinze, Faruk Alatan, Edmon Roch for granted to have this connection between the economic and poli- Director Soenke Wortmann Screenplay Heinrich Hadding & tical – people just cannot imagine that it will ever be different and are Soenke Wortmann, from the novel by Donna W. Cross Director resigned to it.” of Photography Tom Faehrmann Editor Hans Funck Production Design Bernd Lepel Principal Cast Johanna The film will follow the contrasting protagonists over the course of a Wokalek, David Wenham, John Goodman Casting Toby Whale, football season, through the ups and downs on and off the pitch, with Anja Dihrberg Format 35 mm, color, cs, Dolby Digital Shooting the stadium serving to link their stories together. While Levtshenko – Language English Shooting in Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine- who is the Secretary of the Donetsk City Council with bigger political Westphalia, Morocco, August – November 2008 German ambitions – slides into the VIP box, Alexei and Kolya take up the same Distributor Constantin Film Verleih/Munich places they’ve held for decades … row 16, seats 8 and 9. Most of the shooting will take place away from the stadium, following Alexei and World Sales Kolya in the run-down coal mine where they work, and the young Summit Entertainment Group LLC · Jill Jones oligarch with his flashy cars, parties and political events. 1630 Stewart Street, Suite 120 Santa Monica, CA 90404/USA Moreover, The Other Chelsea will focus on the inner conflicts of phone +1-310-309 8435 post-Soviet society through the interweaving of very personal and email: [email protected] human stories. “Alexei and Kolya embody the amiability and the www.summit-ent.com humanity which I have encountered all over the former Soviet Union, and which succeed in making life worth living despite all the difficulties Ninth-century Europe. Johanna (Johanna Wokalek) grows up in and misery,” Preuss says. “They have a very peculiar humor unique to Ingelheim am Rhein. The daughter of the dogmatic and doctrinaire vil- Russian speakers. As their friend Volodya says, laughing: ‘If something lage priest, against her father’s will, she learns to read and write in is forbidden in Europe, nobody does it. Here, you just try, perhaps it secret. Her extraordinary talent is discovered and she is allowed, the will work in the end …!’.” only girl, to attend the cathedral school in Dorstadt and is given into the care of the knight Gerold (David Wenham), with whom she MB falls undyingly in love. Following a bloody attack by Normans, Johanna disguises herself as a man and enters the monastery at Fulda. There, she learns the art of healing and is ordained. Later, in Rome, she gains a reputation as a healer and becomes the personal physician of Pope Sergius (John Goodman). Shortly afterwards, he is found poi- soned. The leader of the conspiracy, Bishop Anastasius, hopes himself to ascend the throne, instead it is Johanna who is elected pope. But the undiscovered “popess” has a dangerous weak point: she is pregnant by Gerold, her secret lover.

Johanna Wokalek (“my absolute casting wish”, director Soenke

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1 · 2009 25 Wortmann says) has steadily made her way to the front ranks of German actors, and is set to push her way even further forward with Die Paepstin (“Pope Joan”). She is currently in The Baader Meinhof Complex and North Face, although she can already count several accolades as her own, including the Bavarian Film Award 2003 for Hierankl and an Adolf Grimme Award in Gold (2006).

Australian David Wenham, as Gerold, is one of those familiar faces you might not have been able to put a name to in the past. But his credits are extensive: Moulin Rouge, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Married Life and 300. He

also features in Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia. Chris Kraus (photo © Jim Rakete)Director

John Goodman (Pope Segelius) may still be best known for his role of Dan in the sitcom Roseanne, but he is also capable of far more, as anyone who has seen his very dramatic turns in Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou? can testify. Poll

Director and co-writer Soenke Wortmann is one of the big names in Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama contemporary German cinema, winning the German Film Award for Production Company Kordes & Kordes Film/Berlin, in co-pro- Kleine Haie (1992), while his Maybe, Maybe Not (1994) was the most duction with DOR Film/Vienna, Amrion/Tallinn With backing successful German film of the 1990s, selling more than six and half from MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg, Medienboard Berlin-Branden- million tickets. burg, Eurimages, BKM, Oesterreichisches Filminstitut, Filmfonds Wien Producers Alexandra Kordes, Meike Kordes, Danny Krausz, Riina Wortmann’s football melodrama, The Miracle of Bern, attracted more Sildos Director Chris Kraus Screenplay Chris Kraus Director than 3.6 million spectators and his 2006 Football World Cup docu- of Photography Judith Kaufmann Editor Uta Schmidt Music mentary, Deutschland. Ein Sommermaerchen, is the country’s most suc- by Annette Focks Production Design Christoph Kanter, Anja cessful documentary. Mueller Principal Cast Edgar Selge, Jeanette Hain, Richy Mueller Casting Nina Haun Format Super 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby SR Martin Moszkowicz, head of production at Constantin Film, Shooting Language German Shooting in Estonia, June – July has well more than 100 feature films to his credit, including the 2003 2009 German Distributor Piffl Medien/Berlin Oscar®-winning Nowhere in Africa, as well as Manitou’s Shoe, Resident Evil, Perfume, The Wave and The Baader Meinhof Complex. World Sales Bavaria Film International Although “aimed principally at a female audience” (Moszkowicz), Die Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH · Thorsten Ritter Paepstin, with its choice casting and eye for historical detail, is Bavariafilmplatz 7 · 82031 Geiselgasteig/Germany bound to appeal to males as well. phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20 email: [email protected] SK www.bavaria-film-international.com

Preparations are underway for writer-director Chris Kraus’s first feature film since his German Film Award-winning drama Four Minutes.

The drama Poll, which is set to be shot in Estonia over 45 days in June and July as a German-Austrian-Estonian co-production, is a project which has been close to Kraus’s heart ever since 1995.

“I began working in the film industry as a screenwriter and had originally planned for another director to direct this project,” Kraus recalls. However, this all changed after the success of his own forays into directing with Shattered Glass and Four Minutes.

“I am very pleased that we will be shooting the film in Estonia because I think that everything will be more authentic as a result – from the landscape through to the people playing the extras,” Kraus explains. "The history of Estonia provides the background for a story which portrays the decline of a feudal, German-Baltic society in the Russian Czarist empire.”

The film’s action is set in summer 1914 on the eve of the First World War and focuses on the thirteen-year-old Oda who comes with her

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1 · 2009 26 mother from Berlin to visit their surgeon father at the Poll Estate in Estonia.

While the Baltic German adults indulge in love affairs during the hottest summer to date, young Oda begins a gentle, intimate relationship with a young Estonian revolutionary on the run, whom she hides from her parents and the Czarist Cossacks billeted at the estate.

As Kraus points out, his great-aunt Oda Schaefer was the inspiration (photo courtesy of Film) AVISTA for his new film: “She was a writer who was relatively well-known in the 1950s and I came across her story in an autobiographical book I

found during my studies of German literature 20 years ago.” nach Copacabana” “Postkarten Scene from

“I was fascinated by this aunt who was rejected by my family as she did not fit in politically: she was far to the left while the family was far to the right. We weren’t allowed to speak about her in the family,” he continues. Postkarten nach “At the same time, I was interested to know how this woman could Copacabana turn out the way she did, why she differed so much from the family’s politics.” Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Love Story, Family Production Company AVISTA Film Herbert Rimbach/Munich, “The inspiration is like in Shattered Glass and Four Minutes in that I have in co-production with BR/Munich, in cooperation with Pegaso quite a personal connection to the characters,” Kraus notes. “On the Producciones/La Paz With backing from FilmFernsehFonds other hand, Poll is also a parable of the insanity of the 20th century, Bayern, BKM, German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal which has had an impact on us in Europe to the present day.” Film Fund (DFFF) Producers Alena Rimbach, Herbert Rimbach, Paolo Agazzi Director Thomas Kronthaler Screenplay Stefanie According to the producers Meike and Alexandra Kordes, the Kremser Director of Photography Christof Oefelein Editor project received an additional boost last year thanks to the success of Melanie Werwie Music by Martin Unterberger Production Four Minutes, and the 500,000 Euros prize-money for the German Design Marta Mendez, Carsten Lippstock Principal Cast Júlia Film Award has been a welcome component in Poll’s 7 million Euro Hernández Fortunato, Agar Delos, Carla Ortiz, Friedrich Muecke, budget. Camila Andrea Guzmán Arteaga, Florian Brueckner, Salvador del Solar, Luis Bredow Casting Wendy Alcazar, Daniela Tolkien, Anne The two sisters participated in the European Film Promotion’s Walcher Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby SR Shooting “Producers on the Move” initiative in Cannes in May 2007 where they Language Spanish Shooting in Ferchensee/Bavaria, Sorata, La found their Estonian co-producer after pitching the project to Riina Paz, Copacabana/Bolivia German Distributor Movienet Sildos of Tallinn-based Amrion. Meanwhile, the Austrian partner Film/Munich Danny Krausz of DOR Film came onboard after they met at the Baltic Event in Tallinn in December 2007. Contact AVISTA Film Herbert Rimbach “It’s been a long odyssey to find the best solution for the film’s setting Alena & Herbert Rimbach in the Poll Estate,” Alexandra Kordes recalls. Kellerstrasse 37· 81667 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-4 48 12 98 · fax +49-89-4 48 75 02 “We had spent ten months scouting locations in Poland, Latvia, email: [email protected] Estonia, parts of St. Petersburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg, but didn’t find anything that was really suitable as the “If you believe, between the worlds, between spirit and reality, be- setting,” Meike Kordes adds. “We thought we had found the right tween wish and fulfillment, there would be no connection, then you place on the island of Hiiumaa, but there was no existing infrastruc- are fooling yourself.” ture or appropriate facilities for a film crew to shoot there.” So runs the prologue to Postkarten nach Copacabana In the end, Kraus and the producers have decided to build their own (“Postcards to Copacabana”), Thomas Kronthaler’s spiritually Baltic-German farmhouse estate at a location near to the seaside and mystically-tinged tale of longing, regret, optimism and hope. resort of Paernu on the shores of the Gulf of Riga. Not to be confused with the famous beachside district of MB Copacabana in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, this Copacabana lies in the Bolivian highlands. It is a small town, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and the home of 14-year-old Alfonsina (Júlia Hernández Fortunato), a girl who is growing up between Bavarian oompa- music, dirndls (those wonderful folk dresses every woman should wear at least once), Bolivian native religion and Christianity. While her grandmother Elena (Agar Delos) cherishes her love for her deceased husband Alois (Luis Bredow, Florian Brueckner),

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1 · 2009 27 Rosa (Alois’ and Elena’s sister-in-law) played by Carla Ortiz has fallen head over heels in love with the mysterious businessman Felipe (Salvador del Solar), whose arrival in the sleeply town bodes ill.

Fourteen never being an easy age even at the best of times, Alfonsina has to wrestle with her own feelings: she feels misunderstood and suffers from homesickness for a place to which she has never been. Not even the postcards she receives from foreign tourists all over the world, people who have visited Copacabana, help. If anything, they just strengthen her desire to have her own experiences.

When Alfonsina meets Daniel (Friedrich Muecke), a student (photo courtesy of ZOOM Medienfabrik) from Munich, who is also the spitting image of her grandfather, the girl

decides to act. She gathers up her courage, puts her trust in “Résiste – Aufstand der Praktikanten” Scene from Copac’Ahuana, he “who protects the blue”, the god who watches over Lake Titicaca, and takes the step into the depths of the lake in order to surface in front of mountains backing onto Bavaria’s Lake Résiste – Aufstand Walchen. The god has carried Alois through the water, now he will carry her. der Praktikanten Director Thomas Kronthaler’s previous credits include Die Schein- Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Comedy, Romantic heiligen (2001), episodes of the TV detective series Die Rosenheim Comedy Production Company Schmerbeck Filmproduktion/ Cops (2002, 2003), Der Sushi Baron – Dicke Freunde in Tokio (TV, Ludwigsburg, in co-production with HFF “Konrad Wolf ”/Potsdam- 2005), Tango zu dritt (TV, 2006), Lawine (TV, 2007) and Gletscherblut Babelsberg With backing from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (TV, 2008). Producer Till Schmerbeck Director Jonas Grosch Screenplay Jonas Grosch Director of Photography Matthias Hofmeister Alena and Herbert Rimbach’s AVISTA Film was founded in Editor Christoph Lumpe Music by Friedemann Matzeit Pro- 1988 and specializes in working on projects by young, debutant film- duction Design Harry Rischmueller Principal Cast Katharina makers. Their first production, Nina Grosse’s Der glaeserne Himmel Wackernagel, Hannes Wegener, Sabine Wackernagel, Christof was invited to the 1989 Venice film festival, won the Bavarian Film Wackernagel, Devid Striesow, Michael Kind, Anja Knauer, Marleen Award for Best Newcomer Director and was nominated for a Lohse, Andreas Seifert, Steffen C. Juergens Format Super 16 mm, German Film Award. This was followed by Abraham’s Gold by Joerg color, 1:1.85, FAZ to 35 mm, Dolby SR Shooting Language Graser which was the only German film in an official section (Un German Shooting in Berlin, October – November 2008 German Certain Regard) in Cannes in 1990 and won the Grand Prix du Public. Distributor Movienet Film/Munich

Among their many other credits are Lea (Ivan Fila, nominated for the World Sales Golden Globe Best Foreign Film 1997), the 2000 multi-award-winning ARRI Media Worldsales · Antonio Exacoustos Vergiss Amerika (Vanessa Jopp), Anansi (Fritz Baumann, 2003), Hierankl Tuerkenstrasse 89 · 80799 Munich/Germany (Hans Steinbichler, 2003) and Dagmar Knoepfel’s Durch diese Nacht phone +49-89-38 09 12 88 · fax +49-89-38 09 16 19 sehe ich keinen einzigen Stern (2005). email: [email protected] www.arri-mediaworldsales.de SK The possibility of making a comedy about the issue of the ‘trainee generation’ might not be immediately obvious, but it is something HFF Babelsberg student Jonas Grosch had been considering for the past couple of years as he developed his feature debut Résiste – Aufstand der Praktikanten (“Resist – Rebellion of the Trainees”).

“I had my own experiences as a trainee when I had a placement at Wueste Film in Hamburg for three months,” Grosch recalls. “In fact, it was a great time without any negative side, so it is not as if I am drawing on my autobiography here.”

“The subject of trainees became particularly topical with a big article in the news magazine Der Spiegel two years ago and has come and gone into the public eye,” he continues. “It has now become a burn- ing issue with the new global financial crisis so I can see the film bringing the trainee question back on to the agenda.”

“Although it is a serious subject, we are making a comedy which is something some people – such as the TV stations – have found hard

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1 · 2009 28 to accept,” Grosch explains. “We may exaggerate things and take them to extremes, but we nevertheless always take the characters’ problems seriously. It is an absurd comedy rather than slapstick, and you can see in the production and costume design that we are trying to create our very own world. There is a bit of Berlin here, but then it’s turned on its side to create a parallel universe.”

For Grosch, who previously made several shorts and the feature- “Soul Kitchen” Scene from length documentary Der Weisse mit dem Schwarzbrot as well as pen- ning the screenplay for Polska Love Serenade, Résiste – Aufstand der Praktikanten will be his graduation film from the Academy of Film & Television “Konrad Wolf ” in Babelsberg where he has been studying Screenwriting/Film & Television Dramaturgy since 2004. (photo © corazón international/Gordon Timpen) (photo Timpen) © corazón international/Gordon The film is also set to be the graduation film for Grosch’s DoP Matthias Hofmeister, sound man Veit Norek and junior producer Maxim Juretzka. Soul Kitchen

“The special thing about Jonas as a director is that you can see in his Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Heimatfilm work on the set that he knows what he wants; he has the scenes Production Company corazón international/Hamburg, in co- exactly in his head and isn’t somebody who starts trying things out on production with NDR/Hamburg, in association with Pyramide the set,” observes producer Till Schmerbeck who became aware Productions/Paris, Dorje Film/Rome With backing from of the project after meeting Grosch’s sister Katharina Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Nordmedia, German Wackernagel at the film festival in Biberach. Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) Producers Fatih Akin, Klaus Maeck Commissioning Editor “What I liked was the power of imagination in the screenplay,” Jeanette Wuerl Director Fatih Akin Screenplay Fatih Akin Schmerbeck continues. “The whole of the story is far from being Director of Photography Rainer Klausmann Editor Andrew rooted in reality because there are times when you come to a set Bird Production Design Tamo Kunz Principal Cast Adam location and it gets you wondering a little. But then you see that it can Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Birol Uenel, Pheline Roggan, Anna be done like that and why not. Jonas’ strength lies in risking to tell a Bederke, Dorka Gryllus, Wotan Wilke Moehring Casting Monique story which runs alongside reality.” Akin Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby Digital Shooting Language German Shooting in Hamburg, Bremen, October – As Grosch notes, the female lead of the half-French leftist activist December 2008 German Distributor Pandora Film Ver- Sydelia was written with his sister Katharina Wackernagel in mind, leih/Cologne “but most of the other parts were cast without too much hunting around during the film’s pre-production because I know quite a few World Sales of the people we wanted personally.” The Match Factory GmbH · Michael Weber Balthasarstrasse 79-81 · 50670 Cologne/Germany Thanks to family ties, he managed to obtain the services of his uncle phone +49-2 21-53 97 09 0 · fax +49-2 21-53 97 09 10 and mother Christof and Sabine Wackernagel and had other email: [email protected] parts filled with the likes of Steffen C. Juergens, Devid www.the-match-factory.com Striesow and Fanny Staffa. Originally, there had been plans for Soul Kitchen to be Fatih However, several casting sessions were needed before the actor for Akin’s next feature film after Head-On, “but then we had the success the male lead was found “by pure chance”, as Grosch recalls, with with the Golden Bear [at the 2004 Berlinale] which nobody had Hannes Wegener who appeared as Willy Peter Stoll in Uli Edel’s reckoned with and the project suddenly seemed to be too small,” The Baader Meinhof Complex last year. recalls producer Klaus Maeck.

According to Schmerbeck, whose past producer credits include Iain “We thought that we should either make something for the inter- Dilthey’s Golden Leopard winner The Longing and Steffen Juergens’ national market or a film that was intentionally small. At the time, we feature documentary Der Generalmanager or How To Sell A Tit Wonder, didn’t think that a Hamburg comedy would be the right thing and the film could premiere at the Munich Filmfest in June and be released subsequently it was never the right time or the screenplay was not theatrically in Germany in September to coincide with the election developed enough,” he continues. campaign for the Lower House of the German Parliament and provide a forum for discussion about the “trainee generation.” Fatih kept returning to the project and even considered having another director film his screenplay, but couldn’t think of anyone in MB Germany he could entrust with his ‘baby’.

As Maeck explains: “We soon realized that a comedy is not a small thing” – the film is Akin’s most expensive to date at €4 million – “and is a really difficult genre especially since Fatih wants to make people laugh not only in Hamburg but around the world as well. That’s what

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1 · 2009 29 drove him during the development of the screenplay.”

What’s more, whilst working on the screenplay, Akin was inspired by the changes to the Hamburg suburb of Wilhelmsburg south of the River Elbe. That led him to locate the film’s main setting in the Soul Kitchen restaurant in this quarter. “It is an area which is being developed by the city as an attractive place for artists and students to live. There are lots of canals, little houses and then industrial areas and there’s a very multicultural atmosphere. That exactly captures what Trambow) (photo © 2008 Tom our story is about.”

The film centers on the restaurant owner Zinos (Adam Monica Bleibtreu, Julia Jentsch in “Tannoed” Julia Jentsch in “Tannoed” Monica Bleibtreu, Bousdoukos) who is dogged by bad luck: his girlfriend Nadine (Pheline Roggan) has taken up a new job in faraway Shanghai and he is put out of action by a slipped disc. To make matters worse, his new chef ’s idea of cuisine is frightening the regular guests away. However, the restaurant’s new concept starts attracting a new in- Tannoed crowd. Pining for Nadine, Zinos sets off for Shanghai and entrusts the running of the restaurant with his brother Ilias (Moritz Bleibtreu). Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama, Literature, This proves to be a big mistake as Ilias promptly sells the business to Thriller Production Company Wueste Film West/Cologne, in an estate agent and Zinos finds Nadine already with a new boyfriend co-production with Constantin Film Produktion/Munich, HugoFilm/ in China. Back in Hamburg, Zinos learns that he might have just one Zurich With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, German Federal last chance to get his restaurant back and so pulls out all the stops to Film Fund (DFFF), Zuericher Filmstiftung, Schweizer Fernsehen save Soul Kitchen … Producers Hejo Emons, Stefan Schubert, Ralph Schwingel, Kristina Loebbert Director Bettina Oberli Screenplay Petra Lueschow, “It’s a bit like a ‘Best of ’ album,” Maeck says about the film’s cast. To based on the novel by Andrea Maria Schenkel Director of begin with, there is Adam Bousdoukos, who was in Akin’s first film Photography Stéphane Kuthy Editor Mike Schaerer Short, Sharp Shock and now provided useful tips for Soul Kitchen Production Design Christiane Krumwiede Principal Cast Julia thanks to his second life as a restaurant owner alongside his acting Jentsch, Monica Bleibtreu, Volker Bruch, Filip Peeters, Gundi Ellert, career. Moritz Bleibtreu had previously appeared in lead roles in In July Vitus Zeplichal, Lisa Kreuzer, Brigitte Hobmeier Casting Susanne and Solino, while Birol Uenel and Demir Goekgoel were both Ritter Format 35 mm, color, cs, Dolby Digital SR Ex Shooting in Head-On. Language German Shooting in North Rhine-Westphalia, September – December 2008 German Distributor Constantin “The female parts are cast with new discoveries for us,” Maeck notes. Film Verleih/Munich “Anna Bederke is completely new to cinema, while we got to know Pheline Roggan from our co-production of Chiko, and Dorka World Sales Gryllus was in films like Irina Palm.” The Match Factory GmbH · Michael Weber Balthasarstrasse 79-81 · 50670 Cologne/Germany “We prefer to call the film a Heimatfilm rather than a comedy,” phone +49-2 21-53 97 09 0 · fax +49-2 21-53 97 09 10 Maeck adds. “We are little skeptical about using that term because email: [email protected] comedy can cover so many things. With Heimatfilm, it makes you sit www.the-match-factory.com up because there haven’t been many films in that genre for a long time. We may not be portraying an ideal world like in the films of the 50s, Thrills, chills, murder and general gnarliness are the order of the day but Wilhelmsburg is still like a village where the important things are in Tannoed, Bettina Oberli’s latest cinematic outing after Die family, friendship and solidarity within a small group.” Herbstzeitlosen and Im Nordwind. Here she turns her character-driven directorial eye to the story of Kathrin (Julia Jentsch) who, now MB aged twenty-six, returns to her childhood village where an entire family was brutally murdered at nearby Tannoed Farm. The killer was never found and the further Kathrin delves into the village’s dark secrets, the more she is forced to recognize that the affair has much more to do with her than is welcome …

Based on a true, and unsolved, case in Bavaria, “what makes Tannoed such an unusual and interesting film,” producer Hejo Emons says, “is the depth and density with which it poses the question as to how evil comes into the world. Bettina Oberli’s filmic language, as she showed with Im Nordwind and then in Die Herbstzeitlosen, the most successful Swiss film in the past 35 years, was what led Kristina Loebbert to suggest her, and it’s a great choice!”

Julia Jentsch, the film’s main protagonist, made her film debut along-

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1 · 2009 30 side Juergen Vogel in Zornige Kuesse (2000), but it was in the 2004 The Philip Schultz-Deyle Commissioning Editors Lucas Schmidt, Edukators, in which she played alongside Daniel Bruehl, that her star Anne Even, Barbara Haebe Director Lancelot von Naso began to shine. The tragicomedy launched at Cannes and went on to Screenplay Lancelot von Naso, Kai Uwe Hasenheit, Colin become a critical and box office success across many territories. McMahon Director of Photography Felix Cramer Editor Vincent Assmann Music by Jonas Buehler Production Design In the role of anti-Nazi resistance fighter Sophie Scholl (in Sophie Annette Lofy Principal Cast Thekla Reuten, Matthias Habich, Scholl – The Final Days), Jentsch won the Silver Bear for Best Actress Hannes Jaenicke, Maximilian von Pufendorf, Husam Chadat Casting at the Berlinale, as well as the German Film Award and the European Uwe Buenker Casting Format 16 mm, color, 1:1.85, Dolby Film Award 2005 for Best Actress. Shooting Language German Shooting in Morocco, Berlin, October – November 2008, February 2009 German Distributor “Julia is a great actress,” Emons affirms. “She has the characteristics Falcom Media/Wintherthur we wanted but downplays her performance, relying instead on a very strong internal dramatic. That’s important because we grab you at the World Sales beginning and don’t let go. The audience experiences five murders Beta Cinema / Dept. of Beta Film GmbH and there is the constant fear there could be more to come.” Andreas Rothbauer Gruenwalder Weg 28 d · 82041 Oberhaching/Germany Monica Bleibtreu is, likewise, a praised actress. Her trophy ca- phone +49-89-67 34 69 80 · fax +49-89-6 73 46 98 88 binet contains, among others, the 2002 Grimme Award and Bavarian email: [email protected] Television Award for her portrayal of Katja Mann in Heinrich www.betacinema.com Breloer’s Die Manns – ein Jahrhundertroman, the 2005 German Tele- vision Award for Best Actress in Marias letzte Reise, and she also The inspiration for the feature debut Waffenstillstand picked up acting honors for the drama Four Minutes (the Bavarian Film (“Ceasefire”) by the Munich University of Television & Film (HFF) gra- Award 2006 and the German Film Award 2007). duate Lancelot von Naso came after the 32-year-old filmmaker read an article in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper about the Doesn’t anyone at Wueste Film ever take a break? Go on holiday? experiences of a woman aid worker risking her life like many of her It seems not! Because this is yet another one of theirs, albeit from the colleagues to bring humanitarian aid to the people in Iraq in 2004. cousins in Cologne, as opposed to their main hideout in Hamburg. Not that geography matters, because producers Stefan Schubert As preparation for the screenplay for Waffenstillstand, which is and Ralph Schwingel knew what they were doing when they link- inspired by the 2004 siege of the rebel stronghold Falluja by American ed fortunes with Cologne publisher Hejo Emons. Producer Kristina forces, von Naso and his co-authors Kai Uwe Hasenheit and Loebbert joined the company in autumn 2003. Colin McMahon conducted many conversations with journalists and NGOs working in Iraq. They included Thomas Etzler, one of the Wueste Film West’s previous credits include Fatih Akin’s Solino, Sven very few Western journalists who reported from war-torn Falluja for Taddicken’s Emma’s Bliss and, most recently, To Faro by Nana Neul. CNN in April 2004, and Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Mansur, who was the last journalist to hold out for two weeks in the encircled city, as well as an SK ambassador based in Baghdad who had shot videos of the hostilities.

Moreover, co-author McMahon could draw on his experiences as a war reporter in Kosovo and an intimate knowledge of the workings of the American Army as a German-American.

“The idea with this film is to present a perspective which you don’t normally think about when you watch the nightly news from Iraq because you don’t know what is behind the news reports,” says pro- (photo courtesy of DRIFE) ducer Florian Deyle of Munich-based DRIFE Deyle & Scene from “Waffenstillstand” Scene from Richter Filmproduktion.

“Moreover, we are not aware of the fact that there are many people from Europe who are working in this region and risking their lives on a daily basis. The aim of this film is to raise our awareness about the situation in Iraq.”

When the film opens, the official war in Iraq is over, but day-to-day Waffenstillstand life is a never-ending catastrophe. In Falluja there is hardly any food and no medicine, and medical care is in shambles. In the midst of this Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama Pro- dramatic situation, the US forces reach an agreement for a 24-hour duction Company DRIFE Deyle & Richter Filmpro- ceasefire with the rebels, and so Kim (Thekla Reuten), the Dutch duktion/Munich, in co-production with DCM Mitte Pro- member of an international aid organization, plans a transport of ductions/Berlin, ERFTTAL Film, ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel/Mainz, badly needed supplies to a hospital in the war zone with French doc- in cooperation with ARTE/Strasbourg With backing from tor Alain (Matthias Habich). Helping them out is Oliver German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), (Maximilian von Pufendorf), a young German journalist who FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Producers Florian Deyle, Martin Richter, hopes to finally get a good story. The three very different idealists

german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 31 form a community of conflicting interests who all want to save lives, but suddenly they have to fight for their own.

“Putting the finance together was a big challenge for a film on such a subject, and then a debut film at that,” Deyle’s partner Martin Richter recalls. “The budget consists of many different fragments and Lucas Schmidt at ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel committed very early on and then brought ARTE onboard.” Scene from “Zarte Parasiten” Scene from

The project also attracted Dario Suter’s DCM Mitte Productions and ERFTTAL Film as co-producers, with funding from FFF Bayern, the (photo © RheinFilm/Stefan Behrens) German Federal Film Board and the German Federal Film Fund, Falcom Media as German theatrical distributor and Beta Cinema handling international sales.

“Finding the cast did not pose a problem because everyone we approached was impressed by the power of the screenplay,” Deyle Zarte Parasiten continues, although there had to be some recasting after principal photography was rescheduled at the last minute from early 2008 to Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama, Love Story the autumn. Production Company RheinFilm/Cologne With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, WDR Producer Juliane Thevissen The lead roles were taken by Dutch actress Thekla Reuten, whose Directors Christian Becker, Oliver Schwabe Screenplay credits include Twin Sisters and In Bruges, Matthias Habich (Nowhere in Christian Becker, Oliver Schwabe Director of Photography Africa, Downfall), Hannes Jaenicke (Lost Treasure), Maximilian Oliver Schwabe Editor Christian Becker Music by Aurelio Valle von Pufendorf (Buddenbrooks) and Husam Chadat (Just Get Production Design Katja Schloemer Principal Cast Robert Married). Stadlober, Sylvester Groth, Maja Schoene, Corinna Kirchhoff Casting Susanne Ritter Format S 16 mm, color, blow-up to 35 “Another challenge on this production, apart from closing the financing, mm, 1:1.85, Dolby SR Shooting Language German Shooting was the weather during the shoot,” Richter explains. “Just as we were in Cologne, Bonn and surroundings, Belgium, September – October shooting on the edge of the desert in Erfoud, it began raining for the 2008 first time in seven years. Everything was underwater because the desert can’t cope so quickly with so much water. That meant we had Contact to think on our feet each day and be flexible.” RheinFilm GmbH · Juliane Thevissen Thuermchenswall 57 · 50668 Cologne/Germany In addition, the shoot was held up at one point because members of phone +49-2 21-1 30 56 60 · fax +49-2 21-13 05 66 18 the cast and crew were stricken down with illness, so that the team email: [email protected] · www.rheinfilm.com plans to return to Morocco for a final six days of filming in February before post-production goes into full swing in Munich and Berlin. Zarte Parasiten (“Tender Parasites”) relates the love story of Manu and Jakob, as played by Robert Stadlober and Maja There were also a couple of days shooting in Germany in December, Schoene. The two of them view themselves as “human service pro- which featured five extras selected from over 600 entries to a casting viders”: they earn their money by fulfilling people’s emotional needs. competition run by the production’s media partner rtv magazine. The But their relationship becomes derailed when Jakob assumes the role five lucky finalists played journalists in a scene of a press conference of a family’s deceased son and, in so doing, becomes increasingly filmed in Berlin. distanced from Manu.

Waffenstillstand marks yet another collaboration for DRIFE with “It’s important to see Manu and Jakob in the sense of offering a von Naso since they have produced all of his shorts and commercials symbiotic relationship,” says producer Juliane Thevissen. since his film school days, save for one film. The feature debut is also “They’re two people who have chosen a very unusual lifestyle. They the young company’s biggest project to date and follows the 2007 seek out people who have emotional need of their services, for which success with Ralf Westhoff ’s comedy Shoppen. they are paid and welcomed by their clients.”

MB The film marks the latest outing by the directorial duo of Christian Becker and Oliver Schwabe, who scored major points with their jointly written and directed debut, Egoshooter.

In a slightly earlier life, Becker made the short Viene del cielo, which he filmed in Cuba and which went on to take the top award at the Dresden film festival. Schwabe, for his part, did the camerawork on Jan Krueger’s short The Whiz Kids, which won a Silver Lion at the Venice film festival in 2001.

In what could almost be a film within a film, “I met the two on the

german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 32 train to Locarno,” Thevissen explains. “They were on their way with Egoshooter. We talked, swapped stories and developed Zarte Parasiten together.”

What was it like working with the duo? Here, Thevissen has nothing but praise. “It was dangerously harmonic! I’ve not always had good experience with teams, but they work hand in hand, there was nothing negative, it was all constructive and great fun, for cast as well Kinski in “Zimmer” Nikolai as crew. It was an unusually happy project.”

Thevissen’s previous credits include line producing Thomas Vinterberg’s Dear Wendy, production manager on Sergei Bodrov’s

Bear’s Kiss, line producing The Tenth Summer and production managing (photo © Zum Goldenen Lamm/Alex Garbe) the German hit Lammbock. In 2003 she and Stefan Jakob assumed the reins at RheinFilm.

Robert Stadlober (Jakob) achieved big screen recognition playing Zimmer Wuschel in Leander Haussmann’s Sun Alley, a status he cemented with his performance in Benjamin Lebert’s Crazy. His other film credits Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Psycho- include Play It Loud!, Summer Storm, and Berlin by the Sea. His latest Thriller Production Company Zum Goldenen Lamm Film- outing is Krabat. Stadlober is also equally at home on television and produktion/Ludwigsburg, in co-production with Starhaus/Munich, the stage. His accolades include the Best Actor award at the Montreal Kasbah Films/Tangier With backing from MFG Baden- film festival 2002 (for Engel & Joe), the German Video Award 2000 Wuerttemberg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film and the Bavarian Film Award 2000, both for Best Male Newcomer Fund (DFFF), BKM Producers Ruediger Heinze, Karim Debbagh, for Crazy. In 2005 he won the Undine Award for Best Leading Actor Rainer Koelmel Director Michael Dreher Screenplay Michael (Summer Storm) and in 2007 he garnered the Undine Award for Best Dreher Director of Photography Ian Blumers Editor Young Actor TV-Movie for Peer Gynt. Wolfgang Weigel Production Design Anne Schlaich Principal Cast Nikolai Kinski, Katharina Schuettler, Judith Engel, Matthias Maja Schoene (whose surname just happens to mean beautiful in Matschke Casting Daniela Tolkien Format 35 mm, color, cs, English) trained for the theater in Bochum and also made a name for Dolby Digital Shooting Languages German, English herself with various television performances, such as in Rainer Shooting in Tangier (Morocco), Stuttgart, November 2008, Matsutani’s Tatort: Offene Rechnung, and episodes of Der Dicke and January – February 2009 German Distributor Kinowelt Polizeiruf 110. Her cinema credits include Andreas Schimmelbusch’s Filmverleih/Leipzig Aller Tage Abend and Marc Schlichter’s Cowgirl. Her latest big screen performance can be admired in Heinrich Breloer’s Buddenbrooks film. World Sales Kinowelt International GmbH “We had such luck with this cast,” Thevissen says. “Robert Stadlober Karl-Tauchnitz-Strasse 10 · 04107 Leipzig/Germany was with us from the treatment stage. Sylvester Groth, as the phone +49-3 41-35 59 60 · fax +49-3 41-35 59 64 19 grieving father, is excellent, as is Maja Schoene. We needed actors email: [email protected] who could portray this organic and dynamic situation; how does a www.kinowelt-international.de family deal with such grief? And we got them! We had a great team and I’m very happy.” The 28-year-old German-American Daniel moves into his dead grandmother’s flat. The neighbors – an appropriately weird bunch SK inhabiting a once grand but now down-at-heel building (as befits a psycho-thriller) – soon awake his memory of a past crime. Especially the room at the end of the hall exerts an increasing pull on him.

The second part of the film tells Daniel’s story in flashbacks. He has separated from his wife and takes some time out in Tangiers, where he meets a prostitute with whom he forms a relationship. Soon, she and her young son move into his holiday home. But then Daniel brings home an Austrian who subsequently murders the boy. Amazingly, the killer wheedles himself out of the situation and escapes. Daniel’s values system and perception of the world are shattered, and so it comes, together with his awakening sense of guilt, to a third act catastrophe.

“Zimmer (“Rooms”) is a psycho-thriller, which draws its thrill from the interplay of the two narrative levels,” producer Ruediger Heinze explains. “Things, which are implied on one level play out in the other. The dramaturgy is a spiral, the ends of which steer inex- orably towards catastrophe. The whole thing lies with Daniel, a

german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 33 modern figure who, like many of his generation, finds himself search- ing for his own roots and values in a world increasingly without ori-

entation.” Ent/ Bros. /Britta Krehl) /Britta Krehl) Director and screenplay author Michael Dreher draws inspiration for Zimmer from Polanski’s The Tenant, Hitchcock’s Rear Window Meter Ohne Kopf ” and Inárritu’s Amores Perros. As in those films, “the narrative perspective is the central point. If the present is narrated from Daniel’s Film Wueste perspective, subjectively, the perspective in the past is objective. The rootless German-American is trapped in his thoughts and perceptions (photo © 2009 Warner and due to the subjective narrative, the viewer is too. My aim is to

lead the viewer and then, with the final scene of the film, to turn On the set of “Zwoelf things so that he then recognizes the true relationships.”

Nikolai Kinski, who plays Daniel, found the character of a man who is caught between all stools and is wrecked by his own power- lessness, to be tailor made. In addition to which, Kinski is able to Zwoelf Meter speak German with an American inflection. This permanent auditory evidence of his rootlessness, his lack of a “Heimat” as Germans Ohne Kopf would say, was invaluable to understanding the character. Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Action/Adventure, And co-star Katharina Schuettler has put in many a stunning Comedy, History Production Company Wueste Film/Hamburg, performance and is a proud holder of the Foerderpreis junger in co-production with Warner Bros. Entertainment/Hamburg, deutscher Film and was voted the Theater heute Actress of the Year Magnolia Filmproduktion/Hamburg With backing from German 2006. Federal Film Board (FFA), Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig- Holstein, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) Producers Stefan SK Schubert, Ralph Schwingel, Bjoern Vosgerau Director Sven Taddicken Screenplay Matthias Pacht, based on a story by Matthias Pacht & Sven Taddicken Director of Photography Daniela Knapp Editor Andreas Wodraschke Production Design Peter Menne Principal Cast Matthias Schweighoefer, Ronald Zehrfeld, Devid Striesow, Hinnerk Schoenemann, Franziska Wulf, Jana Pallaske Casting Simone Baer Format 35 mm, color, cs, Dolby Digital SR Ex Shooting Language German Shooting in Schleswig- Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Denmark, September – November 2008 German Distributor Warner Bros. Entertainment/Hamburg

World Sales The Match Factory GmbH · Michael Weber Balthasarstrasse 79-81 · 50670 Cologne/Germany phone +49-2 21-53 97 09 0 · fax +49-2 21-53 97 09 10 email: [email protected] www.the-match-factory.com

It’s not exactly the Caribbean, but the Baltic’s still wet enough, and you do have to go way further back in history, but Germany also had its pirates, none more piratical and timber shivering than Klaus Stoertebeker.

As always, separating fact from myth and legend is far from easy, but we know Stoertebeker was the leader of a band of privateers originally hired during a war between Denmark and Sweden. After the end of the war, the ‘Brothers’, having found a very good thing, continued to capture merchant vessels, but this time on their own account.

Not surprisingly, the Hanseatic League (a 15th century forerunner of today’s multinationals) didn’t take kindly to this, sent a fleet, captured Stoertebeker and his crew, brought them to Hamburg, tried and sentenced them to death.

german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 34 Legend has it that Stoertebeker asked the mayor to free as many of reproduced with love for detail, the language, characters, their con- his men as he could walk past after being beheaded. The request was flicts and, for example, also the music will be very modern. We’re allegedly granted, whereupon Stoertebeker’s headless body walked aiming more for a Trainspotting-feel than warmed-over history, if you past twelve of them, hence the film’s certainly unique title: Zwoelf get what I mean.” Meter Ohne Kopf (“13 Paces Without a Head”). With the buccaneering boys (Stefan Schubert, Ralph So heave-ho, me hearties, for it’s East Friesland in 1401: the era of Schwingel, Bjoern Vosgerau) of Wueste Film, writer-director feared privateers and best friends Klaus Stoertebeker and Goedeke Sven Taddicken (Emma’s Bliss, 2006) at the helm and Ronald Michels is coming to an end. Stoertebeker, severely wounded in Zehrfeld (The Red Cockatoo) as Stoertebeker and Matthias battle, now has serious doubts about life as a pirate. But when he and Schweighoefer (swapping the skies of The Red Baron for the seven Michels stumble upon a secret weapon, which makes them un- seas) as fellow pirate Goedeke Michels, this new interpretation of the beatable, a new, golden era of bounteous booty begins. Things go Stoertebeker myth promises a yo-ho-ho historic adventure with well on land, too: Klaus woos the pretty Bille and Michels tries to win humor, verve and a pinch of melancholy. Well, the hero does die at Okka. But the Hanseatic League is after them and the two are forced the end, after all. to decide: to live as farmers or die as pirates! SK “Although 13 Paces is set in the past,” producer Bjoern Vosgerau says, “with the props and costumes historically very accurate and GmbH worldwide transport solutions Int. Medienspedition FILMTRANSPORTS . FIRST CLASS SERVICE ! AIRFREIGHT WORLDWIDE: EXPORT . IMPORT . WAREHOUSE INTERNATIONAL COURIERSERVICE: WORLDWIDE „DOOR TO DOOR“ TRUCKING SERVICE . OVERNIGHT FESTIVALS . FILMPRODUCTION-HANDLING

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german films quarterly in production

1 · 2009 35 24h Berlin – Ein Tag im Leben 24H BERLIN – A DAY IN THE LIFE “24h Berlin” (photo © Ostkreuz/zero one film)“24h Berlin” (photo © Ostkreuz/zero

24h Berlin portrays a day in the life of one of the most Genre Culture, Society, City Portrait Category Documentary loved European metropolises, 20 years after the Wall TV, Mini Series Year of Production 2009 Screenplay Volker came down. One whole day in the life of a city and its Heise Editors Annette Muff, Wolfram Koehler, Rudi Zieglmeier inhabitants experienced and shot, by professionals and Music by Maurus Ronner, Thomas Fehlmann Producer Thomas amateurs, planned and spontaneous. One year later Kufus Production Company zero one film/Berlin, in co-pro- broadcast on TV – again for 24 hours, without inter- duction with RBB/Potsdam-Babelsberg, ARTE/Strasbourg, in co- ruption, in conjunction with a website, events and a digi- operation with YLE TEEMA/Helsinki, Channel 8/Tel Aviv Length tal archive for the future: on September 5th 2009 the 24 hours, 90 min, 6 x 60 min Format HD, color Original world watches Berlin going about its daily life. Version German Subtitled Versions French, English Sound Technology Stereo With backing from Medienboard Berlin- 24h Berlin is a unique concept. Bringing together 70 of Brandenburg, Capital Cultural Fund Berlin, DEFA Foundation the country’s most talented directors on one day in one city: among them established artists like Romuald Volker Heise is a director, author and script editor of documen- Karmakar, Volker Koepp, Rosa von Praunheim, Andres tary series and films. His directorial debut, Black Forest House Veiel and Thomas Heise as well as talented newcomers. 1902 (Schwarzwaldhaus 1902), won the Adolf Grimme Every single one of them contributing his or her very own Award in 2003. For more than ten years, he has been developing approach, style and point of view. Each of them working new documentary formats together with producer Thomas Kufus. in the same framework to create a kaleidoscopic, living, Together, they have created many documentary series, as well as mega-portrait of a unique time in a unique place. documentaries for theatrical release.

World Sales Celluloid Dreams · Hengameh Panahi 2, rue Turgot · 75009 Paris/France phone +33-1-49 70 03 70 · fax +33-1-49 70 03 71 email: [email protected] · www.celluloid-dreams.com german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 36 Alle Anderen EVERYONE ELSE Scene from “Everyone Else” (photo © Komplizen Film 2008) “Everyone Else” (photo Scene from © Komplizen

An uneven couple is struggling through a holiday in Parplies Production Design Silke Fischer Producers Janine secluded togetherness: Chris and Gitti enjoy themselves in Jackowski, Dirk Engelhardt, Maren Ade Production Company their secret rituals, silly habits, unfulfilled desires and Komplizen Film/Munich, in co-production with SWR/Baden-Baden, power struggles. The encounter with another couple leads WDR/Cologne, in cooperation with ARTE/Strasbourg Principal their relationship to falter. The others are not only more Cast Birgit Minichmayr, Lars Eidinger, Nicole Marischka, Hans- successful, they are also more adept at maintaining a Jochen Wagner Length 119 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 conventional male-female relationship behind a modern Original Version German Subtitled Version English Sound façade. Chris starts to model himself upon them, attempt- Technology Dolby Digital 5.1 Festival Screenings Berlin ing to enforce boundaries on his idiosyncratic girlfriend. 2009 (In Competition) With backing from BKM, German This shakes Gitti’s faith in him. Her attempt to conform to Federal Film Board (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Kuratorium his new ideal goes from being a daring flirtation with a junger deutscher Film, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German new role to become a silent war against herself. While Federal Film Fund (DFFF) German Distributor Prokino Chris blossoms in the role of the strong one and opens Filmverleih/Munich towards Gitti in a new way, Gitti is in danger of losing herself. Maren Ade studied at the University of Television & Film in Munich. Her films include: the shorts Ebene 9 (2000), Vegas Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Pro- (2001), her first feature The Forest for the Trees (Der duction 2009 Director Maren Ade Screenplay Maren Ade Wald vor lauter Baeumen, 2003) and Everyone Else Director of Photography Bernhard Keller Editor Heike (Alle Anderen, 2009).

World Sales Bavaria Film International / Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH · Thorsten Ritter Bavariafilmplatz 7 · 82031 Geiselgasteig/Germany phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20 email: [email protected] · www.bavaria-film-international.com german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 37 Der Architekt THE ARCHITECT Scene from “The Architect” (photo © Reverse “The Architect” Angle)Scene from

The successful Hamburg architect Georg Winter, his wife Hueller Casting Simone Baer Length 92 min Format 35 mm, and their two grown-up children travel to attend Georg’s color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled Version mother’s funeral in a snowy mountain village where he English Sound Technology Dolby SR Festival Screenings grew up as a child. Hof 2008, Ophuels Festival Saarbruecken 2009, Rotterdam 2009, Berlin 2009 (German Cinema) With backing from Film- At the funeral the mysterious Hannah and her son Alex foerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Cine Tirol, German suddenly appear. She unearths a truth which drags the Federal Film Fund (DFFF), German Federal Film Board (FFA) family into a vortex of desires and confusion. When a German Distributor Reverse Angle Pictures/Hamburg snow avalanche cuts the village off from the outside world, there’s no escape … Ina Weisse was born in Berlin. After completing her acting education at the renowned Otto Falkenberg Drama School in Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Pro- Munich, she performed at theaters including the Kammerspiele in duction 2008 Director Ina Weisse Screenplay Ina Weisse, Munich, the Mannheim Nationaltheater and the Hans Otto Theater Daphne Charizani Director of Photography Carl-Friedrich in Potsdam. She also had roles in numerous films and TV movies, Koschnick Editor Andreas Wodraschke Music by Annette Focks including Nichts als Gespenster, Schneeland, Sams in Gefahr and Duell Production Design Susann Bieling Producer Peter in der Nacht. She also studied Philosophy in Heidelberg and Schwartzkopff Production Company Reverse Angle Pro- Directing in Hamburg. Her films as a director include: the shorts duction/Hamburg, in co-production with NDR/Hamburg, Reverse Luenow (1999), Sonntags (2000), Klara (2001), the award- Angle International/Hamburg Principal Cast Josef Bierbichler, winning Alles Anders (2002), and her feature debut Der Hilde van Mieghem, Matthias Schweighoefer, Sophie Rois, Sandra Architekt (2008).

World Sales (please contact) Reverse Angle Production · Vera Kehlenbrink Am Kaiserkai 10 · 20457 Hamburg/Germany phone +49-40-80 81 82 83 · fax +49-40-80 81 82 84 email: [email protected] · www.reverse-angle.com german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 38 Deutschland 09 GERMANY 09 Scene from “GermanyScene from 09” (photo © Herbstfilm GmbH 2009) Produktion

More than 60 years after the end of World War II, 40 Wilutzky, Verena Rahmig Commissioning Editors Doris J. years after the student uprisings of 1968, 30 years after Heinze, Eric Friedler Production Company Herbstfilm the “German Autumn” in 1977, 20 years after the fall of Produktion/Berlin, in co-production with NDR/Hamburg, in co- the inner German border in 1989, and right in the middle operation with ARTE/Strasbourg Length 140 min Format 35 of the social upheaval brought about by the “Agenda mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled 2010” on the path to the globalized world of the 21st cen- Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival tury, a group of German film directors come together to Screenings Berlin 2009 (Out of Competition) With backing create a film panorama depicting the social and political from Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, situation in present-day Germany, based on each of their German Federal Film Board (FFA), Filmfoerderung Hamburg personal perspectives. Schleswig-Holstein, BKM, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) German Distributor Piffl Medien/Berlin Director and co-initiator Tom Tykwer says about the project: “The film Germany 09 combines around a dozen Free to choose the format and content, each of the participating individual film sequences that depict how we experience directors presents his or her personal interpretation and filmic our country today and how we position ourselves, what portrayal of how they perceive Germany today. The sequences, binds us, and where we are lead astray in this nation.” abstract or concrete, range from short film to documentary, from essayistic to experimental. The filmmakers are (in alphabetical Genre Omnibus Film, Society Category Semi-Fictional Docu- order) Fatih Akin, Wolfgang Becker, Sylke Enders, mentary, Fiction, Feature Film Cinema Year of Production Dominik Graf, Christoph Hochhaeusler, Romuald 2009 Directors Fatih Akin, Wolfgang Becker, Sylke Enders, Karmakar, Nicolette Krebitz, Dani Levy, Angela Dominik Graf, Christoph Hochhaeusler, Romuald Karmakar, Schanelec, Hans Steinbichler, Isabelle Stever, Tom Nicolette Krebitz, Dani Levy, Angela Schanelec, Hans Steinbichler, Tykwer and Hans Weingartner. Isabelle Stever, Tom Tykwer, Hans Weingartner Producer Dirk

World Sales The Match Factory GmbH · Michael Weber Balthasarstrasse 79-81 · 50670 Cologne/Germany phone +49-2 21-5 39 70 90 · fax +49-2 21-5 39 70 910 email: [email protected] · www.the-match-factory.com german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 39 Deutschland nervt MADE IN DEUTSCHLAND Scene from “Made in Deutschland” Scene from (photo © COIN FILM/Johann (Frido) Feindt) FILM/Johann (Frido) Feindt) (photo © COIN

What is going on in Germany? Is Germany really a pain in Hans-Erich Viet was born in East Friesland in 1953. He studied the neck? And if so, why? In this documentary road-movie Philosophy, Politics and Sociology of Art in Berlin and Belfast, shot between 2005 and 2008, director Hans-Erich Viet followed by studies at the German Film & Television Academy in travels through Germany to find out just how the German Berlin (dffb). A selection of his films includes: Karniggel (1991) in soul ticks. The journey took place without any concrete co-direction with Detlev Buck, Frankie, Jonny and the planed destinations, but rather was determined through others (Frankie, Jonny und die anderen, 1993), Die the events that took place and offers answers to all the rote Hand von Ulster (documentary, 1996/1997), Hostage moaning and groaning going on in Germany today. Flight to Paradise (Geiselfahrt ins Paradies, 1997), Schlange auf dem Altar (1998), Milk and Honey from Genre Road Movie, Contemporary Society Category Rotfront (Milch und Honig aus Rotfront, 2000), Documentary Cinema Year of Production 2009 Director Traumfrau mit Verspaetung (TV, 2001), several episodes of Hans-Erich Viet Screenplay Hans-Erich Viet Director of the TV series Polizeiruf, and Made in Deutschland (Deutsch- Photography Johann (Frido) Feindt Editor Anne Fabini land nervt, 2009). Producer Herbert Schwering Production Company COIN FILM/Cologne, in co-production with Viet Filmproduktion/Berlin Length 103 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, BKM, Nordmedia German Distributor COIN FILM/Cologne

World Sales (please contact) COIN FILM GmbH · Christine Kiauk Breite Strasse 118-120 · 50667 Cologne/Germany phone +49-2 21-32 20 53 · fax +49-2 21-32 20 54 email: [email protected] · www.coin-film.de german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 40 Distanz DISTANCE Scene from “Distance” (photo Scene from © Grand Hotel Pictures)

Distance tells an existential story of violence and love Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of which equally disturbs and touches through its uncon- Production 2008 Director Thomas Sieben Screenplay ditional nature. Thomas Sieben Director of Photography René Dame Editor Charlie Lézin Music by Eckart Gadow Production Living in seclusion from the rest of the world, Daniel Design Daniel von Volckamer Producers Norbert Kneissl, Ken Bauer goes about his job as a gardener in the botanical Duken Production Company Grand Hotel Pictures/Berlin, in gardens. A rather inconspicuous young man who, how- co-production with Stegenwalner Media Investor/Berlin Principal ever, regularly breaks out of his motionless daily routine Cast Ken Duken, Franziska Weisz, Josef Heynert Casting Suse and commits indiscriminate acts of violence. Marquardt Besetzungsbuero/Berlin Length 84 min Format DVCPro HD, color, 1:1.78 Original Version German When he gets to know Jana, a forlorn young woman, a Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR tentative relationship develops between the two foreign Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 (Perspectives German bodies. She sees everything in the shy Daniel that she Cinema) always wanted from a man. Thomas Sieben was born in 1976 in Cologne and studied But even Jana’s love can’t keep Daniel away from his acts Political Science in Muenster, followed by Film and Photography of violence and soon the situation escalates. Studies at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. From 1999-2001 he worked as a producer and editor for various production companies in Munich. He currently works as a freelance journalist, screenwriter and director in Berlin. His films include: Hit and Run (short, 2002) and Distance (2008).

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1 · 2009 41 Dorfpunks Scene from “Dorfpunks” Scene from (photo © Schramm Film/Julia von Vietinghoff)

It’s the summer of 1984 in Schmalenstedt, right in the Version German Subtitled Version English Sound middle of Holsteinische Schweiz, the “little Switzerland” Technology Dolby Digital 5.1 Festival Screenings Berlin of Holstein on the coast of the Baltic Sea. 17-year-old 2009 (Perspectives German Cinema) With backing from Malte Ahrens, who goes by the name of “Roddy German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund Dangerblood”, lives with his leftwing parents in a farm- (DFFF), Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Medienboard house, is in the middle of his ceramics apprenticeship and Berlin-Brandenburg, BKM German Distributor Piffl Medien/ has just discovered “punk”, which has finally made its way, Berlin with some delay, to Schmalenstedt. Through friendship, love and alcohol, Roddy is in search of the perfect music. Lars Jessen was born in 1969 in Kiel and studied History, Politics and Philosophy in Cologne, followed by Film and Television at the Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Pro- Academy of Media Arts Cologne. A selection of his films includes: duction 2009 Director Lars Jessen Screenplay Norbert Dunkles Land am Meeresstrand (short, 1989), Not an Eberlein Director of Photography Michael Toetter Editor Inch (documentary, 1992), FlughafenWahn (documentary, Sebastian Schultz Music by Jakob Ilja Production Design 1995), Luebke – In Search of the President of the Dorle Bahlburg Producers Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Federal Republic Heinrich Luebke (TV, 1997), numerous Weber Production Company Schramm Film Koerner + episodes of the series Die Wache (1998-1999), Titanic TV (TV, Weber/Berlin, in co-production with NDR/Hamburg Principal 1999), Grossstadtrevier, Aus gutem Haus, and Soko Wismar (2000- Cast Cecil von Renner, Ole Fischer, Pit Bukowski, Daniel Michel, 2003), The Day Bobby Ewing Died (Am Tag als Bobby Samuel Auer, Laszlo Horwitz, Axel Prahl Casting Gitta Uhlig Ewing starb, 2005), Sheep and Chips (Die Schimmel- Length 93 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original reiter, 2008), and Dorfpunks (2009).

1 · 2009 42 Effi Briest Scene from “EffiScene from Briest” (photo © Constantin Film Produktion)

At her parents’ urging, Effi Briest, a free-spirited 17-year- Brandenburg, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), FilmFernsehFonds old girl, marries Baron von Innstetten, nearly 20 years her Bayern, German Federal Film Board (FFA), Filmfoerderung senior – and a former admirer of Effi’s mother. The arrang- Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein German Distributor Constantin ed marriage spells the beginning of a monotonous exis- Film Verleih/Munich tence for Effi far away from her hometown: Innstetten is entirely pre-occupied with his political career and the Hermine Huntgeburth was born in Paderborn as one of nine sleepy artist town of Kessin on the Baltic Sea shore offers siblings in a family of doctors. She began studying Film at the little excitement. That is until Major Crampas arrives – one Hamburger Hochschule fuer Bildende Kuenste in 1977. With a of Innstetten’s military comrades and a charming scholarship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in womanizer. Effi starts a passionate affair with him and 1983, she continued her film studies in Sydney. After working on a finally discovers what love is. But it comes at a steep price: few short films and documentary films, she was awarded the The affair proves fatal for Crampas. Effi, on the other hand German Film Award in Gold for Best New Director in 1991 for her (unlike in Fontane’s novel) deals with the consequences of directorial feature film debut Im Kreis der Lieben. Television her decisions and embarks on a new chapter in her life … films such as Ein falscher Schritt (1994), Gefaehrliche Freundin (1996), Und alles wegen Mama (1998), Der Genre Drama, Literature Category Feature Film Cinema Year Hahn ist Tot (1999) and Die Stunde des Wolfs (1999) of Production 2008 Director Hermine Huntgeburth followed. Her TV movie Romeo earned the prestigious Adolf Screenplay Volker Einrauch Director of Photography Grimme Award. Among more recent television projects are Eva Martin Langer Editor Eva Schnare Music by Johan Soederqvist Blond und der Zwerg im Schliessfach (2003) and Der Production Design Thomas Freudenthal Producer Guenter Boxer und die Friseuse (2004), which won the 2005 German Rohrbach Production Company Constantin Film Produktion/ Television Award for Best Director. Her two-part TV series Munich Principal Cast Julia Jentsch, Sebastian Koch, Misel Teufelsbraten, based on Ulla Hahn’s novel, was awarded the Maticevic, Juliane Koehler, Thomas Thieme Casting Simone Baer VFF TV Movie Award at the 2007 Munich Film Festival and the Length 117 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Version Bavarian TV Award for Best Director. Her most recent TV project German Subtitled Version English Sound Technology was Koras Hochzeit. Among her feature film credits are popu- Dolby Surround 5.1 Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 (Berlinale lar hits such as Trio (1998), Bibi Blocksberg (2002), and most Special Gala) With backing from Medienboard Berlin- recently, The White Masai (2005).

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1 · 2009 43 Die Geduldeten WE CAME, WE STAYED, WE GOT DEPORTED (photo © Ralf Jesse/Tof Intermedia) Scene from “We Came, We Stayed, We Got Deported” Stayed, We Came, We “We Scene from

The United Nations estimate the number of children re- Genre Society Category Documentary TV Year of Pro- fugees at about 12-13 million worldwide. 3-4 % of these duction 2008 Directors Natascha Breuers, Ralf Jesse children have either lost their parents or have to live Screenplay Natascha Breuers, Ralf Jesse Directors of separated from them. The technical term for these chil- Photography Natascha Breuers, Ralf Jesse Editor Kawe Vakil dren without parents or relatives is “separated children”. Producer Benno Friebe Production Company Tof Inter- About 100,000 of these children live in Europe, about five media/Cologne, in co-production with ARTE/Strasbourg, WDR/ to ten thousand in Germany. We Came, We Stayed, We Cologne Length 98 min Format DV PAL, color, 16:9 Original Got Deported tells some of their stories. For two years, Version German Subtitled Version English Sound the directors filmed their fate and fortune in Germany. Technology Mono Festival Screenings Kassel Documentary Festival 2008 With backing from Kulturstiftung des Bundes The stories of all these children are either fantastic or nightmarish. They all share the experience of being cast Natascha Breuers was born in 1969 and studied German from their home into a world where everything is foreign: Philology, Ethnology and Education in Cologne. Since 1989, she has people, skin colors, language, manners, food, landscapes, been working as a freelance director and journalist for various pub- weather, culture. And they all have to learn that it’s not lications and broadcasters. only the weather which is chilly in Germany. They are all children, however, and they all have no other option than Ralf Jesse was born in 1965 and studied Philosophy, Theater, to cope with their situation and to integrate into a society Film, Television and English in Cologne. He works as a freelance which does not exactly welcome them. The film is about director, producer, writer, and cinematographer for various publica- the children’s efforts towards integration as well as about tions, institutions and broadcasters. the obstacles which constrain them.

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1 · 2009 44 Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar (photo © Concorde Filmverleih/C.A.(photo Rieger) © Concorde Scene from “Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar” “Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar” Scene from

Boanlkramer (aka Death) hasn’t had such a difficult ‘client’ Genre Comedy, Drama, Family, Tragicomedy Category Feature in long time! For over a thousand years, he’s been traipsing Film Cinema Year of Production 2008 Director Joseph through Bavaria, picking up his fellow countrymen to bring Vilsmaier Screenplay Klaus Richter Director of Photog- them to ‘paradise’. But then he happens upon the stubborn raphy Joerg Widmer Editor Uli Schoen Music by Chris Heyne Brandner Kaspar. Production Design Gudrun Schretzmeier Producers Joseph Vilsmaier, Markus Zimmer Production Company Clasart Brandner Kaspar definitely does not want to be taken off Film/Munich, in co-production with Perathon Film/Munich to all eternity just yet. No, no, he is 69, way too young to Principal Cast Franz Xaver Kroetz, Michael “Bully” Herbig, Lisa leave now. Boanlkramer tries all his tricks to get Brandner Maria Potthoff, Peter Ketnath, Sebastian Bezzel, Detlev Buck Kaspar to change his mind, but nothing works. Then Length 100 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Version Brandner pulls out some schnapps, really fine stuff, which German Subtitled Version English Sound Technology seems to appeal to Boanlkramer. So much so, that he does Dolby Digital, Dolby 5.1 SRD With backing from German not even realize that Brandner is cheating him at a card Federal Film Board (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German game. Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Cine Tirol German Distributor Concorde Filmverleih/Munich With a hangover and without Brandner, Boanlkramer makes his way back to heaven. Brandner put him off for Joseph Vilsmaier was born in 1939 and grew up in Munich and 21 years and beat him at cards – if Petrus finds that out, Pfarrkirchen. He undertook an apprenticeship at ARRI from 1953 to there is going to be trouble. Best thing to do is just not 1961 and studied Music at the Munich Conservatory. In 1961, he mention it at all. became a camera assistant at Bavaria and has been a director of photography since 1972. He made his directorial debut in 1988 with Brandner Kaspar is reeling with glee, he beat out Death, Autumn Milk (Herbstmilch), followed by Rama Dama who has now promised not to return until his 90th birth- (1990), Stalingrad (1992), Charlie & Louise (1993), day. Now the coast is clear, or so he thinks … Brother of Sleep (Schlafes Bruder, 1995), Comedian Harmonists (1997), Marlene (1999), Leo & Claire (2001), Rock Crystal (Bergkristall, 2004), The Last Train (Der letzte Zug, 2006), and Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar (2008). World Sales TMG International · Carlos Hertel Kaufingerstrasse 24 · 80331 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-29 09 30 · fax +49-89-29 09 31 09 email: [email protected] · www.tmg.de german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 45 Il Giardino Scene from “Il Giardino” (photo © COIN FILM/Lars Henning Schroeder) (photoFILM/Lars Henning Schroeder) “Il Giardino” © COIN Scene from

An overweight man has been invited by a friendly couple Kolarov Producer Herbert Schwering Production Company to a posh restaurant. They have just finished dinner and he COIN FILM/Cologne Principal Cast Dirk Bach, Tanja Wenzel, keeps on complaining that every other human being is Dirk Muehlenbach, Mirco Reseg, Julia Beerhold, Guido Renner, doing better than himself and that fate obviously denies Ercan Durmaz Length 11 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 him a happy life, both professionally and emotionally. Original Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Attending to their own problems, the interpersonal re- Technology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings Luenen 2008, lations of the patrons at adjacent tables become a little Short Cuts Cologne 2008, Ophuels Festival Saarbruecken 2009 troublesome, and tension seems to rise. Although the With backing from German Federal Film Board (FFA), guests are not related over the borders of their tables, all Filmstiftung NRW German Distributor COIN FILM/Cologne of them are forced into an interaction, whose atrocious outcome happens to be inevitable. Even if you wouldn’t Michael Ester was born in 1972 in Bad Duerkheim. He studied have expected it from such an everyday life situation. Psychology and Media & Communication in Trier followed by Film & Television Studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Also Genre Comedy, Fantasy Category Short Year of Pro- active as a writer, his films include: Blasse Schimmer (short, duction 2008 Director Michael Ester Screenplay Torsten 1999), Koelsche Kueche (short, 2000), Liebesglueck (short, Wacker Director of Photography Ernst Kubitza Editor Tom 2000), Viktor (short, 2001), Karlchens Parade (short, 2003), Dokoupil Music by Tom Dokoupil Production Design Daniel and Il Giardino (short, 2008).

1 · 2009 46 Harlan – Im Schatten von Jud Suess HARLAN – IN THE SHADOW OF THE JEW SUESS (photo © Blueprint Film GmbH) Scenes from “Harlan – In the Shadow ofScenes from The Jew Suess”

Veit Harlan was Nazi Germany’s most successful film Genre Art, History Category Documentary Cinema Year of director. A hundred million spectators saw his films all Production 2008 Director Felix Moeller Screenplay Felix over Europe, including the perfidious anti-Semitic propa- Moeller Director of Photography Ludolph Weyer Editor ganda film The Jew Suess. Equally obsessive as he was gift- Anette Fleming Music by Marco Hertenstein Producer Amelie ed, Harlan is without a doubt Nazi cinema’s most equi- Latscha Production Company Blueprint Film/Munich, in co- vocal figure, together with Leni Riefenstahl. A master of production with WDR/Cologne, RBB/Potsdam-Babelsberg, NDR/ national kitsch, exultations of death and melodrama, he Hamburg, YLE/Helsinki With Thomas Harlan, Maria Koerber, was an artist as blinded as he was talented. With his monu- Caspar Harlan, Kristian Harlan, Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, mental film Kolberg, released in 1945, he produced the Jessica Jacoby, Alice Harlan, Chester Harlan, Nele Harlan, Lotte major enduring epic of a declining regime. To this day, Harlan, Lena Harlan, Stefan Droessler Length 100 min Format many remain fascinated by the driven, crafted aesthetics HD, color/b&w, 16:9 Original Version German Subtitled and darkly seductive power of Harlan’s films. Version English Sound Technology 5.1 Mix Festival Screenings DOK Leipzig 2008 With backing from FilmFern- After World War II, Veit Harlan was the only Third Reich sehFonds Bayern, BKM, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), MEDIA, artist who was charged with crimes against humanity, yet Transit Film, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation/Wiesbaden he was acquitted in two trials. German Distributor Edition Salzgeber/Berlin

The documentary presents the first biography of Veit Felix Moeller was born in 1965 and studied History, Politics and Harlan with numerous film extracts and previously unre- Communication in Munich and Berlin. From 1995-1998, he worked leased film material from the private family archive. It also for Studio Babelsberg and Rosco Film Potsdam. In 2006 he founded shows how Veit Harlan’s family – including the youngest Blueprint Film. Also active as a publisher, researcher and history generation – still struggles today with the dark myth of consultant for documentary and feature films, his own films include: artistic immorality. The Verhoevens (2003), Hildegard Knef – The Early Years (2005), Katja Riemann (2006), and Harlan – In the Shadow of The Jew Suess (2008).

World Sales (please contact) Blueprint Film GmbH · Amelie Latscha Montgelasstrasse 37 · 81679 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-8 90 91 86 33 · fax +49-89-8 90 91 86 36 email: [email protected] german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 47 Hilde Heike Makatsch as “Hilde” (photo © Egoli Tossell Film) Makatsch as “Hilde” (photo © Egoli Tossell Heike

Broadway star, songstress, screen diva, international icon Tina Freitag Music by Martin Todsharow Production Design and bestselling author – Hildegard Knef was many things. Thomas Freudenthal Producer Judy Tossell Production But more than anything else, she was a fighter who often Company Egoli Tossell Film/Berlin, in co-production with MMC fell, but never stayed down. Independent/Cologne Principal Cast Heike Makatsch, Dan Stevens, Monica Bleibtreu, Hanns Zischler, Michael Gwisdek Berlin, 1943. The collapse of Nazi Germany looms, but Casting Nina Haun Length 136 min Format 35 mm, color, cs young Hilde marches through the rubble of Berlin with Original Version German & English Subtitled Version only one thought in her head: she wants to become a star. English Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival With luck, looks, the right men and overwhelming self- Screenings Berlin 2009 (Berlinale Special Gala) With backing confidence, she makes her way in the film world, both from Filmstiftung NRW, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), during and after the war, swapping her Nazi lover for a German Federal Film Board (FFA), Medienboard Berlin- young Jewish husband. Hollywood beckons, but Hilde is Brandenburg, MEDIA German Distributor Warner Bros. no Marlene. Underemployed and frustrated, she longs for Entertainment/Hamburg Germany. The divided country welcomes her back, but a short nude scene in The Sinner (1950) provokes a national Kai Wessel was born in Hamburg in 1961. After completing his scandal, making her an outcast in her own country. studies, he began working as an assistant director. He made his Internationally, she becomes what she's always wanted to breakthrough with Martha Jelineck, which was nominated for be: a star, on the big screen, on Broadway, in America and the German Film Award in 1988. Among his most noted television Europe. The years go by in a whirl of successes and fail- productions are the filming of the diaries of the Jewish literature ures, of ups and downs. Yet even as her film career wanes, professor Victor Klemperer, Klemperer – Ein Leben in she picks herself up and embarks on a new journey … Deutschland (1999), as well as Hat er Arbeit? (2000), Goebbels und Geduldig (2001) and Leben waere schoen Genre Biopic, Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of (2003), which won the Adolf Grimme Award in 2004. His epic mini- Production 2008 Director Kai Wessel Screenplay Maria von series Die Flucht (2007) was one of the top-rated fiction pro- Heland Director of Photography Hagen Bogdanski Editor ductions of 2007.

1 · 2009 48 Himmel und mehr – Dorothea Buck auf der Spur THE SKY AND BEYOND – ON THE TRAIL OF DOROTHEA BUCK Dorothea Buck (photo © Alexandra Pohlmeier) Buck (photo Dorothea © Alexandra Pohlmeier)

The Sky and Beyond reflects on the remarkable life of Genre Art, Biopic, History Category Documentary Cinema the 91-year-old sculptor Dorothea Buck who cured herself Year of Production 2008 Director Alexandra Pohlmeier from schizophrenia. Screenplay Alexandra Pohlmeier Director of Photography Alexandra Pohlmeier Editor Alexandra Pohlmeier Music by Karl Born in 1917, she was overcome by a severe mental crisis Henn Producer Alexandra Pohlmeier Production Company at the age of 19. During the Third Reich, with the diagnosis Alexandra Pohlmeier Filmproduktion/Berlin & Risum, in coopera- of schizophrenia, she was declassified as a minor human tion with Bettina Wilhelm Filmproduktion/Berlin With Dorothea being. According to the Nazi race policies, she was forcib- Buck, Anne Fischer, Prof. Dr. A. Heinz, Manuela Ziskoven, Prof. Dr. ly sterilized in 1936. A few years later she barely escaped Th. Bock Length 90 min Format DigiBeta, color/b&w, 4:3 ‘euthanasia’. Contrary to all prognoses – incurable mental Original Version German Subtitled Version English illness – Dorothea Buck tried to understand what drove Sound Technology Stereo With backing from Film- her into psychosis and developed her own theory of her foerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein illness. That way she found the key to her own sanity. Alexandra Pohlmeier was born in 1960. After working as a Between 2001 and 2008, director Alexandra Pohlmeier nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital, she studied Mass Media was able to capture Dorothea Buck’s breathtaking story and American Studies. In 1986 she graduated from the University of during regular visits to her home and studio in Hamburg Television & Film Munich. Since then she has been working as a free- and by traveling with her. Buck’s younger sister provides lance author, director and producer. Her films include: In an outside view, reflecting on the dismay and helplessness Between (1987), Hojerbeach or Which Way Does the most families experience when mental illness strikes in World Turn? (1987), Monkey’s Love (1992), Normally their midst. By accentuating the narrative, Dorothea Buck’s (1994), Colliding Particles (2006), and The Sky and sculptures unfold an impressive body of work. Beyond – On the Trail of Dorothea Buck (2008).

The Sky and Beyond is a film about the life and work of a courageous woman – an encouraging film.

World Sales (please contact) Alexandra Pohlmeier Filmproduktion Bleibtreustrasse 10 · 10623 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-8 81 99 73 · fax +49-30-8 82 33 18 email: [email protected] · www.himmelundmehr.de german films quarterly new german films

1 · 2009 49 Im Winter ein Jahr A YEAR AGO IN WINTER Scene from “A Year Ago in Winter” (photo © 2008 Constantin Film Verleih GmbH) Ago in Winter” (photo © 2008 Constantin Film Verleih Year “A Scene from

A grieving woman commissions a painter to do a portrait (Gala Presentation), Hof 2008, Marrakech 2008, Berlin 2009 of her children: her 22-year-old daughter and, most (German Cinema) With backing from German Federal Film surprisingly, her 19-year-old son, who recently died in a Board (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Fund tragic accident. As he struggles to perfect his portrait, the (DFFF), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg German Distributor stormy interaction between artist and subjects brings forth Constantin Film Verleih/Munich the intense psychological state of a complex family. A powerful story in which the tragic loss of a loved one Caroline Link was born in Bad Nauheim in 1964 and studied at becomes the catalyst for each family member to redis- the University of Television & Film in Munich from 1986-1991. Her cover themselves and redefine their relationships. graduation film Sommertage (1991) won the Kodak Award at the Hof Film Festival. Her 1996 feature debut Beyond Silence Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of (Jenseits der Stille) was nominated in 1998 for the Oscar® for Production 2008 Director Caroline Link Screenplay Best Foreign Language Film and received the Bavarian Film Award, Caroline Link, based on the novel by Scott Campbell Director of the German Film Award in Silver and the Guild Film Award in Gold, Photography Bella Halben Producers Uschi Reich, Martin among other commendations. Her other films include: the Erich Moszkowicz Production Companies Bavaria Filmverleih- & Kaestner-adaptation Annaluise and Anton (Puenktchen Produktion/Munich, Constantin Film Produktion/Munich und Anton, 1999), Kalle der Traeumer (TV, 1992), Principal Cast Karoline Herfurth, Josef Bierbichler, Corinna Glueck zum Anfassen (1989), Bunte Blumen (1988), and Harfouch, Hanns Zischler, Misel Maticevic, Cyril Sjostrom, Jacob the Oscar®-winning Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Matschenz Length 129 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Afrika, 2001) for which she also received German Film Awards for Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Best Film and Best Director as well as the Special Jury Prize at Technology Dolby SRD Festival Screenings Toronto 2008 Karlovy Vary in 2002.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, who transposed the production with RBB/Potsdam-Babelsberg, ARTE/Strasbourg visions of Fassbinder and Scorsese into unforgettable imag- Principal Cast Angela Winkler, Nele Winkler, Alexander Hacke, es, returned from Hollywood to Berlin – and no longer Danielle di Picciotto, Maybrit Illner, Dimitri Hegemann, Frank- recognized his native city. Together with colleague Ciro Walter Steinmeier, Christoph Schlingensief, Jeff Mills Length 96 Cappellari, he rediscovers his hometown, 20 years after min Format HD Blow-up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original the fall of the Wall. The result is a lyrical film essay about Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Tech- the metropolis and the people whose skills, talent and nology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 ambition make it such a unique city: less hectic and (Berlinale Special) With backing from Medienboard Berlin- glamorous than Paris or New York, but possibly more Brandenburg, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) German stimulating. Distributor Farbfilm Verleih/Berlin

They portrait the actresses Angela Winkler and her daugh- Michael Ballhaus was born in 1935 in Berlin and is one of the ter Nele, who has Down Syndrome … Alex Hacke, all- world’s most well-known cinematographers. He began his career in round musical talent and bass player of the band the 1970s with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and went on to become Einstuerzende Neubauten... Author Peter Schneider, one of Hollywood’s most sought after directors of photography, Berlin’s mayor Klaus Wowereit, German Foreign Minister having worked with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a Turkish shop owner, a DJ, fa- Coppola and Robert Redford on many of their films. A three-time shion designers, a rapper, and architects … A colorful Oscar® nominee, today he works and lives in Berlin. array of personalities who are realizing their dreams in Berlin and reinventing the city in the process. Ciro Cappellari was born in Buenos Aires in 1959 where he trained to be a photographer and made his first short films. In 1985, Genre City Portrait Category Documentary Cinema Year of he came to Berlin to study at the German Film & Television Production 2008 Directors Michael Ballhaus, Ciro Cappellari Academy (dffb) and has worked as a screenwriter, director and Screenplay Michael Ballhaus, Ciro Cappellari Directors of cameraman. He was DoP on films by Marcel Gisler, Didi and Pepe Photography Michael Ballhaus, Ciro Cappellari Editor Karl Danquart, including the Oscar®-winning Black Rider (Schwarzfahrer, Riedl Music by Terranova Producers Joerg Schulze, Arndt 1993). He has directed Amor America (documentary, 1989), Potdevin Production Company Cine Plus Media/Berlin, in co- Hijo del Rio (1991) and Sin Querer (1997).

China was in flames when a German businessman be- Juerges Editor Hansjoerg Weissbrich Music by Laurent came a reluctant hero. When the Imperial Japanese Army Petitgirard, Annette Focks Production Design Tu Ju Hua invaded China in 1937 and attacked the civilian popula- Producers Mischa Hofmann, Benjamin Herrmann, Jan Mojto tion of the capital Nanking with unprecedented inhuman- Production Companies Hofmann & Voges Entertain- ity, John Rabe took action. Along with a few other mem- ment/Munich, Majestic Filmproduktion/Berlin, EOS Entertain- bers of the foreign community including doctors and mis- ment/Oberhaching, in co-production with ZDF/Mainz, Pampa sionaries who remained in the city, he created a safety Productions/Paris, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation/Beijing zone in which a quarter of a million civilians survived what Principal Cast Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Bruehl, Anne Consigny, was later to go down in history as the “Nanking Massacre”. Dagmar Manzel, Zhang Jingchu, Teruyuki Kagawa and Steve Buscemi Casting Cornelia von Braun, Ji Xue Fei, Kazua Shimizo Length John Rabe had become long forgotten by the time his 135 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Version German, diaries were rediscovered ten years ago. They now form English, Chinese, Japanese Subtitled Version English Sound the basis for Florian Gallenberger’s fascinating account of Technology Dolby Surround 5.1 Festival Screenings Berlin what John Rabe, then head of Siemens China Co., did in 2009 (Berlinale Special Gala) With backing from those turbulent times. To this day he is still revered in FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), China, but he has never been commended, much less German Federal Film Board (FFA), Bayerischer Bankenfonds, rewarded, for his courage and decency in his own coun- Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, CNC German Distributor try. Upon his return to Germany in 1938, he was arrested Majestic Filmverleih/Berlin by the Gestapo for collaborating with the Chinese. He died in poverty soon after World War II. The New York Florian Gallenberger, born in 1972, appeared in various roles Times recently referred to Rabe as “The Schindler of in feature films, TV productions and theater plays from the age of China”. five. From 1992-1999, he studied Directing at the University of Television & Film in Munich (HFF/M). In 2001, he won an Oscar® for Genre Drama, History Category Feature Film Cinema Year of his graduation film Quiero ser (short, 2001). His other films in- Production 2009 Director Florian Gallenberger Screenplay clude Shadows of Time (Schatten der Zeit, 2004) and Florian Gallenberger Director of Photography Juergen John Rabe (2009).

1 · 2009 52 La Bohème Scene from “La Bohème” (photo © MR Film/Petro Domenigg Filmstills) “La Bohème” (photo © MR Film/Petro Scene from

Paris, at the end of the 19th century. Four friends are lead- Version Italian Subtitled Versions German, English Sound ing a life full of privation, yet buoyed by good spirits in a Technology Dolby Surround 5.1 With backing from drafty garret: the writer Rodolfo, the painter Marcello, the Oesterreichisches Filminstitut (OFI), Filmfonds Wien, ORF Film- musician Schaunard and the philosopher Colline. It is /Fernsehabkommen German Distributor NFP marketing & Christmas, and they decide to celebrate in their favorite distribution*/Berlin pub, the Café Momus, as is the custom in the Latin Quarter. Rodolfo stays behind to finish an article. There is Robert Dornhelm was born in Temeshvar/Romania in 1947, a knock at the door; their neighbor Mimi, whose candle emigrated with his family to Austria in 1961, and lives today in Los has gone out, asks for fire. Rodolfo is fascinated by her. It Angeles. From 1965 to 1967 he studied at the Vienna Film Academy. is love at first sight! Overwhelmed by their emotions, nei- Afterwards he worked from 1967 to 1975 as a documentary film ther of them suspects that Mimi’s fatal illness will soon be director for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). After separating them again … several projects, Dornhelm presented his debut film in 1977, The Children of Theatre Street. The documentary about the Genre Opera Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Mariinsky Ballet School (today Kirov Ballet School) in St. Petersburg, Production 2008 Director Robert Dornhelm Screenplay starring Grace Kelly, was nominated for an Oscar®. His other films Robert Dornhelm Director of Photography Walter Kindler include: She Dances Alone (1981) – the story of Kyra Nijinsky, Editors Ingrid Koller, Klaus Hundsbichler Music by Bertrand de the daughter of the great Russian dancer Vaclav Nijinsky, Digital Billy, Chorus of the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Children’s Chorus of the Dreams (1983), about Bill Wyman, the bassist and founding mem- Staatstheater am Gaertnerplatz, Bavarian Symphony Orchestra ber of the Rolling Stones, Echo Park (1986), Requiem for Production Design Florian Reichmann Producers Catharina Dominic (1990), The Unfish (1997), The Venice Project Mojto, Kurt J. Mrkwicka Production Companies Unitel/ (1999), Anne Frank (2001), Sins of the Father (2002), Oberhaching, MR Film Produktion/Vienna, in co-production with RFK (2002), Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story (2003), ZDF/Mainz, ORF/Vienna, Classica/Munich, in association with Spartacus (2004), Into the West (2005), The Ten IMG Artists/London Principal Cast Anna Netrebko, Rolando Commandments (2006), The Crown Prince (2006), War Villazón, Nicole Cabell, George von Bergen (voice: Boaz Daniel), and Peace (2007), and Karajan – Or Beauty As I See It Adrian Eroed (voice: Stéphan Degout), Vitaly Kovalyov, Tiziano (2008). Bracci Length 109 min Format Super 35, color, cs Original

1 · 2009 53 Lippels Traum LIPPEL’S DREAM Scene from “Lippel’s Dream” (photo Dream” © collina Film/Rolf “Lippel’s Scene from Heydt) v.d.

Shy 11-year-old Philipp, whom everyone just calls Lippel, Munich, BR/Munich, NDR/Hamburg, element e filmproduktion/ lives in a small town in Germany with his father, a famous Hamburg Principal Cast Karl Alexander Seidel, Anke Engelke, gourmet chef. When his dad has to go away on business Moritz Bleibtreu, Christiane Paul, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Edgar Selge, for a week, he leaves Lippel in the care of his new house- Eva Mattes Casting Stefany Pohlmann, Angela Altnoeder, Nicole keeper, Mrs. Jakob. She seems very nice at first, but soon Fischer Length 100 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Lippel finds himself arguing with her over little household Version German Subtitled Version English Sound matters. It slowly turns into a domestic war, while Lippel Technology Dolby Digital SRD Festival Screenings Berlin seeks escape in his dreams at night, fleeing into an orien- 2009 (Generation) With backing from FilmFernsehFonds tal fairy-tale world. There, his father is the lovable but Bayern, German Federal Film Board (FFA), Filmfoerderung weak king, whose children are at the mercy of his malev- Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) olent sister-in-law. The dreamworld double for Mrs. Jakob German Distributor Universum Film/Munich wants to do away with the children to take the throne herself. Soon Lippel finds himself living through incredible Lars Buechel was born in 1966 in Ostholstein. He studied adventures in his dreams … Theater and Philosophy at the Free University in Berlin and at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Active in both writing and Genre Children and Youth, Family Category Feature Film directing, his films include: Iglu der Kapitaen (1990), Cinema Year of Production 2009 Director Lars Buechel Triumph des Spiels (1991), Fritz & Erna (1992), Rosen Screenplay Paul Maar, Ulrich Limmer Director of Photog- luegen nicht (1993), Bilder fuer Deutschland (1993), 4 raphy Jana Marsik Editor Sandy Saffeels Music by Konstantin Geschichten ueber 5 Tote (1997), Now or Never (Jetzt Wecker Production Design Frank Polosek Producer Ulrich oder nie, 2000), Peas at 5:30 (Erbsen auf halb sechs, Limmer Production Company collina Filmproduktion/Munich, 2004), Nichts–weiter–als (short, 2005) and Lippel’s Dream in co-production with Universum Film/Munich, B.A. Produktion/ (Lippels Traum, 2009).

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1 · 2009 54 Marianne von Werefkin – Ich lebe nur durch das Auge MARIANNE VON WEREFKIN – I LIVE WHAT I SEE (photo © Volkmar Erdmann/Neue Mira Film) Erdmann/Neue (photo © Volkmar Scene from “Marianne von Werefkin – I Live “Marianne von Werefkin Scene from What I See”

Marianne von Werefkin (1860 – 1938) came from Russian Genre Art, History Category Docu-Drama Year of aristocracy. Her mother recognized her daughter’s painting Production 2008 Director Stella Tinbergen Screenplay talent early and introduced her to Ilja Repin, the most Christoph Honegger, Stella Tinbergen Director of Photog- important realistic painter of the time in Russia, who was raphy Alexander Sass Editor Marc Nordbruch Producer Elke to help Marianne find her own style. She went on to be- Peters Production Company Neue Mira Film/Bremen, in co- come known as “the Russian Rembrandt” but then suffer- production with Stella Tinbergen, ZDF/Mainz, 3sat/Mainz ed a hunting accident at the peak of her career, injuring Principal Cast Lena Stolze, Maike Probst, Jasmin Etezadzadeh her painting hand. At the age of 32, she met the painter Length 90 min Format DigiBeta, color, 16:9 Original Alexej Jawlensky and invested all of her efforts and for- Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Tech- tune to make a great painter out of him. In Munich, she nology Stereo With backing from Kulturelle Filmfoerderung gathered politicians, high society, aristocrats and artists in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hessische Filmfoerderung her “pink salon”. For ten years, she devoted herself to furthering Jawlensky’s career and didn’t paint at all, but she Stella Tinbergen studied Audiovisual Media in Graz and Film in did keep a diary, the Lettres a un Inconue, texts of enor- Vienna, followed by work as a production manager, continuity con- mous poetic power. After Jawlensky left her, she had a sultant, editor, and photographer. A selection of her films as a di- complete breakdown. Then her inner voice convinced her rector includes: Elefantentraeume (short, 1991), Der ver- to return to painting. Her new style was a complete break endete Krieg (documentary, 1994), Stundenglueck (docu- with the past; beyond realism, clear and vibrant colors and mentary, 1996), Siegfried – Mein schizophrener Bruder provoking contrasts determined her wonderful composi- (documentary, 1997), Haus des ewigen Lebens (documen- tions. She moved to Ascona and founded a new artists’ tary, 1999), Elias, das Zirkuskind (documentary, 2001), Der colony and went on to become one of the founders of Fall Mischa E. (2005), and Marianne von Werefkin – Ich modern art and the artists’ community Der Blaue Reiter. lebe nur durch das Auge (docu-drama, 2008).

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1 · 2009 55 Mitte Ende August SOMETIME IN AUGUST Marie Baeumer, Milan Peschel in “Sometime August” (photo © Film1) Milan Peschel Marie Baeumer,

Happy and in love, Thomas and Hanna arrive at their new Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of country cottage with plans to spend the summer working, Production 2009 Director Sebastian Schipper Screenplay relaxing, and – most importantly – with one another. Then Sebastian Schipper Director of Photography Frank Blau Thomas’ brother Friedrich arrives, desperate to overcome Editor Horst Reiter Producers Sebastian Zuehr, Henning the pain of losing both his job and his wife. With the fur- Ferber, Marcus Welke Production Company Film 1/Berlin, in ther arrival of Hanna’s young goddaughter Augustine co-production with NDR/Hamburg, ARTE/Strasbourg & Senator begins a time which not only tests the couple’s loyalty and Film Produktion/Berlin Principal Cast Milan Peschel, Marie respect, but also questions their happiness and love com- Baeumer, Anna Brueggemann, André Hennicke Length 92 min pletely. Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SRD Two men, two women, one summer and a house: the Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 (Forum) With backing focus of Sebastian Schipper’s new film Sometime in from German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Filmfoerderung August. Loosely inspired by Goethe’s Elective Affinities, this Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Nordmedia, Medienboard Berlin- contemporary drama sees a couple discover that love is Brandenburg German Distributor Senator Film Verleih/Berlin not only life’s biggest gift, but also its greatest challenge. Sebastian Schipper studied Acting at the Otto Falkenberg Drama School in Munich before he shot his first short Wunderhell in 1994. A year later, he directed his second short Heldensommer and appeared in a small role in The English Patient in 1996. Gigantic (Absolute Giganten, 1999) was his feature directorial debut, followed by A Friend of Mine (Ein Freund von mir, 2006), and Sometime in August (Mitte Ende August, 2009).

1 · 2009 56 Parkour Lamm Filmproduktion/Dirk Haeger) Lamm Filmproduktion/Dirk Scene from “Parkour” (photo © Zum Goldenen “Parkour” Scene from

Only one thing matters in the lives of Richie, Nonne and Genre Adventure, Drama, Sports Category Feature Film Paule: parkour. They spend most of their spare time Cinema Year of Production 2009 Director Marc Rensing together practicing this sensational sport. However, their Screenplay Ruediger Heinze Director of Photography Ulle close friendship is about to fall apart when Nonne starts Hadding Editor Sebastian Marka Production Design spending more and more time with Hannah, Richie’s girl- Stephanie Schlienz Producer Ruediger Heinze Production friend. Richie’s life disintegrates even further when one of Company Zum Goldenen Lamm Filmproduktion/Ludwigsburg, in his workmates has a terrible accident at the building site co-production with SWR/Baden-Baden Principal Cast they work on. Hannah is distancing herself from Richie Christoph Letkowski, Nora von Waldstaetten, Marlon Kittel, Arvid and his closest friends seem to be playing a double game. Birnbaum, Georg Friedrich, Constantin von Jascheroff Casting Richie is getting entangled in a web of mistrust, jealousy Ulrike Mueller Length 93 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 and violence. What makes things worse is that his work- Original Version German Sound Technology Dolby Digital mate – the accident victim – appears on the scene, trying With backing from MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg to find out how the accident really happened. Nimble Richie is breaking through all obstacles on the parkour, but Marc Rensing was born in Gronau in 1974 and studied at the he still has difficulties overcoming the obstacles in his Baden-Wuerttemberg Film Academy from 1998-2005. A selection life. This vibrant movie displays the elegance of a truly of his films includes: Die Schallmauer (1996), Weilands unique sport. letzte Fahrt (1999), die welt retten (1999), frueher sind die hier noch geflogen (2000), Willkommen in Walhalla (2001), Alles in Ordnung (2004), and Parkour (2009).

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1 · 2009 57 Perestroika – Umbau einer Wohnung PERESTROIKA – RECONSTRUCTION OF A FLAT Scene from “pereSTROIKA” (photo © Buechner Filmproduktion GbR) GbR) (photo © Buechner Filmproduktion “pereSTROIKA” Scene from

Imagine you and your family would have to live in just cisely because of that, the film is able to draw a picture of one single room and share the kitchen, bathroom and tele- how free market economy feels in the Russia of today. phone with up to two dozen other people. In St. Petersburg this is not an uncommon sight but a relict from Genre Society Category Documentary Cinema Year of the times of the Soviet Union’s normative resource allo- Production 2008 Director Christiane Buechner Screenplay cation. And it won’t be a thing of the past for a long time Christiane Buechner Director of Photography Irina Uralskaja to come. Unskilled in handling property, but trained in Editor Gesa Marten Music by Dietmar Bonnen, Andreas getting hold of public allowances, establishing an adequate Schilling Producer Tobias Buechner Production Company market value for a single room in this flat spurs a dramat- Buechner Filmproduktion/Cologne, in co-production with WDR/ ic dynamic. For one last time, the relations between all Cologne, MDR/Leipzig Length 84 min Format HD Cam people involved are put to the test in this confined space. Blow-up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version Russian Now, it’s no longer about who takes up the bathroom for Subtitled Versions German, English Sound Technology how long or who pollutes the kitchen with especially pun- Dolby SR Festival Screenings DOK Leipzig 2008 (German gent food smells. Now that their ways will irrevocably part, Competition), Nyon 2009 (In Competition) With backing every one wants to make the most of the situation for from Gerd Ruge Scholarship Fund, Filmstiftung NRW, BKM himself and will stop at nothing. Because either everybody German Distributor Real Fiction Filmverleih/Cologne moves out or nobody! Christiane Buechner was born in 1965 in Freiburg. During her By patiently following every narrative strand, the film unra- studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin she received a scholar- vels this search for potential solutions. Instead of morally ship for the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. After co-found- distorting its protagonists – on the one side the profit ing Buechner Filmproduktion, she was an artist in residence at the hungry estate agents and, on the other, powerless occu- Institute of Contemporary Art in Moscow, followed by post- pants of a communal apartment – the film stays close on graduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. A its protagonists’ heels while showing them in the context selection of her films includes: You’ll Never Walk Alone of a movement that takes neighbors into different direc- (1996, in co-direction with Tobias Buechner), Neighbours of tions. pereSTROIKA engages with the details of its pro- the Kremlin (2004), Tanja rocks! (short, 2008), and tagonists’ existential struggle for a new home. And pre- pereSTROIKA – reCONSTRUCTION of a flat (2008).

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1 · 2009 58 Die Perlmutterfarbe Scene from “Die Perlmutterfarbe” (photo © Constantin Film) “Die Perlmutterfarbe” Scene from

Alexander wants so badly to win a painting competition at Constantin Film Produktion/Munich Principal Cast Markus school so that he can impress Lotte, the girl he is in love Krojer, Zoe Mannhardt, Dominik Nowak, Benedikt Hoesl, Thomas with. After school, Alexander hangs out with his friends, Wittmann, Brigitte Hobmeier, Adele Neuhauser, Viola von der including not only Lotte, but also his best friend and the Burg, Josef Hader, Sigi Zimmerschied Casting Franziska Aigner class inventor Maulwurf. But when Maulwurf’s latest dis- Kuhn Length 99 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original covery, The Perlmutterfarbe, unexpectedly lands in Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Alexander’s hands, his life suddenly spins out of control. Technology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 While the rest of the class is looking for the thief, (German Cinema) With backing from German Federal Film Alexander keeps quiet as to the whereabouts of Board (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM, Kuratorium junger Maulwurf’s newest invention and tells a little white lie. deutscher Film, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) German Gruber, an unpopular boy, knows that Alexander has Distributor Constantin Film Verleih/Munich what the class is looking for, but covers for Alexander, using the situation to his own advantage. Alexander gets Marcus H. Rosenmueller was born in 1973 in Tegernsee and tangled up in a web of lies and distances himself more and studied at the University of Television & Film in Munich. A selection more from his friends, while Gruber pits their class up of his films includes: Nur Schreiner machen Frauen against another class who he claims has The gluecklich (short, 1999), Kuemmel & Korn (short, 2000), Perlmutterfarbe … Hotel Deepa (short, 2002), C’est la vie (short, 2003), Den Frieden in der Hand (TV, 2003, in co-direction with Joseph Genre Family Entertainment Category Feature Film Cinema Vilsmaier), Almrauschen – Leben und Lieder auf der Year of Production 2009 Director Marcus H. Rosenmueller Alm (TV, 2004), Drachen und andere Originale (TV, 2004), Screenplay Marcus H. Rosenmueller, Christian Lerch Director Grave Decisions (Wer frueher stirbt ist laenger tot, of Photography Torsten Breuer Editor Georg Soering Music 2006), Heavyweights (Schwere Jungs, 2007), Best Times by Gerd Baumann Production Design Johannes Sternagel, (Beste Zeit, 2007), Beste Gegend (2008), Raeuber Doerthe Komnick Producers Robert Marciniak, Uli Aselmann Kneissl (2008), and Die Perlmutterfarbe (2009). Production Company d.i.e.film/Munich, in co-production with

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1 · 2009 59 Phantomschmerz PHANTOM PAIN Scene from “Phantom Pain” (photo © Maria Krumwiede/Film 1) “Phantom Pain” Scene from

Marc is a lucky beggar. He is good-looking, charming and Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of an educated storyteller that women are fascinated by. If he Production 2008 Director Matthias Emcke Screenplay is not doing any odd jobs to get by, he is on the road with Matthias Emcke Director of Photography Ngo The Chau his bike, with which he has traveled the world. Marc’s Editor Martina Matuschewski Production Design Ralf other side is less flattering. He is always broke, a constant Kuefner Producers Sebastian Zuehr, Henning Ferber, Marcus heartbreaker, an unreliable drunkard refusing to take res- Welke Production Company Film 1/Berlin, in co-production ponsibility for anything. But one can’t really be mad with with Warner Bros. Entertainment/Hamburg, Barefoot Film/Berlin, him. Not even his daughter Sarah, the offspring from a Neue Bioskop Film/Munich Principal Cast Til Schweiger, Jana long failed relationship. Then comes the day that changes Pallaske, Stipe Erceg, Julia Brendler Casting Simone Baer Length Marc’s life, he loses his left leg in a hit-and-run accident. 92 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original Version German But barely out of the hospital, Marc rushes back into his Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR old life, joking, flirting and behaving as if nothing had hap- With backing from Hessen Invest, German Federal Film Fund pened. He tries to repress his blow of fate, until he meets (DFFF), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, German Federal Film Nika and he falls in love. Board (FFA) German Distributor Warner Bros. Entertainment/Hamburg Phantom Pain is a thought-provoking, yet light and up- beat look at an urban slacker who's forced to turn his life Phantom Pain (Phantomschmerz, 2008) is Matthias around. Starring international star Til Schweiger (Rabbit Emcke’s directorial debut. Without Ears, Jailbirds) alongside Stipe Erceg (The Edukators, The Baader Meinhof Complex) and Jana Pallaske (Love in Thoughts, Engel & Joe).

Luis travels up into the mountains to see his father again Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German for the first time in years. In an isolated holiday house, he Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby Stereo unexpectedly meets the new family his father has been Festival Screenings Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2008, Clermont- keeping from him. Pulled between the opposing forces of Ferrand 2009, Berlin 2009 (Perspectives German Cinema) anger, incomprehension and the desire for intimacy, Luis Awards Best Swiss Film Winterthur 2008 With backing from tries to break through his father’s reserve, finally provoking BKM, Filmstiftung NRW, Zuercher Filmstiftung, Fachausschuss a conflict. Basel-Stadt, Migros Kulturprozent, Futurum Stiftung Basel

Genre Coming-of-Age Story, Drama, Family Category Short Year of Production 2008 Director Michael Koch Screen- Michael Koch was born in 1982 in Lucerne/Switzerland. From play Juliane Grossheim, Michael Koch Director of Photog- 1999-2004, he worked as an actor in various films and plays. From raphy Bernhard Keller Editor Stefan Stabenow Music by Knut 2003-2008, he studied at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. His Jensen, Huck Finn Production Design Valerie Hess, Christiane short film We Are the Faithful (Wir sind dir treu) was Blattmann Producer Elena von Saucken Production screened at over 60 international festivals and won several interna- Company Kunsthochschule fuer Medien Koeln (KHM)/Cologne, tional prizes, among them the Prix Canal+ in Clermont-Ferrand and in co-production with KINOMATON MUENCHEN/Munich, the ARTE-Prize at the International Film School Festival in Munich. Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion/Zurich, Swiss Television SF/ His short film Poolside (Beckenrand) had its premiere in Zurich Principal Cast Max Brauer, André Hennicke, Maria Locarno in 2006 and was nominated for the Swiss Film Prize 2007, Kwiatkowsky, Ajvan Yesildeniz, Hansjuerg Mueller Length 29 min as well as for the German Short Film Award 2007.

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1 · 2009 61 Remarque – Sein Weg zum Ruhm ERICH MARIA REMARQUE Scene from “Erich Maria Remarque” (photo © Joerg Landsberg) “Erich Maria Remarque” Scene from

Eighty years ago, in late 1928, the Ullstein-Verlag publish- duction Company Neue Mira Film/Bremen, in co-production ing house released the original, German-language version with NDR/Hamburg, MMTV Fernsehproduktionsgesellschaft/ of All Quiet on the Western Front. Im Westen nichts Neues first Osnabrueck Principal Cast Max von Thun, Esther Zimmering, appeared as a serialized novel in the Berlin newspaper Julia Nachtmann, Joerg Panknin, Axel Haefner, Sebastian Rudolph Vossische Zeitung. It caused a sensation among readers, and Casting Gitta Uhlig Length 90 min Format DigiBeta, when it subsequently made its debut as a single volume, color/b&w, 16:9 Original Version German Subtitled its success was phenomenal. Erich Maria Remarque’s Version English Sound Technology Stereo Festival unsettling and moving anti-war tale went on to become Screenings Emden-Norderney 2008, Independent Film Festival one of the most widely read books in the world. Now Osnabrueck 2008 With backing from Nordmedia translated into more than 50 different languages, the novel continues to shape our conception of the First World War. Hanno Bruehl was born in 1937 and studied Theater before This film relates how the book came to be written. working as an author and director, both freelance and for the German broadcaster WDR. A selection of his films includes: Nach Genre History Category Docu-Drama Year of Production Santiago (documentary, 1984), Die Araber und Europa 2008 Director Hanno Bruehl Screenplay Ingo Regenbogen (documentary, 1985), Sehnsucht (TV, 1990), Kahlschlag (TV, Director of Photography Stefan Grandinetti (bvk) Editor 1993), Metro – Paris (documentary, 1994), Herzrasen (TV, Margot Neubert-Maric Music by André Feldhaus Production 2000), Kinder unter Hitler (documentary, 2001), and Erich Design Heike Lauer-Schnurr Producer Elke Peters Pro- Maria Remarque (docu-drama, 2008).

1 · 2009 62 Sankt Pauli! Rausgehen – Warmmachen – Weghauen SANKT PAULI! RUN OUT – WARM UP – SCORE OFF (photo Sugar Films) © Brown Scene from “Sankt Pauli! Run Out – Warm Up – Score Off Up – Score Run Out – Warm “Sankt Pauli! Scene from ”

In summer 2006, the reports were coming thick and fast Genre Drama, Society, Sports Category Documentary Cinema that after 30 years of waiting, the stadium’s new building Year of Production 2008 Director Joachim Bornemann would become reality. The cult club FC St. Pauli’s em- Screenplay Joachim Bornemann, Jan D. Gerlach Director of barking on a new era is documented by this feature-length Photography Jan D. Gerlach Editor Petra Scherer Music by film. Kettcar, Die Sterne, Tomte, Bela B, Urban Delights, Malte Hagemeister, Bjoern Beton & Beginner Producers Joachim The goal here is to make more than just a football film. Bornemann, Jan D. Gerlach Production Company Brown The film traces the unique atmosphere and feeling of Sugar Films/Hamburg, in co-production with Ferryhouse Pro- Sankt Pauli. How does the interaction function between ductions/Hamburg Principal Cast Holger Stanislawski, Claus- the club and its fans who live in the immediate neigh- Peter Bubke, Sven Brux, Roger Hasenbein, Corny Littmann, borhood? What is it that draws the people into the Hendrik Luettmer, Inga Wassmuss Length 90 min Format HD Millerntor stadium? A fan isn’t just a fan, especially here Blow-up 35 mm, color, 16:9 Original Version German where the fan scene is very complex and open at the same Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital time. 5.1, Dolby Stereo 2.0 With backing from BKM German Distributor Brown Sugar Films Verleih/Munich & Zorro Film/ The film accompanies the team of FC St. Pauli in the Munich 2006/07 season on their almost hopeless journey to the magnificent promotion into the 2nd Bundesliga. Harbor, Joachim Bornemann was born in 1966 in Goettingen and stu- Kiez, the Schanze and Karo quarters, the construction of died at the Academy for Media in Stuttgart, the University of the South Stand until 2008 and the team’s progress pro- Television & Film in Munich, and at UCLA in Los Angeles. After his vide the framework for the stories about the club, its fans studies he worked as a freelance producer for various production and neighbors. companies and collaborated on numerous commercials and image films. In 2000, he founded the production company Pole Productions in Munich and Hamburg. Sankt Pauli! Run Out – Warm Up – Score Off marks his directorial debut.

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1 · 2009 63 Die Schimmelreiter SHEEP AND CHIPS Scene from “Sheep and Chips” (photo © Michael Toetter & Stevie Schulze) “Sheep and Chips” (photo © Michael Toetter Scene from

Northern Germany can be so beautiful … some say. with NDR/Hamburg Principal Cast Axel Prahl, Peter Jordan, Others are dying of boredom there and want nothing Katharina Wackernagel, Siir Eloglu, Peter Striebeck, Bjarne Maedel more than to get the hell out. The good-humored Fuchs, Casting Gitta Uhlig Length 97 min Format 35 mm, color, a passionate food control agent with the local authorities, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled Version English spends his days going from one snack bar to the next, Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings making sure everything is in order. Tillmann, a depressive Hamburg 2008, Luebeck 2008 With backing from BKM, alcoholic, couldn’t take it abroad and shows up again at Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, German Federal Film home in rural Dithmarschen. Fuchs dreams of life in the Board (FFA), Kulturelle Filmfoerderung Schleswig-Holstein big city Hamburg, but to get transferred there, he’s got to prove himself. And along comes the perfect opportunity Lars Jessen was born in 1969 in Kiel and studied History, Politics to do so when Tillmann, his boss’ misanthropic brother, is and Philosophy in Cologne, followed by Film and Television at the assigned to accompany him on a business trip. Academy of Media Arts Cologne. A selection of his films includes: Dunkles Land am Meeresstrand (short, 1989), Not an A classic buddy movie, a tour-de-force through the pro- Inch (documentary, 1992), FlughafenWahn (documentary, vincial wastelands of Northern Germany. 1995), Luebke – In Search of the President of the Federal Republic Heinrich Luebke (TV, 1997), numerous Genre Comedy Category Feature Film Cinema Year of episodes of the series Die Wache (1998-1999), Titanic TV ( 1999), Production 2008 Director Lars Jessen Screenplay Ingo Grossstadtrevier, Aus gutem Haus, and Soko Wismar (2000-2003), Haeb, Lars Jessen Director of Photography Michael Toetter The Day Bobby Ewing Died (Am Tag als Bobby Ewing (bvk) Editor Marcel Peragine Music by Jakob Ilja Production starb, 2005), Sheep and Chips (Die Schimmelreiter, Design Heike Lauer-Schnurr Producer Elke Peters Pro- 2008), and Dorfpunks (2009). duction Company Neue Mira Film/Bremen, in co-production

1 · 2009 64 Schlaeft ein Lied in allen Dingen SLEEPING SONGS Scene from “Sleeping Songs” Scene from (photo © Bernd Spauke/Neue Mediopolis Filmproduktion) (photo Mediopolis Filmproduktion) © Bernd Spauke/Neue

Martin, a nu-jazz trumpet player with a unique style, is WDR/Cologne, ARTE/Strasbourg Principal Cast Stefan Rudolf, fighting against convention and mediocrity. He will not Chulpan Khamatova, Traute Hoess, Paula Kalenberg, Barnaby accept any compromise, neither in his music, nor in love. Metschurat Casting Anja Dihrberg Length 86 min Format When he gets the feeling that Kristina, the love of his life, 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled only loves him for his musical talents, he is deeply hurt. Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival Disappointed, he bids farewell to both her and his pre- Screenings Berlin 2009 (Panorama) With backing from vious life. On the edge of society, he meets an old woman Filmstiftung NRW, Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung who bequeaths him her pain in the form of poems. Martin is immediately fascinated. Can they guide him back to Andreas Struck was born in Cologne and studied Literature and himself, to Kristina, or to his music? Acting before directing Molière’s Dom Juan in 1987. He worked on Derek Jarman’s Edward II and Wittgenstein as well as other films, Genre Drama, Love Story, Music Category Feature Film Cinema both as script supervisor and assistant director. His first feature film Year of Production 2009 Director Andreas Struck Chill Out (1999) played at festivals around the world, including Screenplay Dagmar Gabler Director of Photography Berlin, Edinburgh, Toronto, Palm Springs, São Paulo, San Francisco, Andreas Doub Editor Karin Jacobs Music by Nils Petter Molvaer Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Sydney. His other films include: Sugar Production Design Jutta Freyer Producers Petra Hengge, Orange (2004) – winner of the German Independence Award, Alexander Ris, Joerg Rothe Production Company Neue and Sleeping Songs (2009). Mediopolis Filmproduktion/Cologne, in co-production with

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Sea Dog’s Devotion depicts a romantic sailor dwelling on Festival Screenings Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart 2008, Seoul his passion for beautiful Alwine. Will he be able to let go Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF) 2008, Montreal New of his dead sweetheart at long last? Cinema 2008, Ottawa Animation Festival 2008, Brest European Short Film Festival 2008, Clermont-Ferrand 2009 With backing Based on the poem of the same title by Joachim from German Federal Film Board (FFA), MFG Baden-Wuerttem- Ringelnatz (1883-1934). berg German Distributor Anna Kalus Film/Karlsruhe

Genre Love Story Category Short Year of Production 2008 Anna Kalus was born in Munich in 1974 and studied Design in Director Anna Kalus Screenplay Anna Kalus Director of Schwaebisch-Gmuend and Karlsruhe. Her films include: Schauen Photography Anna Kalus Editor Anna Kalus Music by Daniel Sie auf das kleine Voegelchen (1999), Wie gewuenscht Requardt, Florian Kaeppler Animation Anna Kalus Producer (2003), Bruder Jakob (2004), and Seemannstreue (2008). Anna Kalus Production Company Anna Kalus Film/ Karlsruhe Length 10 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version no dialog Sound Technology Dolby SR

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1 · 2009 66 Sieben Tage Sonntag SEVEN DAYS SUNDAY Scene from “Seven DaysScene from Sunday” (photo © Bartl Laupert Dierbach Filmproduktion)

The idea just was there. Like it happens with ideas, with Cast Ludwig Trepte, Martin Kiefer, Jil Funke, Karin Baal, Jennifer good ones and with bad ones. Just a plain sentence: I bet Ulrich, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Andreas Schmidt-Schaller Casting you cannot kill a human being. Jacqueline Rietz Length 80 min Format Super 35 mm, color, cs Original Version German Subtitled Version English On a Sunday like any other Sunday in 1996, actually an Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings ordinary Sunday in a small town, Adam and Tommek Munich 2007, Biberach 2007, Solothurn 2008, Rotterdam 2008, meet their friends at the square in their neighborhood. But Sofia 2008, Tribeca 2008, Istanbul 2008, Melbourne 2008, Durban this Sunday will end differently than any other. Out of 2008, Pifan 2008, Transylvania 2008, São Paulo 2008, Valladolid boredom comes a bet. The stakes? A human life. 2008, Houston 2008, Warsaw 2008, Rome 2008 Awards Mentor Award 2007, Special Mention Biberach 2007, 3rd Place Audience Seven Days Sunday is a feature film based on true facts. Award Mainz 2007, Special Award Ludwigshafen 2008 With A film telling the story of two 16-year-old boys who com- backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, German Federal Film mit a murder on an innocent human being. Board (FFA) German Distributor Timebandits Film/Potsdam

Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Niels Laupert was born in 1975 in Frankfurt am Main. He Production 2007 Director Niels Laupert Screenplay Niels studied Production & Media Management and Film & Television Laupert Director of Photography Christoph Dammast Directing at the University of Television & Film in Munich. He is also Editor Hansjoerg Weissbrich Music by Michael Heilrath active as a writer and producer. After directing numerous music Production Design Matthias Friedrich Producers Thomas videos and commercials, Seven Days Sunday (Sieben Tage Bartl, Alexander Dierbach, Niels Laupert Production Com- Sonntag, 2007) marks his feature directorial debut. pany Bartl Laupert Dierbach Filmproduktion/Munich Principal

Hannah Maynard, a prosecutor at the tribunal in The Christian M. Goldbeck Producers Britta Knoeller, Hans-Christian Hague, is leading a trial against Goran Duric, who is accus- Schmid Executive Producer Maria Koepf Co-Producers ed of the deportation and killing of Bosnian-Muslim civil- Marie Gade Denessen, Bettina Brokemper, Frans van Gestel, ians in a small town in what is now the Republika Srpska. Jeroen Beker Co-Executive Producers Peter Aalbæk Jensen, When a key witness is ensnared in the contradictions of his Peter Garde Production Company 23/5 Filmproduktion/ testimony, the court sends a delegation to Bosnia to get a Berlin, in co-production with Zentropa Entertainments/Berlin, definitive picture of the events on site. Doubts as to the Zentropa International/Cologne, Zentropa Entertainments5/ witness’ credibility are confirmed. Shortly afterwards, he Hvidovre, Zentropa International Netherlands/Amsterdam, IDTV commits suicide. For Hannah, the case is not yet lost. Film/Amsterdam, Film I Vaest/Trollhaettan, SWR/Baden-Baden, Hoping to uncover new findings, she travels to the witness’ ARTE/Strasbourg, WDR/Cologne, BR/Munich Principal Cast burial in Sarajevo and meets his sister Mira. Hannah Kerry Fox, Anamaria Marinca, Stephen Dillane, Rolf Lassgard, senses that Mira has more to say about the defendant than Alexander Fehling, Tarik Filipovic, Kresimir Mikic, Steven Scharf, she is willing to admit, but she is afraid to face up to the Bent Mejding, Jesper Christensen Casting Shaheen Baig, Oriana past and endanger the future she has built up with her Kuncic Length 105 min Format 35 mm, color, cs Original family in Germany after the war. Hannah finally manages Version English, German, Bosnian/Croation/Serbian Subtitled to win her trust and convinces her to testify in The Hague. Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival Shortly before the critical hearing, Duric’s defense tries to Screenings Berlin 2009 (In Competition) With backing from have Mira’s testimony disallowed and finds unexpected Eurimages, Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, support from the side of the judiciary. Hannah realizes that German Federal Film Board (FFA), German Federal Film Fund her opponents are not only to be found at the dock, but (DFFF), BKM, Danish Film Institute, Netherlands Film Fund, City of also among her own ranks. the Hague, Rotterdam Film Fund German Distributor Piffl Medien/Berlin Genre Drama, Political Thriller Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Production 2009 Director Hans-Christian Schmid Hans-Christian Schmid was born in Altoetting in 1965 and Screenplay Bernd Lange, Hans-Christian Schmid Director of studied at the University of Television & Film in Munich. He made Photography Bogumil Godfrejow Editor Hansjoerg his directorial debut in 1989 with the documentary Sekt oder Weissbrich Music by The Notwist Production Design Selters followed by the short Das lachende Gewitter, the documentary The Mechanism of the Miracle and the TV World Sales film Himmel und Hoelle. His breakthrough came in 1995 with TrustNordisk · Susan Wendt It’s A Jungle Out There. His other highly-acclaimed films Filmbyen 12 · 2650 Hvidovre/Denmark include: 23 (1998), Crazy (2000), Distant Lights (2003), phone +45-36-86 87 88 · fax +45-36-77 44 48 Requiem (2006), and The Wondrous World of Laundry email: [email protected] · www.trust-film.dk (2009). german films quarterly new german films

Tangiers, Morocco. Amira ends up on the street after her Waldstaetten, Alexander Scheer, Sabrina Ouazani, Naima Bouzid family throws her out because she would rather become Casting Ulrike Mueller, Kassem Lachiri Length 95 min Format a dancer than be married or work as a housekeeper. She 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version Arabic, French, German, moves in with some friends who make a living as prosti- English Subtitled Versions German, English, French Sound tutes. Pia and Tom, musicians from Germany, meet Amira Technology Dolby DTS Festival Screenings Hof 2008, in a disco. Pia is fascinated watching Amira dance. The Ophuels Festival Saarbruecken 2009 With backing from three become friends, but Amira sets her sights on Pia’s Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg German Distributor Film- boyfriend Tom. Pia thinks that maybe a love triangle might galerie 451/Berlin just liven up her troubled relationship with Tom. But Amira sees her big chance in an affair with Tom. Irene von Alberti was born in Stuttgart. She studied Media Technology in Stuttgart and at the Munich University of Television & Genre Drama, Music Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Film. Her films as a director include: Call at Corazón Production 2008 Director Irene von Alberti Screenplay (Zwischenhalt in Corazón, 1995), Petenera (1998), Irene von Alberti Director of Photography Birgit Moeller Berlin Stories (Stadt als Beute, 2005, in co-direction with Editor Silke Botsch Music by Zeid Hamdan Production Miriam Dehne and Esther Gronenborn), Maroc en vogue Design Anne Schlaich Producer Frieder Schlaich Production (2006), and Tangerine (2008). Company Filmgalerie 451/Berlin Principal Cast Nora von

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During the emotional roller coaster ride that is adolescence, a Genre Coming-of-Age Story Category Feature Film Cinema 16-year-old boy is confronted with one of the biggest life-chang- Year of Production 2008 Director Christoph Roehl ing events that a man can face: becoming a father … Screenplay Philippe Longchamp, Christoph Roehl Director of Photography Peter Steuger Editor Julia Oehring Music by Jonas is a sensitive, intelligent teenager, excellent at school Hermann Skibbe Producer Christine Ruppert Production and eager to please. One day, Vicky, a girl he met at a Company Tatfilm/Halle, in co-production with ZDF Das kleine party appears out of the blue at his school and reveals she Fernsehspiel/Mainz Principal Cast Ludwig Trepte, Karoline is pregnant with his baby. Jonas denies that he is the father Teska, Lena Stolze, Julia Richter Casting Uwe Buenker Length and wants nothing to do with her. He thinks that is the 88 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German end of the matter and continues with his life. But then, 10 Subtitled Versions English, French Sound Technology months later, Vicky reappears and shows him the baby. Dolby SR Festival Screenings Hof 2008, Ophuels Festival Jonas sees his daughter for the first time and is imme- Saarbruecken 2009 With backing from Mitteldeutsche Medien- diately smitten. He tentatively begins a relationship with foerderung Vicky and the baby but is unable to express his true feelings for them. When Vicky finds out that he has not been Christoph Roehl was born in Brighton in 1967 and studied at honest with her, she leaves him. Realizing that he has lost the German Film & Television Academy Berlin. His award-winning everything, Jonas finds the courage to reject expectations films include: the shorts In Your Shoes, Fivefortyfive, of him and express freely the love he has for his daughter. Butterfly World, Fast Learners, and his feature debut A Piece of Me (Ein Teil von mir).

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1 · 2009 70 Das Vaterspiel KILL DADDY GOOD NIGHT Scene from “Kill Daddy Scene from Good Night” (photoFalke) © Tatfilm/Stefan

The phone rings. At the other end of the line is a voice Koepping, Sabine Timoteo, Ulrich Tukur, Christian Tramitz, Itzhak from the past: Mimi. She wants her old boyfriend Ratz to Finzi Casting Markus Schleinzer Length 117 min Format come to New York – she needs his help. Ratz was always 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German, English Sub- willing to do everything for Mimi and he’s got enough titled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR problems in Vienna anyway: his over-controlling father, Festival Screenings Berlin 2009 (Panorama Special) With the strange love for his sister and his autistic existence in backing from Filmstiftung NRW, Eurimages, Oesterreichisches front of his computer. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to Filminstitut, German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), MFG Baden- just get away for a while. But even New York presents him Wuerttemberg, Filmfonds Wien, MEDIA, Land Niederoesterreich, a few problems: who is the old man in the basement, how Irish Film Board German Distributor Alamode Film/Munich true are Mimi’s feelings, can you make money off a virtual murder game? And just how much does the neighbor’s Michael Glawogger was born in Graz/Austria in 1959. He gra- dog really know? duated from the San Francisco Art Institute and the Vienna Film Academy and has since worked as a director, writer, and cinemato- Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of grapher. A selection of his films includes: War in Vienna (docu- Production 2008 Director Michael Glawogger Screenplay mentary, 1989), Ant Street (1995), Movies in the Mind Michael Glawogger, based on the novel of the same name by Josef (documentary, 1996), Megacities (documentary, 1998), Haslinger Director of Photography Attila Boa Editor France, Here We Come! (documentary, 1999), State of Vessela Martschewski Music by Olga Neuwirth Production the Nation (documentary, 2002), Slugs (2004), Design Bertram Strauss Producer Christine Ruppert Pro- Workingman’s Death (documentary, 2004), Slumming duction Company Tatfilm/Cologne, in co-production with (2005), Mai Thai (short, 2005), Contact High (2008), and Lotus Film/Vienna, Polaris Film/Paris Principal Cast Helmut Kill Daddy Good Night (Das Vaterspiel, 2008).

Weltstadt portrays one of the worst crimes in post-Wall Klandt Director of Photography René Gorski Editor Joerg years in East Germany. In a picturesque small town, two Schreyer Music by Paul Rischer Production Design Tanja teenage boys raid a sleeping homeless man. Once they Baumgartner Producer Martin Lischke Production Com- realize that he carries no valuables they bash him and, sub- pany Hochschule fuer Film & Fernsehen ’Konrad Wolf ’/Potsdam- sequently, set him on fire. Based on a true event, the film Babelsberg, in co-production with ARTE/Strasbourg Principal illuminates an aspect of German society which is either Cast Florian Bartholomaei, Gerdy Zint, Karoline Schuch, Hendrik ignored or exploited in the media through lurid headlines Arnst, Justus Carrière Length 104 min Format DigiBeta Blow- and simulated disdain. Still, what is behind it? Weltstadt up 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version German Subtitled portrays five people 24 hours prior to the crime. Versions English, French, Spanish Sound Technology Dolby Digital SR Festival Screenings Montreal 2008, São Paulo 2008, It’s the story of Till, who drops out of vocational school Achtung Berlin 2008, Ourense 2008, Hof 2008, Biberach 2008, and who has no clue about what he wants in life. It’s the Cambridge 2008, Leeds 2008, Luenen 2008, Passau 2008, story of Karsten, who has stopped dreaming and is reas- Rotterdam 2009, Goteborg 2009 Awards Best Film & Best Editing serting himself through violence. And, it’s the story of Achtung Berlin 2008, Silver Zenith Montreal 2008, Grand Calpurnia Steffi, Heinrich, and Guenther, who have all reached a Award for Best Film Ourense 2008 time in life when something needs to change. What unites them all are fear, resignation and aggression, directed Christian Klandt was born in 1978 in Frankfurt/Oder and grew towards the weak, towards the sleeping degenerated up in a small town in East Germany. He has been studying Directing drunk in the park whose doom is not that far from their at the Film & Television Academy “Konrad Wolf ” since 2004. Be- own. The film provides a snap-shot of small-town banali- fore that he worked as an assistant director, camera assistant and ties, brutalization of society and a truly aggressive youth production assistant for various film productions and for three years culture. Both the director Christian Klandt and the direc- as assistant director at a Berlin-based theater. Weltstadt is his tor of photography René Gorski grew up in the town first feature film. His other films include: PIX (short, 2003), where these events took place. Sinne&Suehne (short, 2005), Letztes Geleit (documentary, 2005), dieses unterfrankierte Leben (2006), Schausteins Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Pro- letzter Film (2008) – winner of the Jury Award at Puchon, and duction 2008 Director Christian Klandt Screenplay Christian Bundeskanzler Honecker (TV, 2009).

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1 · 2009 72 Die wundersame Welt der Waschkraft THE WONDROUS WORLD OF LAUNDRY Scene from “The Wondrous World of World “The Wondrous Scene from Laundry” (photo © 23/5 Filmproduktion)

Behind the fluffy towels and crisp white sheets of Berlin’s Genre Society Category Documentary Cinema Year of Pro- finest hotels is a tale of seemingly brilliant entrepreneur- duction 2009 Director Hans-Christian Schmid Screenplay ship: A company takes the dirty laundry of German hotels Hans-Christian Schmid Director of Photography Bogumil to Poland – and brings it back clean the very next day. Godfrejów Editor Stefan Stabenow Producers Britta Knoeller, Outside of Germany, labor is cheaper and regulations are Hans-Christian Schmid Production Company 23/5 Film- less constricting. But over and beyond this fascinating capi- produktion/Berlin, in co-production with RBB/Potsdam-Babels- tal venture there remains the harsh reality of the everyday berg, ARTE/Strasbourg Casting Simone Baer, Magda Szwarcbart life of the hard-working Polish laundrywomen, through Length 96 min Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original whose hands the white sheets pass. While Beata struggles Version Polish, German Subtitled Versions German, English, to raise her three children on her meager salary, Monika Polish Sound Technology Dolby Digital Festival Screenings reminisces about her unrealized childhood dreams of be- Berlin 2009 (Forum Special) With backing from BKM, German coming a doctor, and is compelled to watch her teenage Federal Film Fund (DFFF) German Distributor Piffl Medien/ daughter Marta gradually follow in her footsteps. Berlin

In his first feature-length documentary since The Mech- Hans-Christian Schmid was born in Altoetting in 1965 and anism of the Miracle sixteen years ago, director Hans- studied at the University of Television & Film in Munich. He made Christian Schmid (Requiem, Distant Lights, 23) applies his his directorial debut in 1989 with the documentary Sekt oder delicate poetic sensibility to three women, their fears and Selters followed by the short Das lachende Gewitter, the dreams. The result is an intimate slice-of-life portrait of documentary The Mechanism of the Miracle and the TV women from different generations forging a future amidst film Himmel und Hoelle. His breakthrough came in 1995 with a spectral whiteness, among linens that cross borders more It’s A Jungle Out There. His other highly-acclaimed films often in a week than these women will in a lifetime … include: 23 (1998), Crazy (2000), Distant Lights (2003), Requiem (2006), and Storm (2009).

1 · 2009 73 Zum Dritten Pol TO THE THIRD POLE Scene from “To the Third Pole” (photo © ExplorerMedia) Pole” the Third “To Scene from

Norman Dyhrenfurth, a sprightly 90-year-old, tells for the Andreas Nickel Production Company ExplorerMedia/ first time the fascinating story of his parents’ role in the Warngau, in co-production with BR/Munich With Norman race to the “Third Pole”, the highest mountains on earth. Dyhrenfurth, Reinhold Messner, Christian Bonington Length 86 Two expeditions in the 1930s stand up to their Nazi rivals’ min Format HDCAM 1080/25p, color/b&w, 1:1.78 Original state-sponsored expedition and beat them in setting world Version German Voice Over/Subtitled Version English climbing records. In doing so, Guenter and Hettie Sound Technology Dolby 5.1 Festival Screenings Torelló Dyhrenfurth take the first moving pictures in high altitude (Barcelona) International Mountain Film Festival 2008, Rhode Island during their Himalayan expeditions. Norman is especially International Film Festival 2008, Explorers Club Film Festival New well-suited to present this family saga which spans a time York 2008, International Mountain & Adventure Film Festival frame of 70 years of mountaineering and film history. He Moscow 2008, International Mountain & Adventure Film Festival himself took the first Americans to the top of Mount Graz 2008, Banff Mountain Film Festival 2008 Awards Best Film & Everest in 1963 and led the first traverse of an 8000-meter Best Script Torelló 2008, Best Cinematography Rhode Island 2008, mountain. He participated in seven major Himalayan Best Exploration Film New York 2008, Special Jury Award Moscow expeditions, many of which achieved mountaineering 2008, Best Documentary Graz 2008 With backing from “firsts” – and he filmed every bit of it. FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, ARTE German Distributor Movie- net Film/Munich The film features mountaineering legends Sir Chris Bonington and Reinhold Messner. In their engaging inter- Andreas Nickel is the author of the books Dyhrenfurth – Zum views they put the Dyhrenfurth expeditions into contem- Dritten Pol and Himalaya – Norman Dyhrenfurth. To the Third porary context and convey an intense compassion for the Pole marks his directorial debut. heroic achievements and tragic failures of this family. Juergen Czwienk was born in 1956. Since 1985, he has been Genre Adventure, Biopic, History, Sports Category Docu- active as a documentary writer and director for numerous TV documentary Year of Production 2008 Directors Andreas Nickel, mentaries, reports and magazine clips on cultural and historical sub- Juergen Czwienk Screenplay Andreas Nickel, Juergen Czwienk jects. His other films include: Qumran: The Secret of the Directors of Photography Denis Ducroz, Tibor Szalma Dead Sea Scrolls (TV, 1993), Heaven and Hell (1999, epi- Editor Lodur Tettenborn Music by Enjott Schneider Producer sode of 2000 Years of Christianity), and Secrets of Tibet – The Ernst Schaefer Expedition 1938 (TV, 2001). World Sales (please contact) ExplorerMedia GmbH & Co. KG Polz 1 · 83627 Warngau/Germany phone +49-80 20-90 56 00 · fax +49-80 20-90 56 031 email: [email protected]

german films quarterly new german films

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NBJOTQPOTPS DPTQPOTPS TQPOTPST NBJONFEJBQBSUOFST &'1JT¾OBODJBMMZTVQQPSUFECZ GERMAN FILMS SHAREHOLDERS & SUPPORTERS

Allianz Deutscher Produzenten Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung – Film & Fernsehen e.V. fuer Kultur und Medien German Producers Alliance Federal Government Commissioner Brienner Strasse 26, 80333 Munich/Germany for Culture & the Media phone +49-89-28 62 83 85, fax +49-89-28 62 82 47 Referat K 35, Europahaus, Stresemannstrasse 94, email: [email protected], www.produzentenallianz.de 10963 Berlin/Germany phone +49-18 88-6 81 49 29, fax +49-18 88-68 15 49 29 email: [email protected]

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern GmbH Filmfoerderungsanstalt Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Medien German Federal Film Board in Bayern Grosse Praesidentenstrasse 9, 10178 Berlin/Germany Sonnenstrasse 21, 80331 Munich/Germany phone +49-30-27 57 70, fax +49-30-27 57 71 11 phone +49-89-54 46 02-0, fax +49-89-54 46 02 21 email: [email protected], www.ffa.de email: [email protected], www.fff-bayern.de

Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein GmbH Friedensallee 14–16, 22765 Hamburg/Germany Verband Deutscher Filmexporteure e.V. (VDFE) phone +49-40-398 37-0 fax +49-40-398 37-10 Association of German Film Exporters email: [email protected], www.ffhsh.de Tegernseer Landstrasse 75, 81539 Munich/Germany phone +49- 89-6 42 49 70, fax +49-89-6 92 09 10 email: [email protected], www.vdfe.de

Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen GmbH Kaistrasse 14, 40221 Duesseldorf/Germany phone +49-2 11-93 05 00, fax +49-2 11-93 05 05 Verband Deutscher Filmproduzenten e.V. email: [email protected], www.filmstiftung.de Association of German Feature Film Producers Muenchner Freiheit 20, 80802 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-33 08 80 31, fax +49-89-33 08 81 93 email: [email protected] www.filmproduzentenverband.de Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH August-Bebel-Strasse 26-53, 14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg/Germany phone +49-3 31-74 38 70, fax +49-3 31-7 43 87 99 email: [email protected], www.medienboard.de

Deutsche Kinemathek Museum fuer Film und Fernsehen Potsdamer Strasse 2, 10785 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-30 09 03-0, fax +49-30-30 09 03-13 email: [email protected], www.deutsche-kinemathek.de MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg mbH Breitscheidstrasse 4, 70174 Stuttgart/Germany phone +49-7 11-90 71 54 00, fax +49-7 11-90 71 54 50 email: [email protected], www.mfg-filmfoerderung.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dokumentarfilm e.V. German Documentary Association Schweizer Strasse 6, 60594 Frankfurt am Main/Germany Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung GmbH phone +49-69-62 37 00, fax +49-61 42-96 64 24 Hainstrasse 17-19, 04109 Leipzig/Germany email: [email protected], www.agdok.de phone +49-3 41-26 98 70, fax +49-3 41-2 69 87 65 email: [email protected], www.mdm-online.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kurzfilm e.V. nordmedia – Die Mediengesellschaft German Short Film Association Niedersachsen/Bremen mbH Foerstereistrasse 36, 01099 Dresden/Germany Expo Plaza 1, 30539 Hanover/Germany phone +49-3 51-4 04 55 75, fax +49-3 51-4 04 55 76 phone +49-5 11-1 23 45 60, fax +49-5 11-12 34 56 29 email: [email protected], www.ag-kurzfilm.de email: [email protected], www.nordmedia.de

german films quarterly shareholders & supporters

1 · 2009 76 ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN FILM EXPORTERS

Verband deutscher cine aktuell Filmgesellschaft mbH The Match Factory GmbH Filmexporteure e.V. (VDFE) Werdenfelsstrasse 81 Balthasarstrasse 79-81 Tegernseer Landstrasse 75 81377 Munich/Germany 50670 Cologne/Germany 81539 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-7 41 34 30 phone +49-2 21-5 39 70 90 phone +49-89-6 42 49 70 fax +49-89-74 13 43 16 fax +49-2 21-5 39 70 910 fax +49-89-6 92 09 10 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.cine-aktuell.de www.the-match-factory.com www.vdfe.de Constantin Film Verleih GmbH Media Luna Entertainment Action Concept Film- & Feilitzschstrasse 6 GmbH & Co.KG Stuntproduktion GmbH 80802 Munich/Germany Aachener Strasse 26 An der Hasenkaule 1-7 phone +49-89-44 44 60 0 50674 Cologne/Germany 50354 Huerth/Germany fax +49-89-44 44 60 666 phone +49-2 21-8 01 49 80 phone +49-22 33-50 81 00 email: [email protected] fax +49-2 21-80 14 98 21 fax +49-22 33-50 81 80 www.constantin-film.de email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.medialuna-entertainment.de www.actionconcept.com EEAP Eastern European Acquisition Pool GmbH Progress Film-Verleih GmbH ARRI Media Worldsales Alexanderstrasse 7 Immanuelkirchstrasse 14b Tuerkenstrasse 89 10178 Berlin/Germany 10405 Berlin/Germany 80799 Munich/Germany phone +49-30-25 76 23 30 phone +49-30-24 00 32 25 phone +49-89-38 09 12 88 fax +49-30-25 76 23 59 fax +49-30-24 00 32 22 fax +49-89-38 09 16 19 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.eeap.eu www.progress-film.de www.arri-mediaworldsales.de Exportfilm Bischoff & Co. GmbH SOLA Media GmbH Atlas International Film GmbH Isabellastrasse 20, 80798 Munich/Germany Osumstrasse 17, 70599 Stuttgart/Germany Candidplatz 11 phone +49-89-2 72 93 60 phone +49-7 11-4 79 36 66 81543 Munich/Germany fax +49-89-27 29 36 36 fax +49-7 11-4 79 26 58 phone +49-89-21 09 75-0 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] fax +49-89-21 09 75 81 www.exportfilm.de www.sola-media.net email: [email protected] www.atlasfilm.com german united distributors TELEPOOL GmbH Programmvertrieb GmbH Sonnenstrasse 21, 80331 Munich/Germany ATRIX Films GmbH Breite Strasse 48-50 phone +49-89-55 87 60 Aggensteinstrasse 13a 50667 Cologne/Germany fax +49-89-55 87 62 29 81545 Munich/Germany phone +49-2 21-92 06 90 email: [email protected] phone +49-89-64 28 26 11 fax +49-2 21-9 20 69 69 www.telepool.de fax +49-89-64 95 73 49 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.germanunited.com Transit Film GmbH www.atrix-films.com Dachauer Strasse 35 Kinowelt International GmbH 80335 Munich/Germany Bavaria Film International Futura Film Weltvertrieb phone +49-89-59 98 85-0 Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH im Filmverlag der Autoren GmbH fax +49-89-59 98 85-20 Bavariafilmplatz 7 Karl-Tauchnitz-Strasse 10 email: [email protected], 82031 Geiselgasteig/Germany 04107 Leipzig/Germany [email protected] phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 phone +49-3 41-35 59 60 www.transitfilm.de fax +49-89-64 99 37 20 fax +49-3 41-35 59 64 19 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] uni media film gmbh www.bavaria-film-international.com www.kinowelt-international.de Bavariafilmplatz 7 82031 Geiselgasteig/Germany Beta Cinema M-Appeal World Sales Company phone +49-89-59 58 46 Dept. of Beta Film GmbH Prinzessinnenstrasse 16 fax +49-89-54 50 70 52 Gruenwalder Weg 28d 10969 Berlin/Germany email: [email protected] 82041 Oberhaching/Germany phone +49-30-61 50 75 05 www.unimediafilm.com phone +49-89-67 34 69 80 fax +49-30-27 58 28 72 fax +49-89-6 73 46 98 88 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.m-appeal.com www.betacinema.com

german films quarterly association of german film exporters

1 · 2009 77 GERMAN FILMS: A PROFILE

German Films Service + Marketing is the national infor- German Films’ range of activities includes: mation and advisory center for the promotion of German films worldwide. It was established in 1954 under the name Export-Union of Close cooperation with major international film festivals, in- German Cinema as the umbrella association for the Association of cluding Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Locarno, San German Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German Sebastian, Montreal, Karlovy Vary, Moscow, Nyon, Shanghai, Feature Film Producers and the Association of German Film Rotterdam, San Francisco, Sydney, Gothenburg, Warsaw, Exporters, and operates today in the legal form of a limited company. Thessaloniki, Rome, and Turin, among others In 2004, the company was reorganized and now operates under the name: German Films Service + Marketing GmbH. Organization of umbrella stands for German sales companies and producers at international television and film markets Shareholders are the Association of German Feature Film (Berlin, Cannes, AFM Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai) Producers, the German Producers Alliance, the Association of German Film Exporters, the German Federal Film Board (FFA), the Staging of ”Festivals of German Films“ worldwide (Madrid, Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek, the German Documentary Paris, London, New York, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Copen- Association, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern and Filmstiftung NRW hagen, Stockholm, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne) representing the seven main regional film funds, and the German Short Film Association. Staging of the ”German Premieres“ industry screenings in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D. C., and Rome Members of the advisory board are: Alfred Huermer (chairman), Peter Dinges, Antonio Exacoustos, Roman Paul, Ulrike Schauz, Providing advice and information for representatives of the Michael Schmid-Ospach. international press and buyers from the fields of cinema, video, and television German Films itself has 14 members of staff: Christian Dorsch, managing director Providing advice and information for German filmmakers and Mariette Rissenbeek, public relations/deputy managing director press on international festivals, conditions of participation, and Petra Bader, office manager German films being shown Sandra Buchta, project coordinator/documentary film Christin Czarnecki, trainee Organization of the annual NEXT GENERATION short film Simon Goehler, trainee program, which presents a selection of shorts by students of Christine Harrasser, managing director’s assistant/project coordinator German film schools and is premiered every year at Cannes Angela Hawkins, publications & website editor Barbie Heusinger, project coordinator/distribution support Publication of informational literature about current German Nicole Kaufmann, project coordinator films and the German film industry (German Films Quarterly), Michaela Kowal, accounts as well as international market analyses and special festival Kim Liebeck, PR assistant/festival coordinator brochures Martin Scheuring, project coordinator/short film Konstanze Welz, project coordinator/television An Internet website (www.german-films.de) offering information about new German films, a film archive, as well as in- In addition, German Films has nine foreign representatives in eight formation and links to German and international film festivals countries. and institutions

German Films’ budget of presently €5.4 million comes from film Organization of the selection procedure for the German entry export levies, the office of the Federal Government Commissioner for the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film for Culture and the Media, and the FFA. The seven main regional film funds (FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmfoerderung Hamburg Schleswig- Collaboration with Deutsche Welle’s DW-TV KINO program Holstein, Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG which features the latest German film releases and inter- Baden-Wuerttemberg, Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung, and Nord- national productions in Germany media) make a financial contribution – currently amounting to €324,000 – towards the work of German Films. Organization of the ”German Films Previews“ geared toward arthouse distributors and buyers of German films German Films is a founding member of the European Film Promotion, a network of European film organizations (including Unifrance, Swiss Selective financial Distribution Support for the foreign releases Films, Austrian Film Commission, Holland Film, among others) with of German films similar responsibilities to those of German Films. The organization, with its headquarters in Hamburg, aims to develop and realize joint On behalf of the association Rendez-vous franco-allemands du projects for the presentation of European films on an international cinéma, organization with Unifrance of the annual German- level. French film meeting

In association and cooperation with its shareholders, German Films works to promote feature, documentary, television and short films. german films quarterly german films: a profile

1 · 2009 78 FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES IMPRINT

Argentina Italy United Kingdom Gustav Wilhelmi Alessia Ratzenberger Iris Ordonez Ayacucho 495, 2º ”3“ A-PICTURES 37 Arnison Road C1026AAA Buenos Aires/Argentina Villa Pamphili East Molesey KT8 9JR/Great Britain phone +54-11-49 52 15 37 Via del Forte Bravetta 4 phone +44-20-89 79 86 28 phone/fax +54-11-49 51 19 10 00164 Rome/Italy email: [email protected] email: [email protected] phone +39-06-48 90 70 75 fax +39-06-4 88 57 97 email: [email protected]

China Japan USA/East Coast & Canada Anke Redl Tomosuke Suzuki Oliver Mahrdt CMM Intelligence Nippon Cine TV Corporation Hanns Wolters International Inc. B 621, Gehua Tower Suite 123, Gaien House 211 E 43rd Street, #505 No. 1, Qinglong Hutong 2-2-39 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku New York, NY 10017/USA Dongcheng District 150-0001 Tokyo/Japan phone +1-212-714 0100 Beijing 100007/China phone +81-3-34 05 09 16 fax +1-212-643 1412 phone +86-10-84 18 64 68 fax +81-3-34 79 08 69 email: [email protected] fax +86-10-84 18 66 90 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

Eastern Europe Spain USA/West Coast Simone Baumann Stefan Schmitz Corina Danckwerts L.E. Vision Film- und Avalon Productions S.L. Capture Film International Fernsehproduktion GmbH Pza. del Cordón, 2 Hollywood Center Studios, Building 5/Loft Koernerstrasse 56 28005 Madrid/Spain 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue 04107 Leipzig/Germany phone +34-91-3 66 43 64 Los Angeles, CA 90038/USA phone +49-3 41-96 36 80 fax +34-91-3 65 93 01 phone +1-323-860 5440 fax +49-3 41-9 63 68 44 email: [email protected] fax +1-323-860 5441 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

German Films Quarterly is published by: Editor Angela Hawkins

German Films Production Reports Martin Blaney, Simon Kingsley Service + Marketing GmbH Herzog-Wilhelm-Strasse 16 Contributors for this issue Michael Althen, Martin Blaney, 80331 Munich/Germany Johannes Bonke, Christoph Groener phone +49-89-5 99 78 70 fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 Translations Lucinda Rennison email: [email protected] www.german-films.de Design & Art Direction Werner Schauer, www.triptychon.biz

ISSN 1614-6387 Printing Office ESTA DRUCK GMBH, Obermuehlstrasse 90, 82398 Polling/Germany Credits are not contractual for any of the films mentioned in this publication. Printed on ecological, unchlorinated paper.

© German Films Service + Marketing GmbH Cover Photo Scene from “Storm” (photo © 23/5, Zentropa, IDTV/Gerald von Foris) All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

german films quarterly foreign representatives · imprint

1 · 2009 79 at the Berlinale

European Film Market 5 – 15 February 2009

Martin-Gropius-Bau · Niederkirchnerstr. 7 · Stand #11 phone +49-(0)30-246 497 430 · fax +49-(0)30-246 497 435 · www.german-films.de