ScreeningS in locarno 2010 Sat, Aug 07th 11.00h Rialto 2 Industry Screening Thu, Aug 12th 22.00h Kursaal Press Screening Fri, Aug 13th 21.30h Piazza Grande International Premiere
oFFicial SelecTion locarno Film FeSTival THE SILENCE a film by Baran Bo odar ulrich Wotan Wilke Burghart katrin Sebastian ThomSen möhring klauSSner SaSS BlomBerg
IN CO-PRODUCTION IN COOPERATION WITH THE BAVARIA FILM INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS A CINE PLUS FILMPRODUKTION AND LUETHJE & SCHNEIDER FILM PRODUKTION WITH ZDF DAS KLEINE FERNSEHSPIEL WITH ARTE SUPPORT OF MITTELDEUTSCHE MEDIENFÖRDERUNG FILMFERNSEHFONDS BAYERN MEDIENBOARD BERLIN-BRANDENBURG FILMFÖRDERUNGS ANSTALT PRODUCTION DEUTSCHER FILMFÖRDERFONDS “DAS LETZTE SCHWEIGEN” STARRING ULRICH THOMSEN WOTAN WILKE MÖHRING SEBASTIAN BLOMBERG KATRIN SASS BURGHART KLAUSSNER KAROLINE EICHHORN ROELAND WIESNEKKER CLAUDIA MICHELSEN OLIVER STOKOWSKI JULE BÖWE DOP NIKOLAUS SUMMERER DESIGN YESIM ZOLAN COSTUME SOUND SOUND PRODUCTION COMMISSIONINIG CHRISTIAN M. GOLDBECK DESIGN KATHARINA OST MAKE-UP ELKE LEBENDER EDITING ROBERT RZESACZ CASTING ANJA DIHRBERG MUSIC PAS DE DEUX DESIGN CHRISTOPH ULBICH MIX TOM KORR MANAGER JANTJE FRIESE EDITORS CHRISTIAN CLOOS DORIS HEPP PRODUCERS JÖRG SCHULZE FRANK EVERS MAREN LÜTHJE FLORIAN SCHNEIDER BASED ON THE NOVEL PUBLISHED BY HARVILL SECKER, WRITTEN AND “SILENCE” BY JAN COSTIN WAGNER ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN GERMANY BY EICHBORN DIRECTED BY BARAN BO ODAR
soundtrack available online at Synopsis
A bicycle found in a wheat field. A missing girl. While Sinikka’s parents are trapped in an In his strikingly commanding debut feature, Swiss-born Baran bo Odar confirms his status as one of Is history repeating itself? 23 years ago, a young agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty, the most promising and talented young directors of today. His exceptional directing skills and distinctly girl named Pia was raped and murdered at this their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds cinematic language give this screen adaptation of a bestselling novel its unmistakable signature. exact spot. Has the same thing happened now to in the heart of the first victim’s mother. She, in Mesmerizing performances of top European actors – headed by Ulrich Thomsen (“The Celebration”, 13-year-old Sinikka? Krischan, the retired police turn, has the unsettling feeling that a visitor to “Brothers”), Sebastian Blomberg (“The Baader Meinhof Complex”), Katrin Sass (“Good Bye, Lenin!”) inspector who led the first investigation, is her home – a nice young man, married with two and Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”, “The Edukators”) – are central elements of this intense convinced that there’s a connection between the children – is her daughter’s killer. As the days go drama, reaching far beyond the crime story. two crimes. His efforts to capture the killer back by, an unbearable heat lies over the town’s then were unsuccessful; this time, he is deter- modest homes like a bell jar. And behind the mined to bring him to justice together with his doors, once intact worlds begin to fall apart. younger colleague David.
2 3 Baran Bo odar – WriTer and direcTor direcTor’S STaTemenT
Baran bo Odar was born 1978 in Switzerland. He studied fi lm at the In The Silence I combined two genres, wonderful cast, in cluding Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film in Munich from 1998 to 2006. In thriller and melodrama. My primary focus isn’t Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Blomberg, Katrin Sass, 2001 he completed a directing internship on Doris Dörrie’s fi lm “Naked” the question “Whodunit?” but more the Burkhart Klaussner and Karoline Eichhorn, to and left to spend a year in Barcelona. Together with Mike Marzuk he emotional state of the characters. How does one name but a few. Their acting expresses what founded illegalefarben fi lmproduktion/Munich in 2003. He also com- cope with the loss of a loved one? In different words no longer can. Their faces reveal feelings pleted the Masterclass – commercial and promotional fi lm at the HFF ways the protagonists are pre occupied with this such as despair and emotional states such as guilt Munich. In 2003 he was invited to participate in the Berlinale Talent issue, which is the common theme running in all their nuances and show even the most Campus and in 2005 his short fi lm “Quietsch” screened at the 55th Berlin through this constellation of characters. The fl eeting changes. That’s where the real tragedy International Film Festival. Silence is an ensemble piece with a unfolds. In 2006, after making a number of short fi lms and docu shorts, Baran bo Odar shot his fi rst feature fi lm “Unter der Sonne” for which he received Baran Bo odar two awards in the category best new director: the Studio Hamburg New- comer Awards in 2006 and in 2007 the Munich Feature Film Award.
4 5 Producers’ Statement The complex world Baran bo Odar set out to create utilize the techniques of Hollywood cinema to is further brought to fruition by Yesim Zolan and tell a German story without ever sacrificing its The Silence is a rather unusual feature film The Silence also marks yet another cinematic Christian M. Goldbeck’s production design, universal theme. With his short film “Quietsch“ debut. It is an ensemble film fueled by the accomplishment for director Baran bo Odar and Katharina Ost’s costume design, Robert Rzesacz’s (Cine Plus Filmproduktion) and his graduation emotional state of its characters. In the faces of his DoP Nik Summerer. They had studied film to- editing and the music of pas de deux (Michael film “Unter der Sonne” (lüthje schneider | FILM), its amazing cast this tragedy unfolds in the most gether at the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen Kamm, Chris Steininger). The careful preparations Baran bo Odar has established himself as a subtle way. The criminal case is just the way into in Munich and had previously joined forces on and the constant exchange between the depart- director who knows exactly what stories he the psyche of the characters and their emotional “Unter der Sonne”, their graduation film. Even ment heads, as well as Baran bo Odar’s clear wants to tell and as a filmmaker with a distinct states. Their encounters, marked by the trauma back then, Nik Summerer’s powerful visual images artistic vision, can be felt in even the most minute formal and aesthetic handwriting. This also sets of an existential loss, are like duels: issues that impressed us and that’s again the case in The details of this film. apart his most recent film: The Silence, have been repressed for years erupt without ever Silence. The precision and visual strength of The Silence is the result of a successful which is a contemporary neo noir film and a being mentioned. Loneliness, despair, guilt and his elegant cinemascope camera work captivates collaboration of Cine Plus Filmproduktion, Berlin, visually impressive and gripping relationship drama. atonement – bewildered, the characters face a the audience, drawing them deeper and deeper and lüthje schneider | FILM, Munich. We share crime that makes no apparent sense. into the psychological discord the disappearance Baran bo Odar’s passion for gripping stories and Jörg Schulze, Frank Evers, of the 13-year-old Sinikka has triggered. powerful visuals and appreciate his ability to Maren Lüthje, Florian Schneider
6 7 BIOGRAPHIES
Ulrich Thomsen as Peer Sommer WOTAN WILKE MÖHRING as Timo Friedrich
For 29 years Peer Sommer has been the superintendent of the non-descript residential Timo Friedrich leads a quiet life with his wife Julia and their two children. But when high-rise complex, where he met Timo 23 years ago. A dark secret connects the two he sees the bike belonging to the missing Sinikka on TV he finds himself catapulted men. back into the past.
Ulrich Thomsen was born in 1963 in Denmark. After graduating from the Danish National School of Wotan Wilke Möhring made his acting debut in the television movie “Die Bubi Scholz Story,” directed Theater in Copenhagen, he played various parts on local stages for a number of years. In 1994 he by Roland Suso Richter, and played the electrician, Joe, in Oliver Hirschbiegel‘s feature film “The Ex- made his feature film debut in Ole Bornedal‘s cult classic “Nightwatch”. periment” (2000). From there, Möhring’s career took off. He received a great deal of attention in 2000 At the beginning of his film career he appeared in Susanne Bier’s thriller “Sekten”, and Anders Thomas for his impressive performance in the lead role of “Hat er Arbeit?,” for which he was nominated for a Jensen‘s “Election Night”, which received the Oscar for best short film in 1998. That year Thomsen German Television Award. He has since played a wide range of characters, proving himself to be one launched his international career in the lead role of Thomas Vinterberg‘s multiple award-winning of the most versatile actors of his generation. He portrayed a secretive, small-town police officer in “The Celebration”. Ulrich Thomsen went on to become one of the most renowned figures in Danish Christian Alvart‘s critically acclaimed thriller “Antibodies” and a man suffering from testicular cancer cinema. With films such as Susanne Bier‘s “Brothers”, the versatile character actor continues to win in Robert Schwentke’s dark comedy “The Family Jewels.” He also appeared in the feature films: over international critics. Ulrich Thomsen has appeared in local and international film and television “Valkyrie“ alongside Tom Cruise, Fatih Akin’s “Soul Kitchen” and Simon Verhoeven’s “Männerherzen.“ productions, collaborating with directors such as Ridley Scott, Michael Apted, Sean Ellis, and János Szász, and actors such as Sean Penn, Mads Mikkelsen, Catherine McCormack and Joseph Fiennes. He has received numerous international awards and nominations for his work, including the European Film Award.
8 9 KATRIN SASS as Elena Lange BURGHART KLAUSSNER as Krischan Mittich
Elena has been grieving ever since her daughter Pia’s death 23 years ago. The dis Twenty-three years later, Pia Lange’s case still preoccupies Krischan Mittich, who appearance of Sinikka brings back memories that threaten to throw her life off track was unable to find her killer. When Sinikka disappears he has to get involved in the again. investigation, even though he has recently retired.
Prior to the fall of the wall, Katrin Sass was one of the most renowned actresses in East Germany. With Born in Berlin, Burghart Klaussner studied acting at the Max-Reinhard-Schule in Berlin. The general the box office hit “Good bye, Lenin!” she became a fixture in the German film business. She was a public discovered him in feature films such as “Rossini” and the award-winning “Good Bye, Lenin!“ student when director Heiner Carow discovered her, casting her in the lead role of his film “Until Death (2003, Wolfgang Becker). Klaussner also appeared in three of director Hans-Christian Schmid’s films: Do Us Apart.” “23”, “Crazy” and “Requiem”. For his role in Hans Weingartner‘s celebrated Cannes entry “The Eduka- For her performance in Herrmann Zschoche‘s “Bürgschaft für ein Jahr” she received the Silver Bear at tors” he received the German Film Award. At the Locarno Film Festival in 2006 he was awarded the the Berlinale 1982. She also appeared in “Das Haus am Fluss“, “Fallada – Das letzte Kapitel“ and Silver Leopard for best actor for the lead role in Dito Tsintsadze’s “The Man from the Embassy“. In “Heute sterben immer nur die anderen“. For her performance in “Sperling und der brennende Arm” 2009 Burghart Klaussner appeared in Michael Klier‘s feature film “Age and Beauty” alongside Henry and “Ein Mann stürzt ab” she received the German Film Award in 1999 for best supporting actress. In Hübchen, Armin Rohde and Peter Lohmeyer, and played the judge in “The Reader”, the adaptation of 2001 she played the lead in “Heidi M.”, for which she won the German Film Award and the German the novel of the same name directed by Stephen Daldry and starring Kate Winslet. Last year Burghart Critics Award. For her portrayal of a sick mother in “Good Bye, Lenin!“ Katrin Sass was nominated for Klaussner played the pastor in Michael Haneke‘s drama “The White Ribbon”. In 2009 the film was the European Film Award as best actress and won the Audience Award. awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival and the European Film Award and, in 2010, the Golden Globe. His performance garnered Burghart Klaussner yet another German Film Award in 2009. He regularly appears on various German stages.
10 1111 SEBASTIAN BLOMBERG as David Jahn NIKOLAUS SUMMERER – DoP
David Jahn is but a shadow of his former self ever since his wife passed away. To get Nikolaus Summerer was born 1971. He began his career in film as a gaffer, grip, loader and camera a handle on his life he returns to work as a police officer the day before Sinikka’s dis assistant. In 1997/1998 he worked for ARRI Rental and ARRI Camera and went on to become a technical appearance. supervisor at Camera Service Center in New York. From 1999 to 2004 he completed numerous feature films, television movies, commercials and video clips. At the same time he studied film at the Hoch- Sebastian Blomberg was born in 1972 in Bergisch Gladbach and studied acting at the renowned Max- schule für Fernsehen und Film in Munich in the Film and Television department. He has worked as a DoP Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna. He first caught the audience‘s attention in Lars Kraume’s well received since 2004. His graduation film “Unter der Sonne” received the Kodak Vision Award at the Slamdance television movie “Dunkel”. He made his feature film debut a year later in Stefan Ruzowitzky‘s horror Film Festival and was nominated for the 2006 German Camera Award in the feature film category. thriller “Anatomy” alongside Franka Potente. He also appeared in the feature films “What to Do in Case of Fire?“ with Til Schweiger, “Olga’s Summer”, “I’m the Father” and “3 Grad kälter“. In the latter he played the vanished boyfriend who returns to his hometown many years later. The Florian Hoffmeister-directed film won the Silver Leopard at the 2005 Locarno Film Festival. In Uli Edel’s box office success “Der Baader Meinhof Complex“, Sebastian Blomberg convincingly cine plus Filmproduktion GmbH portrayed the political activist Rudi Dutschke. Most recently, he appeared in Wim Wender’s “Palermo Shooting“ and Julie Delpy’s “The Countess“. cine plus Filmproduktion develops, produces and co-produces feature films and documentaries for the German and international market. Producers Jörg Schulze and Andreas Eicher produce and co-produce high quality, innovative productions ranging from mainstream movies to European art house films. They closely collaborate with their parent company, cine plus Media Service, which offers the full range of audiovisual production services. The most successful projects of the duo include Philip Gröning’s “Into Great Silence” and Thomas Grube’s “Rhythm Is It!” Currently, they are working on Ulrich Thomsen’s directing debut “In Embryo”, Martin Gypken’s “Die Hingabe”, the Norwegian-German-Swedish co- production “Underneath” directed by Bobbie Peers and Armin Völckers’ feature film comedy “Alles ausser das Mädchen”.
lüthje schneider | FILM
lüthje schneider | FILM is an emerging Munich production company founded in 2005 by Maren Lüthje and Florian Schneider. In 2010 Andreas Hörl joined the team as a third partner. lüthje schneider | FILM produces international feature films such as Byambasuren Davaa’s German-Mongolian production “The Cave of the Yellow Dog” (winner of the 2006 German Film Award), Daniel Workou’s “Menged“, a German-French-Ethiopian co-production (winner of the Crystal Bear at the 2007 Berlinale), as well as documentary films, among them “Was wird bleiben“, directed by Knut Karger, “Stadlfreunde“, directed by Frauke Ihnen, and “Avenida Argentina,“ directed by Milena Bonse. lüthje schneider | FILM completed Baran bo Odar’s two previous projects – his 2005 graduation film “Unter der Sonne” and the commercial “Hadi MINI“ for the Master Class Werbung und Imagefilm at the HFF in Munich. Currently, several feature film projects with directors including Baran bo Odar, Doron Wisotzky, Torben Liebrecht, Sabrina Wulff and Knut Karger are in various stages of development and preproduction.
12 13 Cast Technical Details
Peer Sommer Ulrich Thomsen Germany, 2010, 119 min Timo Friedrich Wotan Wilke Möhring 35 mm and DCP, color, 1:2.35, Dolby SR Elena Lange Katrin Sass Krischan Mittich Burghart Klaussner German distributor David Jahn Sebastian Blomberg NFP Marketing & Distribution / Warner Bros. Ruth Weghamm Karoline Eichhorn Release date: August 19, 2010 Karl Weghamm Roeland Wiesnekker Julia Friedrich Claudia Michelsen International Premiere Matthias Grimmer Oliver Stokowski Official Selection Locarno / Piazza Grande 2010 Jana Gläser Jule Böwe
14 15 CREW
Written and directed by Baran bo Odar Based on the novel “The Silence” by Jan Costin Wagner Published by Harvill Secker Originally published in Germany by Eichborn
DoP Nikolaus Summerer Producers Jörg Schulze, Frank Evers Florian Schneider, Maren Lüthje
Production cine plus Filmproduktion GmbH Companies lüthje schneider | FILM
Supported by Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung Film Fernseh Fond Bayern Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg FFA, DFFF
Line Producers Florian Schneider Maren Lüthje Production Manager Jantje Friese Production Design Yesim Zolan Christian M. Goldbeck Costume Design Katharina Ost Make-Up Elke Lebender Sound Johannes Doberenz Music pas de deux Kris Steininger, Michael Kamm Editing Robert Rzesacz Casting Anja Dihrberg Casting Commissioning Editors Christian Cloos (ZDF – Das kleine Fernsehspiel) Doris Hepp (ZDF / arte)
World Sales Press Contact
German-speaking Press Das Pressebüro, Sandra Thomsen Bavaria Media GmbH eMail [email protected] Bavariafilmplatz 7 | Building 71 Cell +49-172-644 2269 82031 Geiselgasteig | Germany Phone +49-89-6499-2686 International Press Fax +49-89-6499-3720 Sebastian Kiesmüller eMail [email protected] eMail [email protected] www.bavaria-film-international.com Cell +49-172-463 0930