EXPORT-UNION OF GERMAN CINEMA 4/2000

Special Report: TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION – Film Schools In Germany

”THE TANGO DANCER“: Portrait of Jeanine Meerapfel

Selling German Films: CINE INTERNATIONAL & KINOWELT INTERNATIONAL Kino Scene from:“A BUNDLE OF JOY”

GERMAN CINEMA Launched at MIFED 2000

a new label of Bavaria Film International Further info at www.bavaria-film-international.de www. german- cinema. de/

FILMS.INFORMATION ON GERMAN now with links to international festivals!

GERMAN CINEMA

Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH · Tuerkenstrasse 93 · D-80799 München phone +49-89-3900 9 5 · fax +49-89-3952 2 3 · email: [email protected] KINO 4/2000

6 Training The Next Generation 33 Soweit die Füße tragen Film Schools in Germany Hardy Martins 34 Vaya Con Dios 15 The Tango Dancer Zoltan Spirandelli Portrait of Jeanine Meerapfel 34 Vera Brühne Hark Bohm 16 Pursuing The Exceptional 35 Vill Passiert In The Everyday Wim Wenders Portrait of Hans-Christian Schmid

18 Then She Makes Her Pitch Cine International 36 German Classics

20 On Top Of The Kinowelt 36 Abwärts Kinowelt International OUT OF ORDER Carl Schenkel 21 The Teamworx Player 37 Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: teamWorx Production Company ratlos THE ARTISTS UNDER THE BIG TOP: 24 KINO news PERPLEXED Alexander Kluge 38 Ehe im Schatten MARRIAGE IN THE SHADOW 28 In Production Kurt Maetzig 39 Harlis 28 B-52 Robert van Ackeren Hartmut Bitomsky 40 Karbid und Sauerampfer 28 Die Champions CARBIDE AND SORREL Christoph Hübner Frank Beyer 29 Julietta 41 Martha Christoph Stark Rainer Werner Fassbinder 30 Königskinder Anne Wild 30 Mein langsames Leben Angela Schanelec 31 Nancy und Frank Wolf Gremm 32 Null Uhr Zwölf Bernd-Michael Lade 32 Das Sams Ben Verbong CONTENTS

50 Kleine Kreise 42 New German Films CIRCLING Jakob Hilpert 42 Das Bankett 51 Liebe nach Mitternacht THE BANQUET MIDNIGHT LOVE Holger Jancke, Olaf Jacobs Harald Leipnitz 43 Doppelpack 52 Liebesluder DOUBLE PACK A BUNDLE OF JOY Matthias Lehmann Detlev W. Buck 44 Erotic Tales: 53 Newenas weite Reise The Summer Of My Deflowering LONG TRAVELLING NEWENA Susan Streitfeld Nenad Djapic Die Tankstelle 54 Schule THE GAS STATION SCHOOL Jos Stelling Marco Petry 45 Finnlandia 55 Der Tunnel Eleni Ampelakiotou, Gregor Schnitzler THE TUNNEL 46 Hilfe, ich bin ein Fisch Roland Suso Richter HELP! I’M A FISH 56 Walk Don’t Walk Stefan Fieldmark, Michael Hegner Thomas Struck 47 Gelobtes Land PROMISED LAND Peter Patzak 58 Foreign Representatives 48 Goebbels und Geduldig GOEBBELS AND GEDULDIG 60 Film-Exporters Kai Wessel 49 Der Himmel kann warten 62 Imprint EXIT TO HEAVEN Brigitte Müller Film Schools In Germany Scene from ”alaska.de“ Scene from

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION Hardly a month seems to go by these days without the announce- With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the borders, ment of plans in one corner of Germany or the other for a new the film schools map had to be re-drawn and students from both educational initiative in the area of audiovisual media. ”Medien- parts of Germany as well as from all over the world, and not just campus“, ”International Film School“, ”Multimedia Academy“ – the former Socialist countries, could now study at the Babelsberg the names are legion and are another phenomenon of the school. increasingly cut-throat competition between the German Länder to attract the most promising talents to locate in their respective The 1990s, in particular, saw the film and TV industry finding allies regions. in media politicians to respond to the ever increasing demand for qualified media professionals. Thus, Cologne’s Academy of Apart of the component of regional rivalries, the importance of Media Arts and the Baden-Württemberg Film film schools in Germany has grown over the years as the training Academy in Ludwigsburg were established at the beginning of became more thorough and diverse and, with the launching of the decade and have been followed over the years by a number such private commercial TV stations as RTL and SAT.1 in the of art colleges and polytechnics offering courses in film which also mid-1980s, the explosion of production output resulted in a include a practical element. seemingly insatiable demand for creative new talent to make the TV movies and series for the new schedules. Often a film school graduate has been snapped up by the broadcasters even before the ink has had time to dry on his or her diploma.

Up until the beginning of the 1990s, film studies in the Western half of Germany were only possible in Berlin and Munich – at the German Film & Television Academy (dffb) and the Academy of Television & Film (HFF/M), the dffb students tending to concentrate on socio-political themes while ”Small Change“ Scene from their HFF colleagues gravitated more towards the mainstream and ”glossy images“. Meanwhile, aspiring filmmakers in former East Germany could apply to the Academy of Film & Television (HFF/B) in the Potsdam suburb of Babelsberg.

6 Film Schools In Germany

Rather than try to distill some common elements from the A year later, a production class was set up at the dffb with a yearly various prospectuses issued by the teaching institutions, this intake of six students to train them as creative producers; and a article will instead concentrate on giving thumbnail sketches of Media Lab with state-of-the-art digital technology to acquaint the leading film schools and mentioning some of the illustrious the students with the technical and aesthetic possibilities of this past graduates as well as spotlighting the latest talents to world. emerge from the academies. Then, in 1999, a one-year TV Producer Programme was launched on the initiative of the German TV Producers dffb – Low Budgets, Association, the Berlin Senate, dffb and ProSieben, which is unique in Germany as the only further education programme High Energy which is targeted at professionals who already have at least two years of experience in production and/or dramaturgy and wish to train as TV producers. Starting our tour of the German film schools in the capital Berlin, our guide takes us to the city’s burgeoning new centre at As in other film schools around Germany, the emphasis here is Potsdamer Platz to visit the Deutsche Film- und Fernseh- also on the practical side with the students required to make films, akademie Berlin (German Film and Television Academy/dffb) individually or in groups, during their studies as well as a graduati- which moved into new premises in the Filmhaus at the Sony on film at the end of studies. Center this summer along with the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek, the Filmmuseum and the Arsenal Kino.

Launched in September 1966 with 35 students, the dffb’s first couple of years were marked by a period of experimen- tal methods, technical improvisation and political conflict lea- ding to the expulsion of 18 students in 1968. According to the present director filmmaker Reinhard Hauff, who has been in the post since January 1993, study- ing at the dffb is ”low budget, high energy. Freedom for radical experiments as well as for learning profes- sional standards. Four years of consciously seeing and analysing films and for seeking a balance between technical needs and ”Makin’Scene from Up“ aesthetic aspirations. The aim is to make films which arouse feelings, provoke thoughts and are passionate and unforgettable“. And the dffb is no different to any of the other institutions in being able to call on a veritable ”Who’s Who“ of respected The four-year study is divided into two-year compulsory professionals to impart their knowledge and experience to the foundation studies and then the main course, with the possibility budding filmmakers as guest lecturers: Michael Ballhaus, to take up to a year out after the foundation course for an Werner Herzog, Thomas Arslan, Helma Sanders- internship. Training focuses on the areas of directing, cinemato- Brahms and Sophie Maintigneux are just a handful of graphy, and production with the possibility for supplementary the industry figures teaching what they do. specialisation in screenwriting, editing and digital technologies. Among the best known of the dffb graduates are Wolfgang The dffb has never stood still but has always adapted its program- Becker (winner of the Student Academy Award in 1988 for me to developments in the industry. Thus, in 1997, the dffb Schmetterlinge/Butterflies), Detlev Buck incorporated the Script Academy (Drehbuch-Akademie) (Liebesluder), Wolfgang Petersen (The Boat), Eoin which offers a two-year course exclusively for screenwriters and Moore (Break Even), Marc Schlichter (Ex), Fred is supported by the MEDIA II Programme, Filmboard Kelemen (Verhängnis), and, most recently, Nathalie Berlin-Brandenburg, SFB, RTL and private producers. Percillier (Hartes Brot/Sticky Dough).

7 Training The Next Generation

HFF Munich – Close Links The catalogue of courses was expanded in 1997 with new professorships in departments III., IV. and V. for Dramaturgy to the Local Industry and Story Telling; Applied Aesthetics, Image Composition and Cinematography; Television Just over a year after lessons began at the dffb, the doors Journalism; Advertising, Public Relations and opened at the Academy of Television & Film (HFF/M) Corporate Image Film, which allow all of the students in Munich in November 1967 with 53 students. Initial difficulties the chance for a specialisation of their skills. were organisational rather than political: the fact that the academy’s premises were spread throughout Munich constituted As Doris Dörrie, the professor for Dramaturgy and Story a hurdle to overcome and, in fact, the HFF/M has only been Telling points out, ”the main goal of my work with students is housed in its own building since 1988. to convey the idea that writing is a skill and help them lose their fear. At the same time, the question arises: What do you want Scene from ”Nico Icon“ Scene from

The College is structured in five departments: two general to tell? And why? These two apparently ’harmless‘ questions (I. Communication Science and Supplementary can easily drive you out of your mind because they are difficult Studies, and II. Technique) and three specialised (III. to answer“. Feature Film and Television Movie, IV. Film and TV Documentary, and V. Production and Media The interests and needs of budding screenwriters are also Economics) and is geared to training, in particular, for the addressed by two initiatives which are closely linked with professions of television commissioning editor, dramaturg, film the HFF/M: the Screenwriters Workshop Munich and director, production manager and producer. SAGAs – Writing Interactive Fiction. In addition, the Academy is the co- organiser along with the International Munich Film Weeks of the annual Inter- national Festival of the Film Schools which is now held parallel with the Filmfest München each June.

While the running Scene from ”An Ordinary Mission“ Scene from order ”Television & Film“ in the Academy’s name may have prompted some critics to claim that the tele- vision aesthetic ruled supreme in Munich, the list of the ”old boys and girls“ represents some of the key figures in the German cinema over the last 30-odd years, ranging from Dörrie herself through Wim Wenders and Roland Emmerich, to Vivian Naefe, star producer Bernd Eichinger and 8 Film Schools In Germany

Dominik Graf, let alone the dynamic new generation ranging the ”Young Lion“ documentary award at the 20th International from Nico Hofmann (Land der Väter, Land der Festival of the Film Schools and the Support Prize of the German Söhne), Katja von Garnier (Student Academy Award winner Camera Award in Cologne. Other students from Babelsberg in 1994 with Making Up [Abgeschminkt]), and Caroline who have attracted attention this past year include Eduard Link (Beyond Silence) to Sönke Wortmann (Der Schreiber with his documentary Zone M and Axel Bewegte Mann), Rainer Matsutani (Nur über meine Kalhorn with Wotenick, while the animation films by Ingo Leiche), Rainer Kaufmann (Kalt ist der Abendhauch) Panke (Trompe l’œil) and Felix Gönnert (Bsss) were and Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck (Dobermann). among eight works ”made in Babelsberg“ showing in a special sidebar at this year‘s Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, a new producer generation has been created thanks to the pioneering efforts of the department V. Production and Indeed, as the Academy’s statistics for 1999 show, the students of Media Economics which set such people as Michael ”Konrad Wolf“ are making a valuable contribution to promoting Bütow (Babelsberg TV), Henrik Meyer (Letterbox), the profile of new German cinema abroad: last year, there were Stephan Ottenbruch (SAT.1) and Wolfgang Latteyer 400 screenings of HFF films at almost 200 festivals in 35 countries (Indigo Film) on their way. – ranging from Bochert’s Kleingeld through Susanne Buddenberg and Lorenz Trees’ Handle With Care to HFF Babelsberg – Film Nicolai Rohde’s Schlafmann. School with Long Tradition And if you can’t wait for the next Babelsberg film to come your way, you can view extracts from some of the most successful Returning northwards to the ”other“ HFF, our guide notes that, student films from 1995-1998 on the website like the dffb, the ”Konrad Wolf“ Academy of Film & www.hff-potsdam.de/clips Television (HFF/B) has also taken up residence in new premises this summer - from being scattered in villas along the banks of the Griebnitzsee to having a pur- pose-built building on the lot of Studio Babelsberg. Scene from ”Rochade“ Scene from Founded in 1954 as the German Academy of Film Art, the film school was known as the GDR Academy of Film & Television from 1969 to 1990 and assumed the appendage ”Konrad Wolf“ from 1985 in honour of the great East German director, the creator of such classics as Ich war neun- zehn and Solo Sunny.

Following reunification, the academy passed under the auspices of the higher education authorities in the Land of Brandenburg, having to re-invent itself in every respect: politically, technically and in terms of staffing and the available site. With training covering direction, cinematography, production, dramaturgy, scenography, acting and film and television studies, the Academy is – with over 250 student places – one of the largest institutions of its kind in Germany and is also the orga- Filmakademie Baden- niser of the ”Sehsüchte“ International Students Film Festival each April. Württemberg - Centre of Among the ”star“ graduates of past years are producers excellence for animation Thomas Wilkening (Gripsholm) and Tom Zickler (Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door) and directors Andreas Changes have also been afoot at the Filmkademie Baden- Dresen (Night Shapes) and Sebastian Peterson Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Film Academy) (Helden wie wir), while recent graduates include Marc- in Ludwigsburg in the south-west corner of Germany, although Andreas Bochert, whose short Kleingeld (Small they have not been of a geographical nature like the schools in Change) won the 1999 Foreign Student Film Award from Berlin and Potsdam: this year has seen the announcement that the Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts (AMPAS) and was former Studio Babelsberg Independents chief Dr. Arthur nominated this spring for the Best Short Film Oscar, and directing Hofer is taking over the reins as artistic director at the Film graduate Uli Gaulke whose Havanna mi amor received Academy from founding director Albrecht Ade.

9 Training The Next Generation

In less than a decade, Ludwigs- In addition, that all-important burg has become a key factor link to the industry has been in the German film and TV underpinned by the sponsor- industry, both as a meeting ship by UFA-Bertelsmann, bro- point for intellectual exchange adcasters ProSieben, SWR, through special events with RTL and the regional film fund professionals and as a talent MFG Baden-Württemberg, factory geared to the demands among others, of professor- of a multimedia environment. ships for Creative Producing, Virtual Launched in November 1991 Design, and TV/Film with 80 students, the Design Producing. Academy’s intention has been to provide training for all areas Moreover, this autumn has of current and future film seen the launching of two new needs: features, documenta- departments: Film Acting ries, industrial and advertising and Production Design. films, animation, special effects With a tutor lineup including and production, and, where- director Michael ever possible, applicants Verhoeven and actors should have already gained Hannelore Hoger and Kai knowledge and experience in Wiesinger, the twenty-day other fields such as the visual Film Acting course is arts, photography, journalism, designed to give stage actors graphics, music or theatre. the wherewithal to make the transition to acting in film and Given director Ade’s own TV productions, while the professional background in Production Design course will animation – he has also been last two years and is aimed at the leading light in the staging applicants from such fields of the International as stage design, painting, Animation Film sculpture, architecture and Festival in Stuttgart interior design. every other year – it is not surprising that Ludwigsburg Among those who have already has swiftly become one of the made an impact in the industry leading breeding grounds since leaving the hallowed walls internationally for the next of the Film Academy are FX generation of animation artists wizard Volker Engel, who using classical means or with with his team of fellow stu- the latest computer-assisted dents from Ludwigsburg won technology. Among the most the Oscar for Special Effects on interesting works of the past Roland Emmerich’s years are Heiko Lueg’s Independence Day in Sandland, Silke Parzich’s 1997; Thorsten Schmidt Frühling, Daniel Nocke’s (Snow on New Year’s Der Peitschenmeister, Eve) who received the Student Andreas Hykade’s Wir Academy Award for his short leben im Gras and Ring Rochade in 1998; directors Of Fire, Chris Stenner’s Christine Balthasar (Call Mann im Mond, Andy Boys) and Dominik Kaiser’s Harara and Wessely (Die Blume der Matthias Wittmann’s Hausfrau); and producer Letters. Michael Jungfleisch (Gambit Film). Apart from four full-time professors, the Academy has a pool of around sixty guest Academy of lecturers from all fields of the film and television industry, Media Arts ranging from screenwriters Frank Göhre and Peter Cologne – Märthesheimer through directors Peter Sehr and An audiovisual Nina Grosse to DoPs Sophie Maintignieux and laboratory Benedict Neuenfels as well as commercial supremo A year before Ludwigsburg, Roman Kuhn and anima- teaching began in mid-October tors Phil Hunt, Joanna 1990 at the Kunsthoch- Quinn and Thomas schule für Medien Stellmach. (Academy of Media Arts

10 Scene from ”Beyond Silence“ Scene from Film Schools In Germany

KHM) in Cologne, which was devised as a kind of laboratory allowing a coexistence of market-oriented application with free Filmstudium Hamburg – experimentation together with the desire to preserve and further develop the heterogeneous wealth of possibilities in the audio- Preparation for the visual field. ”real world“ The first academy in Germany devoted to all areas of audiovisual media, the KHM’s four key areas of teaching and research at the Finally, the tour of the so-called ”big six“ takes us up to the city Academy are: Film and Television, Media Design, Media of Hamburg and the University’s Postgraduate Film Studies Art and Art and Media Studies. Skills necessary for specific Department. professions are taught, i.e. training as a director, writer or produ- cer in the department of television/film, and communication and Set up on the initiative of the film director Hark Bohm television design, video design or desktop publishing in the depart- (Yasemin) and the university president Prof. Dr. Peter ment of media design. Fischer-Appelt as part of the University of Hamburg’s

High priority is given to experi- mental work accompanied by the acquisition of technical compe- tence. Thus, the

curriculum centres ”Butterflies“Scene from mainly around stu- dio and lab work in conjunction with specialised seminars aimed at translating practical skills into a media-related and artistic form. As projects, students produce, either individually or in groups, films, videos, installations, television program- mes, photographic and holographic works as well as other forms of expression.

In addition, a series of basic seminars and lectures - ran- ging in subject from Film History to Computers, Art and Creativity – provide an integrated study of the historical and theoretical foundations of Institute for Theatre, Musical Theatre and Film audiovisual media. (Institut für Theater, Musiktheater und Film), the postgraduate department started operations in 1992 with courses Close links have been established with the HFF Babelsberg as well in Direction and Screenwriting and was followed in 1996 by as institutions in Cuba, the UK, Russia and Japan, and the KHM is courses in Cinematography and Production Management. behind the organisation of the Digitale festival which provides a forum for filmmakers to discuss the relationship of the The course of study is limited to two years in length and is aimed digital world of the computer with the moving image and the link at exceptional talents who have already worked for some time in between art and economy. the film and TV industry. Moreover, the teaching concept develo- ped by Bohm is borrowed from existing models in Great Britain, The KHM can also boast a roster of film and TV professionals Eastern Europe and, above all, the USA so that students passing who give the students a unique insight into their particular area through the department easily make the transition into the ”real of work, whether it is producer Helga Bähr, TV presenter world“ and become successful in their chosen field. An additional Alfred Biolek, multimedia artist Valie Export, director international flair is guaranteed through the fact that a large Jeanine Meerapfel or experimental filmmaker Zbigniew proportion of the teaching staff come from the UK and the Rybczynski. KHM graduates have so far included Susanne USA, meaning that English is in fact the second teaching language Ofteringer, director of the award-winning music documentary in the department. Nico Icon, Raimund Boy, winner of the Student Oscar for An Ordinary Mission (Ein einfacher Auftrag) in 1997, Until March 2000, the four course strands were administered by and Züli Aladag whose documentary Zoran has won Hark Bohm (Direction), Michael Ballhaus (Cinemato- awards at numerous film festivals. graphy), Peter Gerlach (Production Management) and Kurt

11 Training The Next Generation d Hauff, dffb Reinhar Albert Scharf, HFF Munich Hark Bohm, Hamburg University

Rittig (Screenplay), but the latter three positions have now been Brunswick’s Academy of Fine Arts before completing handed over to Independence Day DoP Karl Walter his studies at the Film Institute of the Tisch School of Arts in Lindenlaub, Bavaria Film chief Thilo Kleine and Hamburg- New York. based author Dr. Rainer Berg. In fact, the film schools landscape in Germany is constantly evol- Only part of ving: in Karlsruhe, for example, the European Film Institute (EIKK), founded in 1995 by Heimat director Edgar Reitz, the picture has been behind a Film Student Placement programme which, ”besides familiarising [students] with the problems and hazards of As the accompanying address checklist shows, the ”big six“ are film making, also helps them to pass from the sheltered school only part of the picture – for example, the Kassel College environment to the rough-and-ready of commercial film“, and in of Art produced the likes of Gordian Maugg (Hans Cologne, the newly established International Film School Warns – My 20th Century) and Oscar-winning Thomas (IFS), which has incorporated the existing training programmes of Stellmach and Tyrone Montgomery (Quest), as well as the Schreibschule Köln and the Filmschule NRW, plans the Lauenstein brothers’ Balance (Short Film Academy to introduce new courses for production for film and TV, sound Award For Balance in 1989; Lars Becker (Kanak Attack) design, editing and animation, as well as three-year studies in graduated from Hamburg’s Academy of Arts; and Direction, Camera and International Production Management and Edward Berger (Frau 2 sucht Happy End) studied at Screenplay.

Martin Blaney Dr. Arthur Hofer Dr. ttemberg Academy Anthony KHM Moore, Dieter Wiedemann, HFF/B Baden-Wür

12 Address checklist (a selection)

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG Kaskeline-Film-Akademie FF Kollwitzstraße 71 · D-10435 Berlin Drehbuchcamp Freiburg/Wiesbaden phone/fax: +49-30-4 42 74 89 Wilhelmstr. 17 · D-79098 Freiburg Contact: Heinz Kaskeline phone: +49-76 34-59 13 16 · fax: +49-76 34-59 13 17 germar. [email protected] · www.drehbuchcamp.de Sources 2 · Script Development Workshop Contact: Germar Seeliger Köthener Str. 44 · D-10963 Berlin phone: +49-30-8 86 02 11 · fax: +49-30-8 86 02 13 Europäisches Institut des [email protected] · www.sources.deu.net Kinofilms Karlsruhe EIKK Contact: Renate Gompper Gartenstr. 72 · D-76135 Karlsruhe phone: +49-7 21-9 85 05 20 · fax: +49-7 21-9 85 05 25 [email protected] · www.eikk.de Contact: Gideon Bachmann BRANDENBURG Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Erich Pommer Institut Mathildenstraße 20 · D-71638 Ludwigsburg Alt Nowawes 116-118 · D-14482 Potsdam phone: +49-71 41-96 90 · fax: +49-71 41-96 92 99 phone: +49-3 31-7 49 42 10 · fax: +49-3 31-7 49 42 14 [email protected] · www.filmakademie.de [email protected] · www.epi-medieninstitut.de Contact: Ute Weiland

BAVARIA Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen ”Konrad Wolf“ Bayerische Akademie für Fernsehen Marlene-Dietrich-Allee 11 · D-14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg Betastr. 5, D-85774 Unterföhring phone: +49-3 31-6 20 25 10 · fax: +49-3 31-6 20 25 49 phone: +49-89-4 27 43 20 · fax: +49-89-42 74 32 23 [email protected] · www.hff-potsdam.de [email protected] · www.fernsehakademie.de Contact: Waltraut Otto Contact: Irmi Freier Master School Drehbuch FFS Studiengang Szenografie HFF Munich August-Bebel-Str. 26-53 · D-14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg Bavariafilmplatz 7 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-3 31-7 43 87 60 · fax: +49-3 31-7 43 87 99 phone: +49-89-6 49 06 20 · fax: +49-89-64 90 62 20 [email protected] · www.masterschool.de [email protected] · www.szenografie.de Contact: Andrea Peters Contact: Prof. Toni Lüdi

Fachhochschule Augsburg, Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung HAMBURG Fachbereich Gestaltung Baumgartnerstr. 16 · D-86161 Augsburg Filmstudium der Universität Hamburg phone: +49-8 21-5 58 64 01 · fax: +49-8 21-5 58 64 22 Friedensallee 9 · D-22765 Hamburg [email protected] · www.fh-augsburg.de phone: +49-40-4 28 38 41 43 · fax: +49-40-4 28 38 41 68 [email protected] Fachhochschule www.filmstudium-hh.de Würzburg - Schweinfurt Fachbereich Gestaltung Hochschule für bildende Künste Münzstr. 19 · D-97070 Würzburg Studiengang visuelle Kommunikation phone: +49-9 31-3 51 12 06/08 · fax: +49-9 31-3 51 13 29 Lerchenfeld 2 · D-22081 Hamburg [email protected] · www.fh-wuerzburg.de phone: +49-40-4 28 32 32 55 · fax: +49-40-4 28 32 22 79 Contact: Prof. Frieder Grindler www.kunsthochschule.uni-hamburg.de

Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film medien und kulturarbeit e.V. Frankenthaler Str. 23 · D-81539 Munich Filmhaus phone: +49-89-68 95 70 · fax: +49-89-68 95 71 89 Friedensallee 7 · D-22765 Hamburg info@ hff-muc.de · www.hff-muc.de phone: +49-40-39 90 99 31 · fax: +49-40-3 90 95 00 Contact: Prof. Wolfgang Längsfeld [email protected] www.medienundkultur.hamburg.de Contact: Karin Dehnbostel BERLIN Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie (dffb) HESSEN Potsdamer Str. 2 · D-10785 Berlin phone: +49-30-25 75 91 46 · fax: +49-30-25 75 91 62 Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach [email protected] · www.dffb.de Schloßstraße 31 · D-63065 Offenbach am Main Contact: Hannelore Gräwe phone: +49-69-8 00 59 33 · fax: +49-69-88 07 91 [email protected] · www.hfg-offenbach.de Hochschule der Künste (HDK) Contact : Prof. Lothar Spree Hardenbergstraße 33 · D-10623 Berlin phone: +49-30-31 85 22 94/30 · fax: +49-30-31 85 24 06 Kunsthochschule Kassel www.hdk-berlin.de Menzelstraße 13/15 · D-34121 Kassel Contact: Petra Vogt phone: +49-5 61-8 04 53 31 · fax: +49-5 61-8 04 50 01 [email protected] · www.khs.uni-kassel.de Contact: Brunhilde Struck

13 Address checklist (a selection)

LOWER SAXONY Fachhochschule Münster Fachbereich Design Drehbuch-Werkstatt Niedersachsen Sentmaringer Weg 53 · D-48151 Münster Gerberstraße 16 · D-30169 Hanover phone: +49-2 51-8 36 53 03 · fax: +49-2 51-8 36 53 02 phone: +49-5 11-1 34 80 · fax: +49-5 11-7 01 15 54 www.fh-muenster. [email protected] [email protected] · www.filmbuero-nds.de Contact: Dorota M. Paciarelli Filmwerkstatt Münster Gartenstr. 123 · D-48147 Münster Hochschule für bildende Künste phone: +49-2 51-2 30 36 21 · fax: +49-2 51-2 30 36 09 Johannes-Selenka-Platz 1 · D-38118 Braunschweig [email protected] · www.muenster.org/filmwerkstatt phone: +49-5 31-3 91 91 22 · fax: +49-5 31-3 91 92 92 Contact: Winfried Bettmer

Medienwerkstatt Linden Charlottenstr. 5 · D-30449 Hanover phone: +49-5 11-44 05 00 · fax: +49-5 11-45 39 30 [email protected] www.nananet.de/medienwerkstatt-linden Contact: Annette Hoppe

NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA Bergische Universität-Gesamthochschule Wuppertal Fachbereich 5 Haspeler Str. 27 · D-42097 Wuppertal phone: +49-2 02-4 39 41 76 [email protected] www.uni-wuppertal.de/FBS

Fachhochschule Aachen Fachbereich Design ”Night Shapes“ Scene from Boxgraben 100 · D-52064 Aachen phone: +49-2 41-60 09 15 10 fax: +49-2 41-60 09 15 32 [email protected] · www.design.fh-aachen.de Contact: Prof. Wilhelm Schürmann IFS Internationale FilmSchule Köln GmbH Fachhochschule Bielefeld Werderstr. 1 · D-50672 Cologne Fachbereich Gestaltung phone: +49-2 21-9 20 18 80 · fax: +49-2 21-92 01 88 99 Lampingstr. 3 · D-33615 Bielefeld [email protected] · www.filmschule.de phone: +49-5 21-1 06 76 15/16 · fax: +49-5 21-1 06 76 90 [email protected] Kölner Filmhaus e.V. www.gestaltung.fh-bielefeld.de Maybachstr. 111 · D-50670 Cologne Contact: Prof. Gottfried Jäger phone: +49-2 21-2 22 71 00 · fax: +49-2 21-22 27 10 99 [email protected] · www.K-filmhaus.de Fachhochschule Dortmund Contact: Jochen Bentz, Franziska Schleusinger Fachbereich Design Postfach 105018 · D-44047 Dortmund Kunsthochschule für Medien phone: +49-2 31-9 11 24 26 · fax: +49-2 31-9 11 24 15 Peter-Welter-Platz 2 · D-50676 Cologne [email protected] · www.fh-dortmund.de phone: +49-2 21-20 18 92 49/1 19 · fax: +49-2 21-2 01 89 17 Contact: Angela Weber e-mail: [email protected] · www.khm.de Contact: Claudia Warnecke Fachhochschule Düsseldorf Fachbereich Design Georg-Glock-Str. 15 · D-40474 Düsseldorf RHEINLAND-PFALZ phone: +49-2 11-4 35 12 00 · fax: +49-2 11-4 35 12 03 [email protected] · www.fh-duesseldorf.de Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz Seminar für Filmwissenschaft Fachhochschule Köln Jakob-Welder-Weg 24 · D-55099 Mainz Fachbereich Fotoingenieurwesen & Medientechnik phone: +49-61 31-3 92 38 16 · fax: +49-61 31-3 92 38 19 Betzdorfer Str. 2 · D-50679 Cologne [email protected] · www.uni-mainz.de/film phone: +49-2 21-82 75 25 12 · fax: +49-2 21-82 75 25 11 Contact: Dr. Susanne Marschall www.fo.fh-koeln.de Contact: Christel Simon More details of audiovisual training opportunities can be found in the German Federal Film Board’s booklet (in German) ”FFA-Weiterbildungsatlas für Film- schaffende“ which can be ordered online via www.ffa.de/Publikationen.

14 Jeanine Meerapfel

In her first documentary film Im Land meiner Eltern, Jeanine Meerapfel says: ”If Hitler had not exi- sted, I would have been a German-Jewish child, more German than Jewish, born in a small village in south- ern Germany“. But her parents were compelled to flee Hitler, and so she was born as the daughter of a French mother and a German father in Buenos Aires. She spoke Spanish, ate ”Schupfnudeln“ and would have preferred to be called Juana rather than Jeanine. In 1964, defiant as all young people are, she went to precisely the place her father had never wanted her to go to: to southern Germany; to Alexander Kluge’s film department at the college of design in Ulm. As she recalls, there she was transformed from a ”patriotic Argentinian“ into a German Jew – in the eyes of the others. And so – after working on the anarchic, crazy, collectively filmed social drama Zwyckel auf Bizyckel (1968) – she developed film figures with many identities, and as her own scriptwriter she related one story again and again in a new form each time: the story of longing for a home country (Im Land meiner Eltern, Malou, both 1981; Amigomio, 1995), of farewell and return (Die Kümmeltürkin geht, 1985; Die Verliebten, 1987) and of the struggle against forgetting (Desembarcos, 1989; La Amiga, 1988). In each case a documentary and a feature film: it is no coincidence that Meerapfel’s prize-winning works in both genres portray nomads bet- ween worlds, usually women, worn down by a conflict between love and politics. Jeanine Meerapfel, who now lives in Berlin and Cologne, already taught and worked as a film critic during the 70s. Since 1990, she has been a professor at the Cologne College of Arts for Media, of which she was also a co-founder. She herself learns more when she teaches, she says. And she prefers open questions to clever answers. THE TANGO DANCER Tango is an idea which you dance. Always a little melodra- matic and melancholy: after all, it is the music of the emigrants, says Jeanine Meerapfel. Jeanine Meerapfel And she herself passionately loves to dance the tango – the Argentinian version, not the standardised dance from Europe’s dancing schools. Her films are like the tango. They risk what few others in Germany dare: the melodrama – yet with a nudge and a wink of the eye. The 20th century was the century of refugees; almost without exception, Meerapfel devotes her stories to emi- grants, in the format of great emotional cinema – with the expressive power of glorious landscapes and close-ups of stars such as Liv Ullmann or Barbara Sukowa. The fact that Meerapfel’s feature films are still not kitschy is due to the down-to-earth quality which her documentaries lend to them. concerning the German past and the Germans’ animosity towards foreigners with a childlike lack of concern. For as Jeanine The filming of Malou in a Jewish cemetery was disturbed by Meerapfel says, it is always possible to make yourself cosy in shots, and Jeanine Meerapfel discovered a Federal Army practice your otherness. Her heroes dare to employ the same personal, area beside the cemetery: parallel to Malou, therefore, in the sometimes painfully honest tone. same year she made her diary film Im Land meiner Eltern. And even in this documentation, ten-year-old Anna walks whistling Just as the films balance on the boundaries between documentary through Berlin and thwarts the film-maker’s penetrating questions and feature film, between the political and the private, enlighten-

15 Portrait of Jeanine Meerapfel

ment and emotion, the disturbed state of her characters is due to are devoting themselves to social material more and more; a the fact that they are unwilling to accept limitations and taboos. comedy such as Sonnenallee is more history conscious than This moment of going too far interests Meerapfel – the movement the comedies of relationships dating from the early 90s. comparable to a lunging tango step –, the moment when identity first emerges - even if it is still so split. In Malou, Hanna The Germans don’t always like so much politics and so much (Grischa Huber) travels from Germany to Buenos Aires to see lifeblood at the same time. Because of the sunsets, Jeanine her mother (Ingrid Caven) who has grown ill from permanent Meerapfel supposes, and yet she still maintains that political flight, and confronts her own fear of life. cinema should also be permitted to indulge itself in beautiful ima- ges. In the Mediterranean countries, in Spain, Italy, Greece and Malou is as sentimental and old-fashioned as a chanson by Turkey in particular, her films are often rated more highly than Ingrid Caven. But the patina flakes away, for like its director, they are in Germany. A question of the temperature: in the south the film is aware that all was not well with the world in the past, people have fewer problems with impure compounds. either. In La Amiga, Liv Ullmann faces up to the past, protesting with the mothers of the Plaza del Mayo against the At present Jeanine Meerapfel is editing her new film Annas disappearance of their sons. Meerapfel’s films ask whether it is Sommer with Angela Molina, Rosana Pastor and possible to act like a human being in an inhumane society, they Herbert Knaup. This is also a journey of recollection, a jour- search for clues to the past, and work on recollection. Without ney to the Greek islands of childhood, and also a love story. It ever moralizing, they outline the consequences of dictatorship, should be finished at the beginning of 2001. Meerapfel wants to the justifications, the fear, the suppression. And there is also alter the title, it still has too much charm. Perhaps it will become Melek, the ”Kümmeltürkin“ in the year 1985 who – after 14 years ”Anna´s Island“, for island also sounds like flight and withdrawal, in West-Berlin – returns home, worn down by Germany and yet like paradise and prison. More political, anyway. upright and defiant. This is a film of disturbing relevance today. Christiane Peitz As a political film-maker, Jeanine Meerapfel sees herself in good company today: German film, she says, is turning out fewer mass-produced goods. Above all, the young directors from Berlin

Portrait of Hans-Christian Schmid Pursuing the EXCEPTIONAL in the EVERYDAY

Those who grow up in Altötting don’t necessarily enjoy the best He found his documentary film models in Direct Cinema, in prerequisites for a career in the film world. In the nearest larger people such as Philip Leacock and D. A. Pennebaker, who town, Burghausen, every Thursday a series called ”exceptional “directly approach an event with the camera when it is developing films“ is shown, but of course that is scarcely enough to satisfy a towards a crisis.“ In his documentary film Die Mechanik des true hunger for pictures and stories. At that time Hans- Wunders, it was already possible to see how well he senses Christian Schmid was facing the decision whether to employ when there is a story to tell, how he notices those moments his interest in themes and people as a journalist or as a documen- which lie beyond simple documentation. ”The drama of the tary film-maker. pilgrimage“ he says today, ”fitted in perfectly with my interest: the precise timing, people's self-concern, the whole arc of tension.“ He chose film and studied documentary film at the Munich But to the same degree, Schmid also sensed ”what a disturbance Academy for Television and Film, for there one of the important the camera was, how much even such a small team destroyed cer- things was to ”observe people, pursuing the exceptional in the tain moments.“ And he realised that there was a second possibility everyday – or at least that is what we were taught.“ First of all, open to him: ”To make things up, and to build up the situations for two or three years Schmid caught up on what had been around the camera.“ So he used his experience for the fictive concealed from him until then at the cinema: Truffaut, form, telling the story, in Himmel in Hölle, of a girl who Godard, Cassavetes. ends up in the clutches of a sect.

16 Portrait of Hans-Christian Schmid

Hans-Christian Schmid was born in 1965 in Altötting, a place of pilgrimage in Bavaria which presented several themes for his first films: for example Die Mechanik des Wunders, his prize- winning graduation film at the Munich Academy for Television and Film 1992, is about the way in which belief and superstition, customs and misuse go hand in hand in his home town. The television film Himmel und Hölle with Hannelore Hoger and Katja Riemann was concerned with religion and commerce. And because Schmid likes to relate things that he knows a lot about, the film Nach fünf im Urwald is about the experience of arriving in the big city from the provinces for the first time. After its showing at the Hofer Filmtage 1995, the film began a victory march through the cinemas and brought the young actress Franka Potenta her first breakthrough. After this, Schmid worked together with Michael Gutmann for the fourth time, writing the screenplay for Nur für eine Nacht, which Gutmann then produced. This was followed in 1998 by 23, the story of the hacker Karl Koch, a film bringing considerable attention to its protagonist August Diehl. Schmid also received a German Film Award and the Hypo-Promotion Prize for 23. Finally, Schmid made a film version of crazy, the bestseller by private schoolboy Benjamin Lebert, again succeeding in making a mark at the cinema box offices.

Then there was Nach fünf im Urwald, a film about experi- have tortured yourself for six months doing the writing. I don’t ences in the big city and about the generation conflict, a serious find it easy to sit down and think up scenes.“ comedy. The television film was shown at the Hofer Filmtage, was a huge success, and ”suddenly a dozen distributors were queuing And although for his next project crazy he thought ”it would be up, all wanting the film for their programme“. It was also a success easier to work from an existing text"“, he found out ”that it was in the cinemas, and all at once Schmid was seen as a great hope sometimes more complicated than work on original material.“ for German film. Whereas the historical background in 23 was far-ranging, the view is extremely con- centrated in crazy, the experiences of a partially paralyzed private school- boy based on the auto- biographical novel of the same name by Hans-Christian Schmid Benjamin Lebert. Schmid was already working on a film version before the book became a bestseller: ”The novel does not comply with the usual laws of dramaturgy. In the course of our work we repeatedly came to situations where we realised: that’s not really the way to do things. But we still tried, because we didn't want to twist the novel’s narrative form.“ The risk paid off.

Three successes, three original films which prove how many sides there are to Schmid’s work and And the best thing about this was that all the hopes were justified how good German film can be if it concentrates on its own quali- by his next cinema film 23. The true story of the hacker Karl ties. In any case, he thinks that ”there have still been many excel- Koch, who became entangled in his own madness and ended up lent German films after Fassbinder“. And his solution is: ”It is among the Illuminati, not only depended upon the criminalistic simply rude to coax 15 DM from people for a cinema ticket and aspects of the story, but drew particular conviction from its exact then bore them for 90 minutes with a half-done film.“ It would look back at the 80s. 23 documented the state of Germany and be a good thing if his motto set a precedent. of the Germans, mirrored in the view of a lost soul. Michael Althen Those who imagine that friendly, reserved Schmid would feel happier as the author of his stories rather than the director are making a big mistake: ”Filming is like a great reward when you

17 Cine-International

Established in 1969 Managing Director Lilli Tyc-Holm Head of Sales Susanne Groh Additional contact Inge Neber, Christiane Harris Main fields of activity Export of feature films and documentaries for all media to Europe, the USA, Japan and Latin America. Packaging and organising of coproductions for feature film projects Regular attendance of the following film markets Berlin, MIP-TV, Cannes, Venice, MIPCOM, MIFED, Rotterdam Number of titles on offer 280 Percentage of German titles on offer 60% Buyers include Bayerischer Rundfunk, CLT-UFA, SAT.1, Gaumont, Araba, BFI, Channel 4, Lucky Red, Toho-Towa, DAIEI Most well-known current titles on offer Paradiso – Seven Days with Seven Women, The Vanishing (Spoorlos), Dying to go Home, Heroes and Other Cowards, Kristin Lavransdatter Best-selling titles currently on sale Sweet Country (Michael Cacoyannis), Scream of Stone (Werner Herzog), Autumn Milk (Herbstmilch, Joseph Vilsmaier), The Vanishing (George Sluizer) Address Cine-International Filmvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG · Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich · phone: +49-89-39 10 25 · fax: +49-89-33 10 89 THEN SHE MAKES HER PITCH Lilli Tyc-Holm, founder and president of Cine- International, calls herself ”a senior in Film Export.“ That’s one way of describing more than forty years in the business! Lilli Tyc-Holm

She started out as managing director of UFA International until its owner, Bertelsmann, decided to close the operation. She then set up Cine-International in 1969 and also continued to rep the UFA library for the next ten years.

She is especially proud of being among the first to be involved with what’s come to be called New German Cinema as Werner Herzog, Volker Schlöndorff, Hark Bohm and others, including Tyc-Holm, sought to break out from the then mould of German post-war cine- ma; Heimatfilme (literally ”home films“), a genre of folksy musicals and comedies set in villages and small towns in the hills and mountains.

Lilli Tyc-Holm worked with Herzog for almost thirty years, citing the huge international success Aguirre, der Zorn des Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 1972) as the break out film for the director and New German Cinema.

A strength of the company, then and now, is that it has always worked with foreign producers as well; Italian, English and Dutch: Here she mentions the two Dutch Oscar winners, Character and Antonia’s Line (Best Foreign Film, 1997 and 1995) which were that country’s international breakout films.

Cine-International’s most successful Dutch film is the masterful thriller Spoorloos (The Vanishing, 1988, director George Sluizer). Later remade by 20th Century ”The script is massively important for us,“ she says when asked Fox, it’s the original which keeps packing them in. what qualities she looks for in a film. ”The director. His signature. The cast, of course. But then there is the subject matter.“ Another filmmaker of which she is proud (although Tyc-Holm is proud of all her filmmakers) is Greek director Michael She talks about Caroline Link (director and co-writer) and Cacoyannis (producer of the classic Zorba the Greek, Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence, 1996) as being one of 1964) whose Sweet Country (1986) has also proved very her great influences. It’s the story of dependent, deaf mute, successful. parents and their daughter’s desire to become a great musician.

18 Cine-International

”The parents have no understanding because they can’t under- ”We represent our clients with our know-how. Producers want to stand. That’s not the kind of subject you’d think would be success- produce, not get tangled up with foreign representation. It’s a ful. But it was. It was wonderfully received by critics and audien- disastrously heavy burden and prevents them functioning properly ces. It’s a small and wonderful film about a wonderful subject.” as producers. That’s why there are specialists who are at home in international sales. And without that a producer cannot produce. ”What I want from a film is quality, above all else. Quality scripts He can’t produce and sell at the same time.“ and quality themes. That’s important for German production, which is moving in the right direction.“ Then she makes her pitch.

And in what might come as a shock to some she then says: ”We ”We have a reputation. That’s most important because trust is can always learn from the Americans as well as the many famous needed. Otherwise under certain conditions you could be misre- European filmmakers.“ presented; the films sold to the wrong people or the wrong people get approached and a lot of valuable time is wasted and ”When you look at American film production, which is so success- that causes costs.“ ful, and here I’m talking about the good films, they always have an excellent script. You can see they’ve worked a long time on it, ”Presentation at all the big international tradefairs is important; without regard to cost, always striving for the best quality.“ like Berlin, which is our home festival. And we are at MIP-TV, Cannes, Venice, MIPCOM, MIFED and wherever else it’s neces- ”Their production values are high and hardly any film has a sary; London, New York, Montreal. We are always there.“ negative ending. The audience goes home feeling good, not depressed. That’s something important, not to be overlooked.“ ”Producers need a company which is popular, has lots of know how and connections. That’s why if I was a producer I’d always ”They also take care to have good-looking people on the screen. give my films to Cine-International!“ They pay more attention to the aesthetic; that’s also important.“ Lilli Tyc-Holm spoke with Simon Kingsley. That Tyc-Holm loves films is in no doubt, but ”you can’t live from love alone. It has to be worth it.“ And then the experienced businesswoman speaks.

Circle International GmbH

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You are looking for a competent partner who can assist you proficiently and reliably with all your logistic needs ? Then we have the right solutions for you. With the long-term experience of our employees in the film industry, productions (in general) and on-time deliveries for film fairs, Circle International offers you all you will ever need. After all, our world-wide network of offices and specialized agents guarantees you the world class competence and support you can expect from a strong partner. Circle International GmbH Lohstrasse 28a D-85445 Schwaig Tel. +49.(0)8122.90996.20 Fax +49.(0)8122.90996.19 Mobil +49.(0)177.650 12 16 [email protected] homepage: www.circleintl.com

19 Kinowelt International

Established in 1999 Foreign offices London (Kinowelt UK), Beverly Hills (Kinowelt USA Inc.), Budapest, Warsaw, Moscow, Sofia Managing Directors Alexander van Dülmen, Bertil le Claire, Dr. Rainer Kölmel Head of Sales Bettina Kunde Additional contact Vica Fajnor (Senior Vice President, Programme & Sales) Main fields of activity World-wide distribution of all rights for programmes in all formats and genres. Main focus at the moment on Eastern Europe. Regular attendance of the following film markets AFM, MIP TV, MIPCOM, MIFED, Cannes, Discop Number of titles on offer World-wide about 200 / about 50 per year for Eastern Europe Percentage of German titles on offer World-wide 95%, Eastern Europe 5% Buyers include Outside our own network, clients throughout the word Most well-known current titles on offer Bagdad Cafe (Out of Rosenheim), Men (Männer), Martha, Where The Green Ants Dream (Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen) Best-selling titles currently on sale Sun Alley (Sonnenallee), alaska.de, Falling Rocks, Love Never Fails (Marmor, Stein & Eisen), Das Sams (in production) Address Kinowelt International GmbH · Neue Schönhauser Str. 20 · D-10178 Berlin · phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 ON TOP OF THE KINOWELT Although Kinowelt Inter- national is moving south this year, from Berlin to Munich, from his present offices managing director Alexander van Dülmen has his gaze fixed firmly in an easterly direction.

He’s charged with developing Kinowelt Medien AG’s Eastern European distribution network, as well as the world-wide distribution of Kinowelt’s theatrical, video and TV rights for features and documen- taries.

Building on former Iron Curtain contacts from the days (1997-1999) when he ran the former East German sales company Progress, van Dülmen’s busy assembling a stable of local partners.

As he says: ”It is our back yard, we share a cultural heritage and it has absolutely enormous potential as a market.“ Alexander van Dülmen Acting rather like a holding com- pany, Kinowelt International is setting up companies in conjunction with local partners: The first venture ”There’s the classic catalogue of the Filmverlag der was Kinowelt Hungary, a joint film distribution, home Autoren with more than 190 titles from well known German entertainment and TV-licensing venture with Budapest Film, authors like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Percy Adlon, one of the biggest local outfits. Then there’s Poland, Russia, Alexander Kluge, Doris Dörrie and Margarethe von Bulgaria, etc. etc. By 2002 van Dülmen hopes to have Trotta. And also the films from Jugendfilm. Such as Asterix partners or subsidiaries in all eighteen East European territories. and Obelix and any number of fairytales.“

”We have two responsibilities,“ says van Dülmen. ”Firstly, ”And secondly, we have the films that Kinowelt continues to distributing the product already acquired by Kinowelt Medien acquire, and then all the new productions we make, plus those AG, the parent company, such as Leander Haussmann’s produced by Bioskop: Films like the gritty teen social drama wonderful Sonnenallee (Sun Alley).“ alaska.de, for example, which was highly acclaimed by critics

20 Kinowelt International and audiences at San Sabastian, where it was in competition, and Once the network structure is in place, through its partners Toronto.“ Kinowelt International will know who is producing what, where and when. That opens up the possibility of finding films Kinowelt International’s catalogue is also steadily growing which have international potential and, who knows?, like the with new product through the company’s strong contacts with Oscar-winning Kolya, the ability to really break out. young and upcoming production companies and through the output deals already closed with companies like New Line Eastern Europe are two words. The reality is as varied a patch- Cinema and Beacon for the German-speaking territories and work of countries as you can imagine. So van Dülmen tailors Eastern Europe, and with Daybreak Productions for Eastern Kinowelt International’s approach to each one. Europe. ”The joint venture with Alliance Atlantis,“ says van Dülmen, ”enables us steadily to enlarge our portfolio with new, True, there’s an in-house department concerned with international strong and successful titles.“ marketing, ensuring the films are well promoted. ”But obviously,“ says van Dülmen, ”the people on the ground there know better ”We have a close relationship with Alliance Atlantis. We than we do what works marketing-wise, how to get a film into the co-operate in many areas. We give each other tips and I think in cinemas. Should the film have a wide release? Should it start small future we will work even more intensively together, in that in the and roll out? And we try to swap ideas, not just within our net- territories where one is strong, or the stronger, we will share the work but also internationally.“ work. And that gives us an interesting entry to markets where we as Germans or Europeans aren’t quite as established, for example ”If we see how, for example, a Spanish company releases a film in the United States and Canada.“ a certain way, then we’ll tell our Norwegian or East European partners. It keeps us all in close touch.“ With activity on all fronts he’s looking forward to a busy future and that includes buying films from other producers. Kinowelt International is represented at all major markets and festivals and being part of Kinowelt Medien, one of ”When there’s a film that’s interesting, why not? There are always Germany’s most important media companies, makes for excellent good films, for example Kolya. Of course I wouldn’t say no! If I promotion. As van Dülmen says: ”For many producers it’s could find a similar Czech film, for example. But it varies from pro- good to work with the label, Kinowelt.“ duct to product.“ Alexander van Dülmen spoke with Simon Kingsley. teamWorx Production Company for Film and Television

After successfully completing his training as a newspaper journalist (1980-1985) Nico Hofmann continued his studies at Munich’s prestigious television and film school HFF/M (Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film). He then worked as a screenwriter, director and producer. Among his best known works are the thriller The Sandman (Der Sandmann, 1995), the 1997 remake of the hunt for a child killer, Es geschah am hellichten Tag (Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s classic crime novel was first filmed in 1958) and the dark and pas- sionate murder thriller, Solo For Clarinet (Solo für Klarinette, 1998). Since 1990 he has taught at various German filmschools; such as Munich’s Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film, the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin and the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. At this last one, as professor and head of department for Scenic Film, since 1992 he has successfully expanded the area of Fiction Film Direction. From January 1996 to May 1998 he was under exclusive contract to Bernd Eichinger’s Constantin Film (as director and project consultant). In July 1998, together with Wolf Bauer, he founded the teamWorx Production Company for Film and Television Ltd., with offices in Berlin, Munich and Ludwigsburg. Hofmann is both partner and company chairman. THE TEAMWORX PLAYER The hardest part about interviewing Nico Hofmann is getting A form of co-operative, where each producer enjoys full creative him to talk about himself! (And if THAT isn’t something new for freedom and is responsible for developing his or her own projects, the film business, then nothing is!). teamWorx could maybe be best considered as a creative greenhouse for young talent. Not that the man pushes the company line instead, but rather the company of which he is very much a part, teamWorx, is a very But if that sounds like a recipe for disastrous dilettantism it’s any- special beast. In short, the two are inseparable. thing but: Hofmann talks the language of business and the market.

21 teamWorx Production Company for Film and Television

”We want to produce optimal programmes for each individual Bücking on camera, and Dominik Graf with whom we’re broadcaster“, says Hofmann of teamWorx’s to-date major working on a film project. It’s a luxury to work with talented activity, TV event programming. people you admire.“

”We are very market oriented, and are extremely concerned with And when that luxury’s also a successful formula, why not? the channel’s profile. We watch what they broadcast, what they make, and offer channel-specific products. We don’t develop For their first theatrical feature, teamWorx have chosen something and offer it to five of them, we develop programmes Julietta (director Christoph Stark, producers Nico which we consider specific, say, to SAT.1 or RTL.“ Hofmann, Bettina Reitz, Sascha Schwingel) a love-story set against Berlin’s famous Love Parade (see In the case of the former he cites the 2x90 minute escape-from- Production Report, this issue). East-Berlin-adventure-drama, The Tunnel (Der Tunnel). ”I have a great empathy for stories which have large characters, ”We’ve worked on it for almost two years,“ says Hofmann. ”It’s a large emotions, life-changing, life-forming experiences“, says wonderful, extremely emotional story, a classic triangle between Hofmann, "that, and living German history from the last twenty two men and a woman, aimed precisely at young people. That’s years.“ So proud of the project is he, Hofmann cites it as one of 18-20 year-olds; a very narrow target group.“ his career highpoints. And then he’s back to his beloved teamWorx! From his upcoming productions he singles out the comedy Love is Blind (Liebe Macht Blind) with Götz George and ”We’re going very, very strong into the young talent sector“, Barbara Auer ”which we’re shooting in Africa and Baden Hofmann (and saying it is one thing, but putting it into practice as Baden for ARD. It’s a large, DM 6 million, Degeto Film teamWorx does takes guts!) believes, ”it’s decisive that we let production with Thorsten Näter directing. It’ll be wonderful!“ another generation work independently. And we care for the viewing tastes of another generation.“ And then he swings right back to his colleagues!

”I’m also very proud of Sascha Schwingel’s Death Row with Jan Joseph Liefers and Claudia Michelsen. About the abolition of the death penalty; parts were filmed in America. An excel- lent film for RTL. It’s prize winning quality, which is also what we wanted.“

He also gets excited about a second large historical film for SAT.1. Directed by Peter Keglevic, The Dance With The Devil – the Kidnapping of Richard Oetker (Der Tanz mit dem Teufel – die Entführung des Richard Oetker).

One of the greatest criminal cases in German history, industrialist’s son Richard Oetker was kidnapped in 1976, brutally tortured for weeks, then released for a DM 20 million ransom. Twelve years of dedicated police work finally lead to the con- viction of Dieter Zlof. Nico Hofmann Before he became a producer, Hofmann directed ”quite successfully. But after eighteen years I ”The ability to think young,“ he says. ”It’s of massive use that I’m just wanted to produce. And I’ve never regretted it. The job is currently teaching at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg great fun and I think it’s because I get to meet lots of creative where I’m constantly in touch with 20-23 year olds. Constantly in people and connect them, bring them all onboard. It’s fun because touch with the taste of a quite different generation.” I know them well.“ ”I’m very proud we’re a young firm, average age 28-29. I’m by far Quite unashamedly, he admits, ”at the moment I’m allowing and away the oldest!“ myself the luxury of working with people I think are great, such as director Roland Suso Richter (Tunnel), Martin Langer (camera, Tunnel) or Peter Keglevic for the Nico Hofmann spoke with Simon Kingsley. Oetker Kidnapping, together with Hans-Günther

22 We make the best even better

Subtitling Dubbing Post-Production DVD-Mastering Graphic Design

tel: +49-2205/9211-0 fax: +49-2205/9211-99 www.untertitelung.de [email protected] Kino news

13th Tokyo Film Festival Three German films in the com- petition sections of San Sebastian German debut film in competition section of the Tokyo Film Festival A total of five German films or German-international co- Volker Schlöndorff serving as jury president productions were shown at the 48th Donostia/San Sebastian International Film festival The Turkish director Ayse Polat, who lives in Germany, will (21.-30.09.2000), with three of them in the festival’s two th be taking part in the Official Competition of the 13 Tokyo competitive sections. International Film Festival (TIFF, 28.10. - 05.11.2000) with her feature-length debut Tour Abroad (Auslands- The Munich HFF graduate Esther Gronenborn took tournee). part in the Official Competition with her first feature film alaska.de. In this film she uses atmospherically intense images to tell the story of the 16-year-old Sabine who moves to her father in a neglected suburb of East Berlin. There she falls in love with Eddie but, at the same time, slips into a daily routine which is marked more by violence and unemployment than by great emotions. Eberhard Junkersdorf, Bioskop Film, produced the film which was backed by Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH and MFG Scene from ”Tour Abroad“ ”Tour Scene from Baden-Württemberg.

alaska.de also participated in the competition for first and second features open to all sections of the festival. The film was competing here with another two German productions: the Tossell Pictures production England! by Achim von Borries and Claussen & Wöbke’s Undertaker’s Paradise by M. X. Oberg, both premiered at this year’s Filmfest München and screening in the “Zabaltegi/New For the young director who never attended film school, the Directors” section in San Sebastian, were competing for the invitation is a special chance and challenge since the TIFF – as “New Directors” Award which, with a purse of DM 300,000, one of the current nine so-called ”A festivals“ and thus one of is one of the most well-endowed film awards worldwide. the most important international film events – only accepts first, second, and third features for its official competition. The sidebar “Zabaltegi/Festivals’ Top” presented two works The winner receives the Tokyo Grand Prix, a distinction with which had already represented Germany in Cannes this year: a premium of approximately DM 200,000 that is one of the Lost Killers, the Georgian Dito Tsintsadze’s film pro- most well-endowed film awards worldwide. duced by Peter Rommel; and Nana Djordjadze’s German-French-English-Danish co-production 27 Missing Tour Abroad tells the story of a 42-year-old gay Turkish Kisses, produced by Egoli Films. singer who, to his dismay, is faced with the task of bringing a well-educated 11-year-old girl to a female relative. For better or for worse, the two unequal travelling companions set off on a journey which becomes an odyssey through half of MFG News Europe and ends in an unusual friendship. Mira Filmpro- th duktion, Bremen, produced the film, which premiered at MFG Baden-Württemberg celebrates its 5 birthday last year’s Hof Film Days, as a coproduction with ZDF; For five years now, film funding goes south-west! On this funding came from FilmFörderung Hamburg and the occasion, MFG awarded 35 prizes to cinemas for their Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film. excellent programmes.

Volker Schlöndorff, whose latest film The Legends Of Short Films from the south-west in Annecy Rita (Die Stille nach dem Schuss) is currently showing in German cinemas, has been named as president of the jury. As a further step in the Franco-German exchange between Volker Schlöndorff is looking forward to the festival: Baden-Württemberg and Rhône-Alpes, MFG presented short ”What’s special about the Tokyo festival is not only the films from the south-west in Annecy. From October 3 to 10 generous prize, but also the fact that directors can only partici- during the Festival ”Cinéma Italien“, short films from Rhône- pate with their first film, or, more precisely, with their first to Alpes were also shown, the region around Geneva, Catalonia third film. I know from my experience with Young Törless and Lombardy. that debut films are often the strongest, wildest of works; you are not yet tamed and go against all of the rules, yet with a Buffalo Soldiers shot in Baden-Württemberg fresh view of the world. That's why I am looking forward to these films“. Buffalo Soldiers by Gregor Jordan (production com- panies: Gorilla Entertainment, Odeon Pictures, Film Four, Buffalo Soldiers Ltd.) with a total budget of some 24 million DM will be shot in Karlsruhe from November 16 onwards. Joaquin Phoenix will be starring in the film which was fun- ded by MFG.

24 Kino news

Die Unberührbare (No Place The 38th Viennale To Go) opened 5th Festival of German Cinema in Paris In the programme of the 38th Viennale: 16 new German films and an homage to Hartmut The 5th Festival of Bitomsky German Cinema was held in the Paris L’Arlequin Cinema from Germany was particularly well represented at cinema from 11-17 this year’s Viennale (13-25.10.2000). The most important October 2000. Nine cur- Austrian film event, which has primarily made a name for rent German features and a itself with the presentation of works away from the main- retrospective under the stream, showed no less than thirteen German or German- banner ”Reinhard international produced films in its main programme: Hauff and the dffb“ were presented to the pro- The Inner Security (Die Innere Sicherheit) by fessionals and general Christian Petzold, The Princess And The Warrior public. Oskar Roehler (Der Krieger und die Kaiserin) by Tom Tykwer, and Hannelore Elsner Manila by Romuald Karmakar, Parasiso – Seven introduced their film Days With Seven Women ( Parasiso – Sieben No Place To Go as part of the gala opening. Tage mit sieben Frauen) by Rudolf Thome; the documentaries Der Boxprinz by Gerd Kroske, The Festival of German Cinema was organised by the Export- Convicts by Harun Farocki, Die Königin – Union in collaboration with the Goethe Institut, the German Marianne Hoppe by Werner Schroeter, Hannelore Elsner Hannelore Federal Film Board (FFA), the Federal State Minister for Neustadt.Stau – Stand der Dinge (New Town. Culture and Affairs of the Media (BKM) as well as the six Jam – The State Of Things) by Thomas Heise; the major economically-oriented film funds. A jury comprising shorts Digital Hardcore Virus Videos by Philip French industry figures selected the following films for the fest- Virus, Normalität 1 – 7 by Hito Steyerl; and the ival programme: coproductions Suzhou Ye by Lou Ye (China-Germany) and Vacances Au Pays by Jean-Marie Teno (France- Farewell (Abschied) by Jan Schütte, alaska.de by Cameroon-Germany). Esther Gronenborn, England! by Achim von Borries, Crazy by Hans-Christian Schmid, A special honour was bestowed on the short filmmaker Enlightenment Guaranteed (Erleuchtung garan- Matthias Müller who is highly regarded internationally in tiert) by Doris Dörrie, Im Juli by Fatih Akin, specialist circles: the Viennale commissioned him to design this The Inner Security (Die Innere Sicherheit) by year’s festival trailer and presented his new work nebel, Christian Petzold, No Place To Go (Die Unbe- based on the cycle “gedichte an die kindheit” by Ernst rührbare) by Oskar Roehler and Forget America Jandl, as a world premiere in the main programme. (Vergiss Amerika) by Vanessa Jopp. One of a total of three retrospectives is being dedicated to The festival programme also included: the documentary filmmaker Hartmut Bitomsky who is • The retrospective ”Reinhard Hauff and the dffb“, also well known internationally. With 13 works in all, the showing Hauff ’s films Stammheim, Blue-Eyed (Blau- festival documented the “great independence and political äugig), Knife In Head (Messer im Kopf), The Main relevance” of the director who now teaches at the California Actor (Der Hauptdarsteller) as well as the dffb produc- Institute of the Arts. tions England!, Ex, Trust Me (Freunde), Break Even (Plus-Minus-Null), Fate (Verhängnis) and Zoe. Meanwhile, Johnny West (1977) by Roald Koller and Die Puppe (1919) by Ernst Lubitsch were shown in the • The Export-Union’s film schools programme ”NEXT sidebar “At Second Glance”. GENERATION 2000“. Festival director Hans Hurch is impressed by the quality of • The Ernst Lubitsch silent movies Die the contemporary German film production: ”What I have Austernprinzessin und Madame Dubarry. noticed this year is the diversity of German film productions, The classics were musically accompanied by a trio led by the different narrative forms, stories and approaches. I don’t Aljoscha Zimmermann. think that you have ‘the’ German film, and that makes the selection of individual works for a festival like ours parti- • The avant-premieres of Volker Schlöndorff’s The cularly exciting and worthwhile. It is also reassuring to know Legends of Rita (Die Stille nach dem Schuss) in that the comedy craze is no longer gaining ground, but that collaboration with the French distributors. very specific and articulated works are in the process of being made. And since I don’t believe in coincidence, it will be really The event was supported by: Goethe Institut Paris, Transit interesting to see what this development means for the Film, Agfa Kinefilm, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, German cinema“. Erdinger Weissbräu, Film und Video Untertitelung, ARTE, dffb Berlin, Inter Nationes, FIP-Radio, Siemens and Daimler- Chrysler.

25 Kino news

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern IN JULY opens the first Festival of German Cinema in Newly founded film and television production firms successful in Munich Los Angeles

st Conditions for the foundation of film and television production Made In Germany – 1 Annual Festival Of firms at the media location Munich were the focus of a rese- German Cinema Los Angeles will be held in the arch project carried out by the Institute for Sociology of the Laemmle Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills from 3. - 9. LMU Munich during the summer of 2000. This study is an- November 2000. Cinephiles and representatives of the media other example of support for an academic project conveying and the film industry will have the opportunity to see 14 deeper knowledge about the media scene in Bavaria from the contemporary German feature films, two documentaries as FilmFernsehFonds Bayern. well as a German-American short film programme. The parliamentary party chairman of Bündnis 90/DIE GRÜ- In the context of this research project, questions were put to NEN, Rezzo Schlauch, will open the festival before invi- 164 production and service firms founded between 1992 and ted guests and with director Fatih Akin and lead actress 1998. The results of the investigation are a clear indication that Christiane Paul in attendance. conditions for starting up in the Munich location are conside- red extremely favourable. The technical infrastructure, and The first Festival of German Cinema in Los Angeles is being the qualifications and availability of skilled personnel are seen organised by the Export-Union in cooperation with the as particularly positive. The newly founded concerns even Goethe-Institute, the German Federal Film Board judge the future perspectives of the media location more opti- (FFA), the State Minister for Culture and Affairs of the Media mistically than already established firms. as well as the six major economically-oriented film funds. A jury consisting of American industry representatives has selec- And the new media concerns are certainly successful. A fifth of ted the following films for the programme: those founded achieved a distinct growth in turnover shortly after entering the market; they are the whizz kids in the field Gigantic by Sebastian Schipper, England! by Achim and within a brief time they have increased their turnover to von Borries, Falling Rocks by Peter Keglevic, over 8,000,000 DM. In the case of 44% of the new Trust Me by Martin Eigler, Green Desert by Anno concerns, development in turnover was within a middle area Saul, Home Game by Pepe Danquart, In July by and remained constant over the first years. Only 35% of the Fatih Akin, The Inner Security by Christian newly founded firms remained on a level of turnover below Petzold, Marlene by Joseph Vilsmaier, Back Home 80,000 DM per year. To The Reich With Bubi by Stanislaw Mucha, Paradiso – Seven Days With Seven Women by To sum up, it is possible to say that the greater Munich area Rudolf Thome, The Policewoman by Andreas offers excellent opportunities for the success of newly foun- Dresen, Sumo Bruno by Lenard Fritz Krawinkel, ded companies in the field of film and TV. A conclusion which Tuvalu by Veit Helmer, No Place To Go by Oskar was confirmed by a 1999 study by the German Institute Roehler and Forget America by Vanessa Jopp. for Economic Research (DIW). Also in the festival programme: • A German-American short film programme: this will inclu- de the Tiger Shorts 2000, awarded a prize by the FFA, New German Films at the Film the Export-Union's film school selection Next Generation 2000 as well as the graduation films by German film students Festival in the Baltic at film schools in Los Angeles (USC, UCLA, AFI, CHAP- MAN); The FilmFörderung Hamburg and the Mitteldeut- rd sche Medienförderung will be running the Film Festival in • The ”3 Annual Film Talk“ of the European Film the Baltic in cooperation with the Goethe Institutes in Academy, organised in cooperation with the festival on the Riga and Vilnius from 1. – 10. December 2000. Feature films subject of ”Next Generation“ – the filmmakers of tomorrow; on the programme include Volker Schlöndorff‘s The • A workshop talk with Rezzo Schlauch and Dieter Kosslick Legends Of Rita, Vanessa Jopp’s Forget America, in the Goethe-Institute on the subject of ”The European- Over the Rainbow by Jan Peter and Yury American Audiovisual Relationship“ in cooperation Winterberg, Gangster by Volker Einrauch, Green with the Heinrich Böll Foundation; Desert by Anno Saul, Gordian Maugg’s Hans Warns – My 20th Century, Romuald Karmakar’s • A panel discussion on the issue of ”Filming with Manila, Marlene by Joseph Vilsmaier and Ol! Equity Money from Germany“. Warning by the brothers Dominik and Benjamin Reding. Documentary films will also be shown, among others New Town. Jam – The State Of Things by Thomas Heise. In the wider context of the Film Festival in the Baltic, there are also plans for meetings between German, Lithuanian and Latvian producers and directors as well as discussion forums and studio visits. Scene from ”In July“Scene from

26

for an aircraft which first flew in 1954 (B-52A) and entered service in 1955 (B-52B).

The aircraft’s flexibility was evident during the Vietnam War and, again in the Operation Desert Storm. B-52s struck wide-area

Hartmut Bitomsky troop concentrations, fixed installations and bunkers, and decima- ted the morale of Iraq's Republican Guard. The Gulf War involved the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, launched conventional air launched cruise missiles and returned to Barks- dale – a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coaliti- on forces.

A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. Only the H (which can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles) is still in service. Now in post-production, B-52 is a portrait of this awesome aircraft then and now, and looks at the men who flew it, the men who fly it, and, since this is an instrument of war as much as one of peace, those who were bombed by it.

Award-winning filmmaker Hartmut Bitomsky is a Dean at The California Institute of Arts School of Film/Video, one of the top five schools in the United States. Die Champions Original Title Die Champions English Title The Champions Type of Project Feature Genre Documentary Production Company Christoph Hübner Filmproduktion, B-52 Witten With backing from Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Original Title B-52 English Title B-52 Type of Film, BKM, Filmstiftung NRW Producer Christoph Hübner Project Feature Genre Documentary with archival footage Director Christoph Hübner Directors of Photography Production Company CO*FILM Bitomsky & Schwinges, Christoph Hübner, Leif Karpe, others Editor Gabriele Voss Newhall-Hamburg, and Dschoint Ventschr, Zurich, in co-produc- Format video transfer to 35mm, colour, 1:1.66 Shooting tion with WDR, Cologne With backing from FilmFörderung Language German Shooting in Dortmund, Turkey, USA, Hamburg, Filmstiftung NRW, BKM, Rockefeller Foundation, Chile, etc California Institute of the Arts Producers Hartmut Bitomsky, Albert Schwinges Director Hartmut Bitomsky Screenplay World Sales: Christoph Hübner Filmproduktion Hartmut Bitomsky Director of Photography Volker In der Lake 12 · D-58456 Witten Langhoff, Hugo Kroiss Sound Gerhard Metz, James Benning phone +49-23 02-2 53 00 · fax +49-23 02-5 53 55 Editor Theo Bromin Format 35 mm, col/b&w, widescreen 1:1.85 Length 109 min Shooting Language English The dream of becoming a professional soccer player. And not just Shooting in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, any professional soccer player, but one with European Champions Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Borussia Dortmund. That’s the focus of multi award-winning jour- Nebraska, North Dakota, Washington, Hamburg/Germany, nalist Christoph Hübner’s latest project, Die Champions. Hanoi/Vietnam For three years he accompanied and documented a group of pro- Contact: Hartmut Bitomsky misingly talented youngsters, all of whom share the same dream. fax +1-6 61–2 53 78 24 [email protected]

An aircraft of superlatives, the B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. It can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters) and carry nuclear or conventional ordnance with world- wide precision navigation capability. It has an unrefuelled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometres). With aerial refuelling, its range is limited only by crew endurance. Scene from ”The Champions“ Scene from For more than 35 years it has been the primary manned strategic bomber force for the United States and is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs and precision guided missi- les. Updated with modern technology, the B-52 will continue into the 21st century with a lifespan beyond the year 2045. Not bad

28 in production

Asked why he chose the apprentices, Hübner says: ”The professionals were already set, already developed. I was much more interested in the youngsters, their dreams and what would become of them.”

”A film lives from the composition of its figures, from the different characters, from the noisy ones as well as the quiet ones“, says ”Julietta“ Scene from Hübner, who chose his subjects on more than just sporting cri- teria. In any event, Die Champions is ”not only about sport in the narrow sense of the word. It’s much more about the youths’ development.“

Hübner became a team fixture himself; at games both home and away, during training, the A-team, the junior team, the amateurs. And not just because of his film, but from personal interest.

”I was taken more by the project than I originally had bargained for,“ he says with no trace of regret. ”Intense relationships develop and they’re also very important.“

All of Hübner’s subjects have talent, but it’s what happens with that talent, where it takes them, that counts. Top sportsmen have to learn discipline. Hard when you’re only sixteen. But that’s still old enough to have your career destroyed by injury before it’s even started. Make no mistake, Die Champions is a human story and human tragedy cannot be ruled out. The Love Parade. Three words to get the heart pounding and the In more than 150 hours of footage (to date) the interviewees pulse racing. Berlin’s annual outdoor techno extravaganza is the reveal themselves both on and off the pitch, personally and priva- biggest, loudest, bangingest rave held anywhere in the world. tely. They talk about their backgrounds, how they came to be Every July, hundreds of thousands of party animals drop all where they are, their hopes and dreams, their hobbies and taste in inhibitions and for one non-stop weekend party like it was their music. last. The highpoint is the procession of massive mobile sound systems through the city centre Tiergarten park. It’s one of ”The club’s openness and support was amazingly generous“, says those events where descriptions aren’t enough: You really do Hübner, ”which enabled me to develop the relationships and have to be there. intimacy essential for such a documentary.“ Julietta is eighteen years old and just about to graduate from high- Die Champions is more than a portrait of Borussia school. She travels to Berlin to spend the Love Parade weekend Dortmund’s young soccer stars. The film tells stories from the with her boyfriend, Jiri, who’s studying there. They throw them- real lives of real people. ”In my films“, says Hübner, ”the real selves into the action, get caught up in the general euphoria, party people are always the centre of attention.“ hearty and suddenly, in the sea of people, lose sight of each other.

Julietta searches for him for hours. The drugs she’s taken only add to her despair; she loses her orientation and faints. She’s helped Julietta by Max, who’s been watching her for some time, and the next morning the two become friends. Original Title Julietta English Title Julietta Type of Project Feature Genre Love-story Production Six weeks later Julietta realises she’s pregnant and, despite being in Company teamWorx, Produktion für Film und Fernsehen the middle of her exams, travels to Berlin to see Jiri. But he’s fully GmbH, Berlin, in co-production with ZDF, Mainz, ARTE, occupied with his studies, has no time for her and proves unrelia- Strasbourg With backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, ble and unorganised. But in Max she finds an attentive friend. FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, MFG Baden-Württemberg, FFA Producers Nico Hofmann, Bettina Reitz, Sascha Schwingel The sexual attraction between the two grows, but Julietta wants Co-producer Daniel Blum (ZDF) Director Christoph Stark to avoid a relationship and tells him the child’s Jiri’s. But her con- Screenplay Jochen Bitzer, Christoph Stark Director of fession only makes things more complicated. For the first time in Photography Jochen Stäblein Music by DJ Fetisch her life, Julietta suddenly realises she has to make decisions which Principal Cast Lavinia Wilson, Barnaby Metschurat, Matthias will also affect others. Koeberlin Format super 35 mm, Colour, cs Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin, Stuttgart German Producer Sascha Schwingel was representing teamWorx Distributor teamWorx / Centralfilm, Berlin Contact Sascha at a graduate film presentation when cameraman Jochen Stäblein Schwingel, [email protected] told him writer-director Christoph Stark and writer Jochen Bitzer had a script, Julietta. ”I spoke to Christoph,“ World Sales/PR-Contact: says Schwingel, ”and told him about the newly formed David Rosenbauer teamWorx. A few days later I read the script and was fascina- CLT-UFA International ted. I gave it to Nico Hofmann and Bettina Reitz and we 45 Boulevard Pierre Frieden · L-1543 Luxembourg decided straight off to option it.“ phone +35-2 42-142 39 23 · fax +35-2 42-1 42 39 97 [email protected] Schwingel and Reitz, together with Stark and Stäblein, worked intensively on the script from November 1998 to July 2000 and, seventeen drafts later, were ready.

Julietta is teamWorx’s first theatrical feature. 29 prison sentences for a terrorist incident. Together again, the once close friends realise how much they have all changed over the years, wondering what happened to their idealism.

Anne Wild calls it ”a story about old friendships, getting older and the constant presence of the past in our lives and, as a writer, those are fascinating topics to explore.“

Producer Jost Hering (and, yes, that is Hering as in the fish!) originally trained as a cook before starting in local theatres in Hannover (both running a small theatre and acting). He entered the film business in 1987, learning the ropes from the inside until, in 1991, he set up as a producer.

The renowned Süddeutsche Zeitung has said of him: "With an unusually high number of features of noteworthy standard, Jost

Henriette Confuzius Hering emphasises the fact that he is one of the most active, enterprising and ambitious up-and-coming producers in Germany.“ Königskinder

Original Title Königskinder English Title TBA Type of Mein langsames Project Feature Genre Drama Production Company Jost Hering Filmproduktion, Berlin, Home Run Pictures, Leben Stuttgart, Milchstrasse Film, Hannover, in co-production with SWR, Baden-Baden With backing from MFG Baden- Original Title Mein langsames Leben English Title TBA Württemberg, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film Producers Type of Project Feature Genre Drama Production Jost Hering, Peter Rommel Director Anne Wild Screenplay Company Schramm Film, Berlin, in coproduction with ZDF, Anne Wild Director of Photography Woitek Szepel Mainz With backing from Filmfonds Berlin-Brandenburg Editor Dagmar Lichius Principal Cast Henriette Confuzius, Producers Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber Henry Hübchen, Juliane Köhler, Imogen Kogge Format 35 mm, Director Angela Schanelec Screenplay Angela Schanelec colour, 1:1.66 Shooting Language German Shooting in Director of Photography Reinhold Vorschneider Mannheim, German North Sea coast Editors Bettina Böhler, Angela Schanelec Principal Cast Ursina Lardi, Andreas Patton, Wolfgang Michael, Anne Tismer World Sales: Jost Hering Filmproduktion GmbH Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1.85 Shooting Language German Contact Firat Deniz (Mr) Shooting in Berlin, Brandenburg, Friedrichshafen, Paris Winterfeldstrasse 31 · D-10781 Berlin German Distributor Peripher Filmverleih, Berlin phone +49-30-21 75 68 56 · fax +49-30-21 75 68 58 www.josthering.de · [email protected] Contact: Schramm Film, Michael Weber Bülowstr. 90 · D-10783 Berlin During her holidays on the North Sea coast Dole meets Hermann phone +49-30-2 61 51 40 / + 49-30-2 65 24 90 and they become very close friends. But this is no ordinary friend- fax +49-30-2 61 51 39 ship. Dole is eleven years old and Hermann is more than thirty [email protected] years her senior, married-with-children. Neither Dole’s mother nor Hermann’s family can understand what the two see in each ”How do you find your own music?“ That’s the question writer other. and director Angela Schanelec poses in the Schramm Film-ZDF coproduction, Mein langsames Leben (My Slow Life). One day Dole’s mother decides to move in with her boyfriend. Dole has her own ideas. A short while later Hermann answers a The story of a woman who falls in love with her friend’s brother. knock at the door to find her standing on his front step: She’s The film observes them over six months and also provides an decided to run away with him.

So this unlikeliest of couples takes to the road, pursued by Dole’s mother and Hermann’s wife. For the first time in their lives, they both experience love.

Their journey brings them full circle, ending where it all began, at the coast. But since their first encounter a few things have chan- ged: Dole has grown up, Hermann hasn’t.

For writer-director Anne Wild, Königskinder (literal transla-

tion, Royal Children) is an excursion into the realm of human rela- Heino Herrenbrück, Angela Schanelec tionships. This was also the subject of her previous feature credit, Was tun, wenn’s brennt? (working title, What To Do In Case Of Fire) for Deutsche Colombia Tristar. Co-written with Stefan Dähnert, this, their first joint project, won them the 1999 Baden-Württemberg Script Prize.

Briefly, the film deals with a group of former friends reuniting in an effort to retrieve evidence and save themselves from possible

30 in production insight into the lives of a group of people whose relationships at New York University. She’s tough and career-orientated. change and consolidate during this time. At a party she meets German businessman Frank Wagner who’s Schanelec, born 1962, studied acting and trod the boards from come to sign an important contract with tycoon Curtis Sherman. 1984-91. From 1990-95 she studied at the German Film and Sherman has sponsored Nancy since her arrival and harbours Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin. strong feelings for her. When he notices Frank’s interest he becomes jealous. She has a talent for provoking extreme reactions: Das Glück Meiner Schwester (1995, writer, director, editor, actor) Also at the party is Paul von Bernwarth, Frank’s mentor and head examines whether ”a man can love two women. But even now I of the company’s New York office. A long-time business partner don’t know if that’s really true. And I wanted to find out what the of Sherman he’s supposed to help Frank seal the deal. Language of Lovers really is. During filming we always had the window wide open and every location which was loud, public and penetrating was good.“

One reviewer (tip) called it “a radical, pure, work.“ Another (Berliner Morgenpost) said: ”nobody really knows why this film really exists. The dialogue is too stilted for a credible triangle- story, for a portrait of big city Berlin the pictures lack atmosphere. You could have also omitted the camera. Because all that happens is talk. Meaningless and artificial. When it’s not drowned out by noise from the street. Which is the cleverest idea in this soulless relationship drama.“ The film won the 1996 German Critics Prize.

Schanelec’s second feature Plätze in Städten (Places in Cities, TV-movie, 1997/98; writer, director, editor, producer) is the story of 18-year-old schoolgirl Mimmi, who doesn’t know where her life is going. The film was presented at ”Un Certain Regard“ in 1998. Producer Regina ZieglerWolfProducer and director with team Gremm Süddeutsche Zeitung described the film as "the story of a schoolgirl who travels to Paris, meets a young man, discovers back in Germany she’s pregnant and travels back again to Paris. But the film can’t cope with such goings-on because the camera holds every shot for so long until almost every hope for the continuation of the story has vanished.“ Wrote tip: ”For almost While Frank and Nancy grow closer, Sherman hatches a plan to two whole hours one is fortunate to observe, completely without use Paul to get Frank into trouble: He refuses to sign, Frank gets prejudice, a stranger’s existence.“ ordered back to Germany in disgrace and Paul will step in to save the day. Mein langsames Leben seems almost certain to arouse similarly divergent opinions and strength of feeling. Frank is shattered, but Nancy stands by him. Until the day she enters his apartment, mistakes his cleaning lady for his lover and storms out.

Nancy He goes in desperate search of her, only to discover she’s finan- und Frank cing her studies escorting businessmen. Original Title Nancy und Frank (working title) English Title But one reconciliation later, the two travel to New England to fall Nancy and Frank (working title) Type of Project Feature further in love. There, Nancy offers to smooth things over with Genre Love-story Production Company Ziegler-Film Köln Sherman and help Frank get his career back on track. A dangerous GmbH, Cologne, Ziegler Film GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, game begins ..... Cinefrank/Cinerenta mbH, Potsdam, Munich in coproduction with WDR, Cologne With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, FFA In her native America, Frances Anderson (Nancy) is equally Producers Elke Ried, Regina Ziegler, Rainer Bienger at home treading the boards or in front of the camera. She made Director Wolf Gremm Screenplay Jonathan Brett, Wolf her film debut with The Deli and was a regular cast member of Gremm Director of Photography Egon Werdin the series Guiding Light. Editor Karola Mittelstedt Principal Cast Hardy Krüger Jr., Frances Anderson, Robert Wagner, Gottfried John Format Hardy Krüger Jr. (Frank), was born in 1968 and studied at the 35 mm, colour, 1:1.85 Shooting Language English renowned Lee Strasberg Institute. He has featured in many Shooting in New York, Cape Cod, Cologne German German TV-series and TV-movies, making his theatrical debut in Distributor Warner. Bros Film, GmbH, Hamburg Asterix and Obelix Versus Caesar.

World Sales: Capitol Film Producer Regina Ziegler is one of Germany’s most successful Address 23 · Queensdale Place film and TV professionals, with more than 200 projects to her GB-London W11 4SQ name since setting up her own company in 1973. phone +44-20-74 71 60 00 · fax +44-20-74 71 60 12 Equally at home in both media, she created a bridge between film Nancy und Frank combines a passionate love-story with and television with the initiation of the Erotic Tales, a series of classic roadmovie elements and is adapted from Hans Werner shorts by internationally renowned directors. Among the contribu- Kettenbach’s best-selling novel, Hinter dem Horizont. tors; Paul Cox, Susan Seidelman (Oscar nominated for The Dutch Master, with Mira Sorvino), Nicolas Roeg, Mika Nancy Ferencz comes from Hungary, lives in the USA and studies Kaurismaki and Detlev Buck. 31 Null Uhr Zwölf Original title Null Uhr Zwölf English Title TBA Clasart’s roots lie with classical music documentaries. In the Type of Project Feature Genre Drama Production 1980s the company expanded into international coproductions, Company Clasart Film- und Fernsehproduktions GmbH, TV and theatrical features. The most recent being the theatrical hit Munich Producers Olivier Deflou, Peter Lohner Director Workaholic, with Christiane Paul, Tobias Moretti and Bernd-Michael Lade Screenplay Stefan Kolditz Director of Ralf Bauer. Photography Michael Heiter Principal Cast Dieter Landuris, Isabella Parkinson Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1.66 Last January Olivier Deflou took the helm and brought Peter Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin Lohner on board; both are responsible for Null Uhr Zwölf German Distributor Concorde Filmverleih, Munich Contact and all coming domestically produced theatrical features. Olivier Deflou, Peter Lohner Producer Olivier Deflou spent seven years at German broad- World Sales: Tele München Gruppe caster RTL, then moved to AB Production in Paris. Three and a Kaufingerstr. 24 · D-80331 Munich half years ago he joined TMG as rights dealer and since last phone +49-89-29 09 30 January has been responsible for all the Group companies’ (TMG, fax +49-89-29-2 90 93-1 09 Clasart and MD production) fiction production. [email protected] · www.telemuenchen.de Producer Peter Lohner is an American who moved as a child Let’s face it, there’s no point in making a drama unless it’s, well, to Germany. He tried out as a lawyer, journalist, and documentary dramatic. That’s not just the premise, that’s the promise, of Null filmmaker, entering fiction production with broadcaster ProSieben. Uhr Zwölf (twelve minutes past midnight). Before joining TMG he headed Real-Film, Cologne.

What Clasart Film have done is take the classic crime thriller Clasart plans to make 2-4 theatrical features a year, to be conundrum, did-they-didn’t-they (as in the masterly The Usual distributed by Concorde Filmverleih. Next up (Feb/March 2001), Suspects) and create a cinematic game of coincidence, fate and the romantic vampire dramedy, Bis zum letzten Biss luck. (Till the Last Bite). Das Sams

Original title Das Sams English Title TBA Type of Project Feature Genre Family entertainment

Bernd-Michael Lade Production Company Kinowelt Filmproduktion GmbH, Munich With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, FFA Producer Ulrich Limmer Director Ben Verbong Screenplay Paul Maar, Ulrich Limmer Director of Photography Klaus Eichhammer Editor Norbert Herzner Music by Nicola Piovani Principal Cast Sams, Ulrich Noethen, Aglaia Szyszkowitz, Armin Rhode, Eva Mattes, August Zirner Format super 35 mm, colour, cs Shooting Language German Shooting in Bamberg, Mallorca German Distributor Kinowelt Filmverleih GmbH, Munich

World Sales: Kinowelt International GmbH · Bettina Kunde Neue Schönhauser Str. 20 · D-10178 Berlin phone +49-30-30 06 97 76 fax +49-30-30 06 97 79 [email protected]

It all started the Sunday before, because it was bright and sunny. On Monday Mr. Mon came to visit, on Tuesday Mr. Taschenbier had to work (as he always did), Wednesday was the middle of the Five people. One event. A security truck is robbed. A car speeds week (as it always is), Thursday it thundered and rained, Friday he away. Five people get out, their faces hidden. Shortly after mid- had an unexpected day off. And Saturday? On Saturday (in night five people wait for a train; three men, two women, aged German, Samstag) the Sams appeared. between 25 and 35. Each one carries a bag. “Arrest them!“, says the detective in charge. The Sams, a remarkable little creature with a trunk-like nose, ent- ers Mr. Taschenbier’s (Ulrich Noethen) life and promptly turns The suspects are Frank, hot-headed gambler; Marie, sexually undi- it upside down. It calls him ”Papa“, and is as outgoing, cheeky and scovered computer-programmer; Martin, phlegmatic salesman; chaotic as Mr. Taschenbier is shy, calm and ordered. But his life Jonas, taxidriver and former war-photographer, and Katrin, really changes when he discovers that with the aid of the blue waitress and single mother. spots on the Sams’ face all his wishes can come true (just press a spot and wish!). He’s able to pacify his bad-tempered landlady, They’re questioned separately. The case against them mounts but Mrs Rotkohl (Eva Mattes), he gets the better of his nasty neigh- the police are divided. ”Let them go but shadow them“, is the bour, Mr Lürcher, and lives his life just the way he would like it. order. It could all have been perfect if Mr Taschenbier had not gone and fallen in love with his pretty colleague, Miss März (Aglaia Null Uhr Zwölf is the tale of five people caught by fate, five Szyskowitz). The Sams is not just magical, it’s also a jealous less than usual suspects whose lives take a decisive change. little creature and now it’s fit to burst! Things will never be the same again.

32 in production

Contact: Cascadeur Filmproduktion GmbH Jimmy C. Gerum Sendlinger Str. 17 · D-80331 Munich phone +49-89-23 66-9 00 · fax +49-89-23 66 90 44 mobile +49-1 72-8 10 68 18 www.cascadeur.de · www.swdft.de · [email protected]

Never, ever, underestimate the sheer power of the human spirit and the force of will when it is inspired by love. That’s the messa- ge of As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me. Based on Josef Martin Bauer’s novel, this true story is the incredible journey undertaken by German soldier Clemens Forell in his dramatic escape from a Siberian labour camp.

Set against a backdrop of desolate and inhospitable landscape, beset by danger (from both animals and humans), constantly batt- ling the worst nature can throw at him, Forell makes his way, step by step, kilometre by kilometre, towards Persia and the longed-for freedom.

Three years it takes him. Sometimes riding on trains, sometimes by boat, mostly on foot, he covers more than 14,000 kilometres, knowing that every step brings him closer to his goal but never Ben Verbong, Ulrich Limmer, das Sams, Ulrich Noethen knowing if his next step will also be his last. In December 1952, eight years after he left his family and was sent to fight on the The invention of the film’s co-writer Paul Maar, one of Russian front in a war that was already lost. Forell was finally Germany’s most famous and successful authors of children’s reunited with his wife and children. books, the Sams made its debut in 1973 and the film is based on the first three books in the series. As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me is the second feature from Cascadeur Filmproduktion, the partnership between From the very beginning, Maar insisted Das Sams ”should be a producer Jimmy C. Gerum and the film’s director and co-author film for the entire family.“ For producer, co-writer and managing Hardy Martins. director of Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Ulrich Limmer that was no problem since he was working with the ideal material: Martins also directed their first film, Cascadeur – The ”Without any exaggeration, it’s safe to say there’s hardly a family Amber Chamber (about the search for Russian treasure loo- in Germany which hasn’t heard of the Sams. Most children already ted by the Nazis). Jimmy C. Gerum’s previous credits include – in know its cheeky phrases inside out and the books are also extre- varying positions – the black comedy, The Young Poisoner’s mely popular among parents.“ Handbook (1995) and Goetz George’s rivettingly chilling portrait of a serial killer, Der Totmacher (1995). On the technical side, from the very beginning it was obvious that Mr. Taschenbier’s neat and orderly (read; boring) world and the The film is executive producer Bastian Clevé’s first German Sams’ multifaceted personality could be realised only as live action, production since returning from the US in 1991. With a list of not animation. credits as long as your arm, his books are now film-school stan- dard texts and he is a Professor at the Filmakademie Baden- Direction is by Ben Verbong. Born in the Netherlands in 1949 Württemberg. but at home in Germany these past five years, he has been res- ponsible for some of Holland’s most successful films: Lily Was Co-producer Roland Pellegrino is chairman of KC Medien Here (1989) and House Call (1996), to name but two. AG, one of Germany’s most active and successful media funds, with such international hits as the Mike Myers comedy, Austin Powers, and the beauty-pageant satire, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and the co-producer of Jean Jacques Annaud’s So weit die upcoming Enemy At The Gates. As Far As My Feet Füße tragen Will Carry Me is their first all-German production.

Original Title So weit die Füße tragen English Title As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me Type of Project Feature Genre Adventure Drama Production Company Cascadeur Filmproduktion GmbH, Munich With backing from KC Medien AG, Stuttgart, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung Producers Jimmy C. Gerum, Hardy Martins Coproducers Roland Pellegrino, KC Medien AG, Bastian Clevé, B+C Filmpro- duktion GmbH Director Hardy Martins Screenplay Bernd Schwamm, Bastian Clevé, Hardy Martins, based on the novel by J. M. Bauer Director of Photography Pavel Lebeshev Editor Andreas Marschall Music by Edward Artemyev Bernhard Bettermann Irina Pantaeva, Principal Cast Bernhard Bettermann, Michael Mendl, Irina Pantaeva, Anatoly Kotenyov, Iris Böhm, Andre Hennicke, Hans Uwe Bauer Format 35 mm, colour, cs, 150 min. Shooting Language German Shooting in Minsk, North Russia, Uzbekistan, Karelia, Thuringia, Bavaria

33 stery and travelling across Germany towards Italy, where they believe they will find the last remaining members of their order.

But for monks who have, until yesterday, been living as in the Middle Ages, the present day is full of danger and temptation. On their journey they are not only confronted by their own past, but by a beautiful young woman (Chiara Schoras). There is a first time for everything, and for Arbo (the youngest) it is not only his first contact with the opposite sex, but the beginning of his first real love.

Of the cast, Michael Gwisdek won a Silver Bear in the Best Actor category at the 1999 Berlinale for his part in Andreas ’s ( ). Chiara Schoras, Daniel Brühl, Matthias Brenner, Michael Gwisdek Daniel Brühl, Matthias Brenner, Chiara Schoras, Dresen Nachtgestalten Night Shapes

Daniel Brühl is perhaps best known for appearing alongside Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) in Friedemann Fromm’s 1999 thriller, Schlaraffenland (Paradise Mall).

Producer Dieter Ulrich Aselmann is the man behind the 1997 comedy hit, Die Musterknaben (Cologne’s Finest, director Ralf Huettner), in which Jürgen Tarrach and Oliver Korritke played the kind of policemen who not only spend their lives dealing with dirt, but also eat, breathe and sleep in it! So successful were the antics of the two super-slobs (or is that sleuths?) that the team were back the following year with the appropriately titled Die Musterknaben 2. Vera Brühne

Original Title Vera Brühne English Title Vera Brühne Vaya Con Dios Type of Project TV-movie (3x90 minutes) Genre Drama Original Title Vaya con Dios (working title) English Title Production Company Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, TBA Type of Project Feature Genre Comedy Road Movie Munich With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Production d.i.e.film.gmbh, Munich, with a.pictures, Hamburg Producer Bernd Eichinger Executive Producer Martin With backing from MFG Baden-Württemberg, Film- Moskowicz Co-producer Herman Weigel Director Hark Förderung Hamburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung Bohm Screenplay Hark Bohm Director of Photography Executive Producer Martin Rohrbeck Producer Dieter Frank Küpper Editor Inez Regnier Music by Stephan Zacharias Ulrich Aselmann Director Zoltan Spirandelli Screenplay Principal Cast Corinna Harfouch, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Hans- Zoltan Spirandelli Director of Photography Dieter Deventer Werner Meyer Format 16 mm, colour, 16:9 letterbox Editor Magdolna Rokob Music by Detlef Petersen Principal Shooting Language German Shooting in Munich and sur- Cast Daniel Brühl, Michael Gwisdek, Mattias Brenner, Chiara rounding area Schoras Format 35 mm, colour, cs Shooting Language German Shooting in Chorin (Sachsen), Altenburg (Thüringen), Contact: Christine Rothe Stuttgart, Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg), Italy German Constantin Film Produktion GmbH Distributor Senator Film AG, Berlin Kaiserstr. 39 · D-80801 Munich phone +49-89-3 86 09-2 82 · Fax: +49-89-3 86 09-2 72 World Sales: d.i.e.film.gmbh [email protected] Zentnerstraße 42 · D-80796 Munich phone +49-89-27 77 71-0 · fax +49-89-27 77 71-77 Sex! Lust! Passion! Murder! And as if that were not enough to get www.d.i.e.film.gmbh.de the heart racing, this is also a true story!

On the 15th of August, shooting began on what writer and direc- tor Zoltan Spirandelli calls a ”clerical roadmovie.“ And there, in two simple words, is the perfect description of Vaya Con Dios.

It is clerical, in that the film features three men of the cloth: three Corinna Harfouch unworldly Cantorian monks, to be precise (played by Daniel Brühl, Michael Gwisdek and Mathias Brenner); mem- bers of an ancient order who believe the Holy Ghost exists in sound. And for Benno, Arbo and Tassilo, singing the perfect hymn is the true path to God.

It is a roadmovie, in that the characters undertake a journey, both physical and spiritual, arriving at the end of the film, maybe not at their original destination, and having grown and experienced on the way. For our three innocent heroes, the journey means being forced to leave the familiar surroundings of their ruined mona-

34 in production

April 1962, and Munich’s central court isn’t just surrounded by people, it’s under virtual siege. Extra police have been drafted to the scene, struggling to hold back the human tide. A small door opens. The effect is immediate. The crowd surges forward, shou- ting, screaming, police and officials are knocked aside, trampled underfoot. And from a waiting police wagon steps the reason why; the always beautiful, always perfectly made-up, always stylishly dressed, the always immaculate Vera Brühne.

It began in October 1960 with the discovery of two bodies in a villa; Dr. Dietrich Schwarz and his companion and housekeeper, Elisabeth Huhn. A simple case: he shot her from behind and then Niedecken and Wolfgang Wim Wenders killed himself. Or so it seemed. But then Vera Brühne inherits Schwarz’s house in Spain and his son presses charges. A second autopsy. A second bullet is found in his head. The investigation begins and Vera, the woman who stands to gain, is charged with murder.

The trial quickly became the most spectacular in post-war Germany; much of it due to the erotically-charged nature of the circumstances of the crime, Vera’s relationship with the dead doctor, Vera’s relationship with her, says the prosecutor, ”sex hungry accomplice“, Johann Ferbach. Vera is not just on trial, in every sense she IS the trail.

Her behaviour in the courtroom is both heroic and restrained, yet at the same time there is more to Vera than meets the eye; hints In Vill Passiert, Wenders accompanies the group on their of a shady past and dubious dealing, rumours of sexual excesses, latest ”Tonfilm“ (as in a film with sound) tour, documenting the of orgies, of wealthy old men with extravagant tastes. Men such action on and off the stage, as well as including unique and rare as Doctor Schwarz, the man she’s accused of killing. archive footage.

And as the questioning continues, Vera, who can provide no Wim Wenders himself needs no introduction and, following suitable alibi, begins to tangle herself in a web of contradictions the world-wide success and acclaim of his last music documentary, as the state prosecutor, sensing blood, closes in for the kill. the Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club, it is good to see he’s remaining true to the genre. The case still excites today. Was Vera Brühne a cold-blooded kil- ler? Or was she the victim of a witch-hunt and show-trial? Would Just as a sidebar, he also directed the latest video for German any other woman have excited such extremes of emotion? punk rock heroes, Die Toten Hosen (The Dead Trousers); a tour-de-force about an incredibly rich, and just as Three years in research and pre-production, star producer bored, man who finds having it all isn’t enough. Bernd Eichinger’s made-for-TV trilogy revisits the case that has never been closed: the case of Vera Brühne. Responsible for Vill Passiert’s production is the Cologne-based TV-promotion (onscreen logos, channel branding, etc.) and film design house Screenworks. No surprise, really, because, says Vill Passiert managing director Björn Klimek, ”we grew up to the music of BAP and the films of Wim Wenders.“ Original Title Vill Passiert – Der BAP Film English Title TBA Type of Project Feature Genre Documentary For producer Olaf Wicke, it’s the opportunity to establish Production Company Screenworks GmbH, Cologne, in Screenworks in a new line of business and for the company’s coproduction with BAP With backing from Filmstiftung fourth founder, Matthias Lehngik (the third being Peter NRW Producer Olaf Wicke Director Wim Wenders Hirdes), it’s the proof ”that our success to date is down to the Screenplay Wim Wenders Director of Photography team’s versatility. We want to grow,“ he adds, ”but not by produ- Phedon Papamichail Music by BAP Principal Cast BAP, cing Marie Bäumer, Joachim Król, Wolf Biermann Format Digital conveyer-belt type work.“ Beta, colour (to 35mm if released for cinema) Shooting Language German, Cologne dialect Shooting in Essen, And a word about that title; Vill Passiert. Even German spea- Cologne, on tour across Germany German Distributor kers might be scratching their heads at this one. It’s Kölsch, the Road Sales, Berlin dialect spoken in Cologne and the surrounding hills. Translated into real German (or Hochdeutsch), it’s ”viel passiert“, or ”a lot’s World Sales: Road Sales happening.“ Contact Denise Booth Clausewitzstr. 4 · D-10629 Berlin At the time of writing, the film was at the rough cut stage with phone +49-30-8 80 48 60 · fax +49-30-88 04 86 11 final shooting about to begin in Cologne. www.daswerk.de · [email protected] What began with an accidental encounter between Wenders In March filming began on German star director Wim and BAP’s lead singer Wolfgang Niedecken at an exhibition Wenders’ latest project; a film about the Cologne rock band, is scheduled to rock Germany’s cinema sound systems some time BAP. And if you’ve never heard of them you will soon. Because in 2001. BAP rock! They have a huge and dedicated home-turf following and are among the leading exponents of that school of music known affectionately as Kraut Rock (really!).

35 Abwärts OUT OF ORDER

It is Friday evening in a big office building. Most people have left and are on their way home. Four late-comers get into the same express elevator, an ageing accountant, an aggressive youth, a beautiful woman and her arrogant former lover. Seconds later they are all prisoners, suspended a hundred meters above ground, crammed into a few square meters, stuck between two floors. Nobody hears their cries for help. Then all attempts to free them fail. The cables holding the elevator snap, one after the other. Frustrations built up over the years and newly created rivalries erupt. Secrets are betrayed. While the rescue operation proceeds, fateful decisions are being made. One of the four will not live to see the end of their adventure. Renée Soutendijk, Götz George

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Carl Carl Schenkel worked as assistant director for Schenkel Director of Photography Jacques Stein filmmakers like Wolfgang Staudte and Hans W. Editor Norbert Herzner Music by Jacques Zwart Geissendörfer from 1975-79. He then collaborated on Producers Thomas Schüly, Matthias Deyle screenplays with Roland Klick, among others. His films Production Companies Laura Film, Grünwald, are: Kalt wie Eis (1981), Out Of Order Mutoskop Film, Munich, Maran Film, Stuttgart, Dieter (Abwärts, 1984), Bay Coven (1987), Silence Geissler Film, Munich Principal Cast Renée Like Glass (Zwei Frauen, 1989), The Mighty Soutendijk, Götz George, Wolfgang Kieling, Hannes Quinn (1989), Knight Moves (aka Face to Face, Jaenicke Length 89 min., 2.423 m. Format 35 mm, 1992), Exquisite Tenderness (1994), Beyond colour, 1:1,65 Original Version German Betrayal (TV, 1994), In The Lake Of The Dubbed Versions English, French Sound Woods (TV, 1996), Kalte Küsse (TV, 1997), and Technology Mono Year of Production 1984 Tarzan … And The Lost City (1998). German Distributor Concorde Filmverleih His new film Bis zum letzten Mann is currently in GmbH, Munich post-production.

World Sales: Atlas International Film GmbH GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum Rumfordstr. 29-31 · D-80469 Munich phone: +49-89-2 10 97 50 · fax: +49-89-22 43 32 www.atlasfilm.com · [email protected] 36 Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos THE ARTISTS UNDER THE BIG TOP: PERPLEXED

The artiste Leni Peickert is planning the circus of the future. She wants to show the animals authentically, and not dressed up as people. In face of the inhuman situation, the artistes are to increase the degree of difficulty of their art. But her plan goes awry. Leni Peickert approaches a television company, seeing a knowledge of this special technology as a more suitable basis for her attempt to change the world. Hannelore Hoger Hannelore

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Alexander Kluge was born in Halberstadt in 1932. He Alexander Kluge Directors of Photography studied law, history and church music, completing his Günther Hörmann, Thomas Mauch Editor Beate doctorate in 1956. He trained at CCC Films (including a Mainka-Jellinghaus Music by Bernd Höltz time with Fritz Lang) and began making shorts in 1960. Production Company Kairos Film, Munich Kluge was an initiator of the Oberhausen Manifesto (1962). Principal Cast Hannelore Hoger, Siegfried Also in 1962, he became the director of the Institute of Film, Graue, Alfred Edel, Bernd Höltz Length 104 min., Ulm. He established his own production company Kairos- 2.919 m. Format 35 mm, colour and b&w Film in 1963. His first feature was made in 1965/66: Original Version German Subtitled Versions Yesterday Girl (Abschied von gestern; Special Jury French, English Sound Technology Mono Year Prize in Venice, 1966, and German Film Award 1967). His films of Production 1968 International Festival include: The Artists Under The Big Top: Perplexed Screenings Venice 1968: Golden Lion German (Golden Lion in Venice 1968, German Film Award 1969); In Distributor Filmverlag der Autoren und Futura Gefahr und größter Not bringt der Mittelweg Film GmbH & Co. Verleih- und Vertriebsgesellschaft den Tod (German Film Award 1976); Die Patriotin KG, Berlin (1979). Kluge is also a writer and has received the Heinrich Kleist Prize (1986) and Hamburg’s Lessing Prize (1990). Since 1988, he has produced several cultural programmes for TV, and in 1992 he received the Adolf Grimme Award (Gold) for his TV essay Das Goldene Vlies und die Catch- penny-Drucke in Blei. Alexander Kluge lives in Munich.

World Sales: Kinowelt International GmbH · Bettina Kunde GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Neue Schönhauser Str. 20 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 www.kinowelt.de · email: [email protected]

37 Ehe im Schatten MARRIAGE IN THE SHADOWS

Actor and actress Hans and Elisabeth Wieland are a happily married couple. In November of 1938, however, Elisabeth, who as a Jew has lost her right to perform on stage, is witness to a terrifying pogrom. She decides to leave her husband and to emigrate. Hans, who is an acclaimed actor, neither can nor wants to separate from his wife. At the outbreak of the war, Hans is mustered into the armed services. And Elisabeth, in constant fear, can do nothing but wait – with yearning in her heart – for Hans’ letters. Elisabeth is assigned work in an armament factory, where she must carry out hard chores of manual labor. One day she sees how a friend of hers is arrested, and as she returns home, aghast with horror, she finds her husband who, because of his profession, has been discharged from military service. However, the conditions of his military discharge explicitly specify that he must divorce his Jewish wife. Despite being told not to take his wife to a film premiere, Hans does so anyway. And he must now face the detrimental consequences of his disobedience: his permission to perform on stage has also been revoked, Elisabeth is scheduled to be deported, and once again he is placed under pressure to divorce his wife. Both finally decide to commit suicide. Ilse Steppat, Paul Klinger Ilse Steppat, Paul

Genre Feature Director Kurt Maetzig Screen- Kurt Maetzig was born in Berlin in 1911. He studied play Kurt Maetzig, based on a novel by Hans sociology, psychology and law in Paris, and engineering, Schweikart Directors of Photography Friedl chemistry and economics in Munich. During 1933, he worked Behn-Grund, Eugen Klagemann Editor Alice as an assistant director, but was banned from his profession Ludwig Music by Wolfgang Zeller Production because of racist Nazi laws in 1934. He worked on the Company DEFA Studio für Spielfilme, Babels- preparatory body for the foundation of DEFA Productions berg Principal Cast Paul Klinger, Ilse Steppat, in 1945, and went on to establish the weekly DEFA newsreel Claus Holm Length 104 min., 2.845 m. For- Der Augenzeuge. Maetzig made the first German docu- mat 35 mm, b&w, 1:1,37 Original Version mentary after the war: Einheit SPD-KPD (1946). He German Subtitled Version French Sound was co-founder, co-licensee and a board member of DEFA, Technology Mono Year of Production established in 1946. Maetzig’s most important films include: 1947 German Distributor Progress Film- Die Buntkarierten (1949); Der Rat der Götter Verleih GmbH, Berlin (1950); Ernst Thälmann – Führer seiner Klasse (1955); Vergesst mir meine Traudel nicht (1957); Der schweigende Stern (1960, a co-production with Poland); Das Kaninchen bin ich (1965/1990) and Januskopf (1972).

World Sales: Progress Film-Verleih GmbH · Christel Jansen GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Burgstr. 27 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-24 00 32 25 · fax: +49-30-24 00 32 22 www.progress-film.de · email: [email protected]

38 Harlis Harlis and Pera are night-club dancers in a club for ”ladies“, and very good friends – in fact they are having a love affair with each other. One of the few male customers, a man named Raymond, falls in love with one of the girls, Harlis. As she returns his affections, she runs into difficulties with her girl- friend Pera, who cannot accept the fact that Harlis could ever fall for a man. Pera insists that Harlis choose between them. Harlis chooses Raymond, initially because she finds the adventure tempting, but later because she really likes him. Raymond, however, has another girl, Ria, and their liaison is commercial as well as affectionate. Ria is a wealthy shop owner. Raymond breaks off with her and with his financially dependent brother Prado as well. Prado decides to avenge himself on Harlis. This changes nothing between Harlis and Raymond, but Raymond is nonetheless unable to acquaint Harlis with the customary female role. Despite her love for him, she longs to go back to Pera. At the end, the two cast-offs, Ria and Prado, come together, and not just because of disappointment. Their marriage ends with a murder on their wedding night, while the relationship of Raymond to the two girl dancers reaches its high point in a remarkable and totally involuntary stage appearance by all three. Mascha Rabben, Gabi Larifari

Genre Feature Director Robert van Ackeren Robert van Ackeren was born in 1946. He has Screenplay Robert van Ackeren, Joy Markert, Iris always been active in numerous fields of the film- Wagner Directors of Photography Dietrich making business, including work as a scriptwriter and Lohmann, Lothar Stickelbrucks Editors Gibbie Shaw, producer, involvement in film politics, and teaching as a Doerte Voelz Music by Gustav Mahler, CAM professor of film at the Cologne College of the Arts. Producers Robert van Ackeren, Wenzel Lüdecke His films include: Blondie’s Number One (1970), Production Companies Inter West Film, Berlin, Das andere Lächeln (1977), Die Reinheit des Robert van Ackeren Filmproduktion, Berlin Herzens (1979), Deutschland privat (1980), Principal Cast Mascha Rabben, Gabi Larifari, Ulli Die flambierte Frau (1983), Die Venusfalle Lommel, Rolf Zacher Length 86 min., 2.400 m. (1988) and Die wahre Geschichte von Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 Original Version Männern und Frauen (1991). Robert van Ackeren German Dubbed Versions French, English Sound lives and works in Berlin. Technology Mono Year of Production 1972

World Sales: Cine-International Filmvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich phone: +49-89-39 10 25 · fax: +49-89-33 10 89 www.cine-international.de · email: [email protected] 39 Karbid und Sauerampfer CARBIDE AND SORREL

In summer 1945, Karl Blücher, a worker known as Kalle, sets out from Dresden for Wittenberge to try and procure carbide, which is desperately needed to restart production in a destroyed factory. It is not by chance that Kalle is the one to go: on the one hand, his brother-in-law works at the carbide plant in Wittenberge; on the other, Kalle is a vegetarian and so would definitely manage to get there without any food problems. He does get through to Wittenberge and could return to Dresden with seven drums of carbide, if only he had the required means of transport … His return journey is quite an adventure. Kalle gets to know Karla, a young peasant woman, and they fall in love, yet he does not stay with her because his colleagues in Dresden are urgently waiting for the carbide. At one stage, Kalle is arrested by Soviet officers for alleged profiteering, and then released again. He foils US officers and manages to cover quite a stretch home in a military motorboat. He escapes a man-crazy widow, a mined forest, a shipwreck and many other calamities. Meanwhile, he takes up all sorts of odd jobs. Eventually, he goes back to Dresden with only two drums of carbide. Still, that will do for a new beginning. However, there is no keeping Kalle at work with his colleagues: he heads back to Karla. Scene from ”Carbide And Sorrel“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Frank Beyer Screenplay Frank Beyer was born in Nobitz in 1932. From 1952-57, Hans Oliva Director of Photography Günter he studied at the FAMU school in Prague. From 1958-66, he Marczinkowsky Editor Hildegard Conrad Music by was a director at the DEFA Studio in Babelsberg, but was Joachim Werzlau Production Company DEFA forced to leave following his film The Trace of Stones Studio für Spielfilme, Babelsberg Principal Cast (1966). He was forbidden to work in Berlin and Potsdam. He Erwin Geschonneck, Marita Böhme, Manja Behrens was director at the State Theatre in Dresden from 1967-69 Length 84 min., 2.309 m. Format 35 mm, b&w, and began making TV films for GDR Television in 1970. He 1:1,37 Original Version German Sound started making features for DEFA again in 1974. After the Technology Mono Year of Production 1963 banning of his film Geschlossene Gesellschaft, he was German Distributor Progress Film-Verleih GmbH, permitted to make films in West Germany. His films include: Berlin Five Cartridges (1960), Star-Crossed Lovers (1962), Naked Among Wolves (1963), Carbide And Sorrel (1964), The Trace Of Stones (1966), Jakob The Liar (1974), The Hiding Place (1978), Turning Point (1983), Taken For A Ride (1984), The Break’in (1989), Nikolaikirche (1995).

World Sales: Progress Film-Verleih GmbH · Christel Jansen GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Burgstr. 27 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-24 00 32 25 · fax: +49-30-24 00 32 22 www.progress-film.de · email: [email protected]

40 Martha

Martha is a single, untouched woman in her early thirties. While on vacation in Rome, she meets the love of her life, Helmut. They marry, but the marriage turns into a nightmare. Martha’s expectations and Helmut’s views and preferences are completely opposed. However, as a ”good“ wife, she gives in. One day when she finally can’t take it anymore, it is too late. She has an accident and is confined to a wheelchair. She is doomed to spending the rest of her life in Helmut’s sadistic-loving care. Margit Carstensen

Genre Feature Director Rainer Werner Rainer Werner Fassbinder, born in 1945, was one of Fassbinder Screenplay Rainer Werner the most important directors of the New German Cinema. Fassbinder, based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich Screenings of his films at many festivals contributed to its Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus international break-through. When Fassbinder died on 10 Editor Liesgret Schmitt-Klink Music by Manfred June 1982, he had made 44 films in just 14 years from 1969, Oelschlegel Producers Peter Märthesheimer, including television series like Berlin Alexanderplatz. He him- Fred Ilgner Production Companies WDR, self produced or co-produced over half of the films and Cologne, Project Filmproduktion im Filmverlag der appeared as an actor in 40 films. Moreover, he wrote 14 Autoren, Munich Principal Cast Margit theatre plays, reworked six others and produced 25 for the Carstensen, Karlheinz Böhm Length 116 min., stage. He also penned four radio plays and 37 screenplays. 3.180 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 His internationally best-known films include, for example, Original Version German Subtitled Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (1971), Angst Version French Sound Technology Mono essen Seele auf (1973), Fontane – Effi Briest (1974), Year of Production 1973 With backing his contribution to Deutschland im Herbst (1978), from Rainer Werner Fassbinder Foundation Lili Marleen (1980), Lola (1981), Die Sehnsucht der International Festival Screenings Venice Veronika Voss (1981) and the major commercial success 1994: Out of Competition, Toronto 1994: Special Die Ehe der Maria Braun (1978). Fassbinder shot Presentation German Distributor Filmverlag Martha as a television film in 1973. der Autoren und Futura Film GmbH & Co. Verleih- und Vertriebsgesellschaft KG, Berlin

World Sales: Kinowelt International GmbH · Bettina Kunde GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Neue Schönhauser Str. 20 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 www.kinowelt.de · email: [email protected]

41 Das Bankett THE BANQUET

Since the summer of 1970, 500 Germans have known that the banquet of the century awaits them, their hosts being the Junge Welt, a former socialist youth newspaper in the GDR. On the occasion of Lenin’s 100th birthday, readers between 12 and 30 were asked to say how they imagined their everyday life would be in the year 2000. The motto was ”Do you dare to dream?“ 500 texts by the competition winners were bound in leather and kept in the newspaper’s safe. On 8th January 2000, 30 years after the competition, the banquet actually took place. In their dreams, there were no more traffic junctions, holidays on Mars were a reality, trains moved on cushions of air, flying saucers hoved in front of the door, weather was arranged ”centrally“ in Moscow, and of course the class enemy has been long defeated. The reality now is rather different: Joachim G., for example, saw himself putting the Americans – the last representatives of imperialism – to flight, today he heads the computing department of a building concern. Heiderose B. wanted to do away with traffic junctions, but now she sells tea. The dreamers are now around fifty years old. The film takes the opportunity to compare five authentic aspirations for the future from the year 1970 with the reality of one of the first days of the new millennium. For the first time after thirty years, the winners were confronted with their work. Realising that the prospect of the future then was also a preview to half their lives is a deep shock. Thirty years are a long time. Scene from ”The Banquet“ Scene from

Genre Documentary Directors/Screenplay Olaf Jacobs was born in Leipzig in 1972. After freelance work for Holger Jancke, Olaf Jacobs Director of youth radio DT64, in 1993 he became editor and presenter for Photography Thomas Simon Editor Dagmar MDR. Jacobs is also active on the business side of film-making and Dick Producer Olaf Jacobs Production manages several media companies (Hoferichter & Jacobs, art & Company Hoferichter & Jacobs, Berlin pictures, Cocopelli Music). His television projects have involved work With Norbert Frankenstein, Joachim Gerlach, for ARTE, MDR, ARD, SFB, and have included regular documentaries Jörg Hacker, Gerda Ruhland Length 83 min., and educational features. 2.271 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 / Digi Holger Jancke was born in Berlin in 1966. In 1987, he began Beta Original Version German Subtitled work as a researcher, assistant director, dramaturgist and author in Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR the DEFA documentary film studio. Parallel to this, he made his With backing from Filmförderung own underground films and videos. Since 1990, he has written film Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mitteldeutsche reviews for the press, including for the taz and Berliner Zeitung. Medienförderung, BKM German Distributor His current works have become his most successful: Tatort episodes, Basis-Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin Berliner Weisse (TV, 1998) and Hart an der Grenze! (TV, 1998/99). The Banquet is Jancke’s and Jacob’s first joint project. World Sales: please contact Hoferichter & Jacobs Fernsehproduktionsgesellschaft · Olaf Jacobs Alte Schönhauser Str. 9 · D-10119 Berlin phone: +49-30-28 38 76 55 · fax: +49-30-28 38 76 56 email: [email protected]

42 Doppelpack DOUBLE PACK

Hoffi is naive and a real talker. His friend Lemmi doesn’t have a tongue in his head. They’re as different as you can be, but that doesn’t spoil their friendship. One day they wake up among – of all places – water buffaloes in the zoo instead of in their own beds. That doesn’t faze them, though. The orderly lives of their fellow creatures isn’t their cup of tea anyway. What’s much worse is that Hoffi has set his mind on organizing a birthday present for his sister – this on such a great summer day, which should be spent lying in the park with a couple of six-packs for company. So the lovable, chaotic friends set out on an odyssey through the city. At the end of this quest they lose sight of the birthday present, but each of them finds himself the woman of his dreams. Scene from ”Double Pack“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Matthias Lehmann Matthias Lehmann, born in 1969, studied at the Screenplay Matthias Lehmann, Eckhard Preuß Academy for Television and Film (HFF/M) in Munich Director of Photography Jo Heim from 1991 to 1997. During these years he already Editors Edith Eisenstecken, Evi Oberkofler worked as a director of advertising spots, as a cutter, Music by Attila The Stockbroker, Blondie, A, storyboard draughtsman and cameraman. Lehmann’s Killer Barbies Producers Manya Lutz, Monika first shorts as a director, also dating from this period, Raebel Production Company Catapult Film, include Die Nacht des Photographen (25 min., in co-production with Prokino Filmproduktion, screened at Hof in 1993) and Die Reparatur, Principal Cast Markus Knüfken, Eckhard Preuß, which won the first prize in Lodze and earned the Jochen Nickel, Jeanne Tremsal, Margret Völker and rating ”besonders wertvoll“. Together with Wim special guests Edgar Selge, Manfred Zapatka, Attila Wenders and fellow students at the HFF, he also pro- The Stockbroker Length 87 min., 2.393 m. duced the short film Die Brüder Skladanovsky. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original In 1997, with Pas de Deux, he presented the first, Version German Subtitled Version English still short film featuring the anti-heroes from the Ruhr, Sound Technology Dolby SR With backing Hoffi and Lehmi. This film received many awards, from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmstiftung including: the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau prize for shorts, NRW, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Kuratorium audience awards at the Dresden Film Festival and the junger-deutscher Film, BKM International Exground Festival, and the Cultural Promotion Prize of Festival Screenings Munich 2000, Athens the City of Munich. During the last two years he has 2000 German Distributor Prokino Filmverleih made a total of 13 advertising spots, including eight GmbH, Munich for ”Media Markt“. Dortmund Downtown is his first full-length film for the cinema.

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 43 Erotic Tales: The Summer Of My Deflowering Los Angeles, 2000. Megan David likes to keep track of her life with a camrecorder. It’s her video-diary, her art project for the Biennial. It depicts who she is, where she’s going, how she’s going ”to pop her cherry“ – as she informs her girlfriend. And hip video artist that she is, Megan has even picked out the right partner through the Internet - a theology major named Luke – for the summer of her deflowering at the Garden of Eden. But when the love-birds arrive at the motel, the concierge hands them the key to their room on one condition – they are not to eat the apple ...

Genre Short Director/Screenplay Susan Susan Streitfeld is a 1976 graduate of New York Streitfeld Director of Photography Arturo University Film School. She worked in various areas of Smith Editor Jane Pia Abramowitz Music by film production during her two years in New York with Donald Rubinstein Producer Regina Ziegler Independent Films and in Washington D.C. with the Production Company Ziegler Film, Berlin, in Smithsonian In-House Film Unit. She was a co-founder of co-production with WDR, Cologne Principal the theatre company Hothouse, and worked as a theatri- Cast Beth Riesgraf, Martin Henderson cal agent in the 80s. Streitfeld directed Female Length 28 min., 766 m. Format 35 mm, colour, Perversions (1995) which was premiered at Sundance 1:1,85 Original Version English Sound in 1996 and won the Audience Award at Creteil Women’s Technology Dolby SR International Festival Film Festival in 1998. She is currently working on her next Screening Hamburg 2000 feature, Girl Hero. Scene from ”The Gas Station“ Scene from

Erotic Tales: Die Tankstelle THE GAS STATION Buckle your seat-belt for a ride down Life’s Great Battlefield: the expressway during rush hour! Take the boredom of the slow lane, add the spice of one-upmanship, top it off with a delightful girl-boy butting match, and what’s missing? A layover at the next gas station.

Genre Short Director/Screenplay Jos Stelling Jos Stelling, born in 1945, made his debut as a direc- Director of Photography Goert Giltaij tor with Mariken van Nieumeghen (1974). His Editor Bert Rijkelijkhuizen Music by Hunga! features The Illusionst (1983) and The Points- Producer Regina Ziegler Production man (1986) both won the Dutch Film Award Golden Company Ziegler Film, Berlin, in co-production Calve. His other films are: Elkerlyc (1975), with WDR, Cologne Principal Cast Gene Rembrandt fecit 1669 (1977), De Pretenders Bervoets, Ellen ten Damme, Martijn Bosman (1981), De Wisselwachter (1986), De Length 28 min., 766 m. Format 35 mm, colour, Vliegende Hollander (1995), De Wachtkamer 1:1,85 Original Version no dialogue Sound (1995) and No Trains No Planes (1999). Technology Dolby SR International Festival Screenings Montreal 2000, Hamburg 2000

World Sales: Atlas International Film GmbH Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum Rumfordstr. 29-31 · D-80469 Munich phone: +49-89-2 10 97 50 · fax: +49-89-22 43 32 www.erotictales.de · www.atlasfilm.com · email: [email protected] 44 Finnlandia

After the tragic loss of her husband, a young woman reconstructs the circumstances which caused his death. During this attempt to find her own way in daily life again, more and more recollections and occurrences appear on the surface, seemingly to foresee a tragic end. Looking back, events appear to her like signs, chance meetings like disregarded warnings. On her search for meaning between yesterday and tomorrow, reality seems to split like a labyrinth, like an awakening after a nightmare, with no way out. Caroline Baehr, Marc Hosemann Marc Baehr, Caroline

Genre Feature Directors Eleni Ampelakiotou, Eleni Ampelakiotou was born in Athens in 1959, Gregor Schnitzler Screenplay Eleni Ampelakiotou, moving to Germany with her family in 1962. From Karl-Heinz Zubrod Director of Photography Ali 1977 onwards, she studied philosophy and German in Gözkaya Editors Eleni Ampelakiotou, Gregor Heidelberg and Berlin. In 1990, Eleni Ampelakiotou began Schnitzler Music by Wilhelm Stegmeier Producer studying at the German Academy of Television and Film Gudrun Ruzicková-Steiner Production Company in Berlin (dffb). Since then she has written scripts for TV Luna-Film, Berlin, in co-production with WDR, series by ZDF, WDR and RTL, including Im Namen des Cologne, arte, Strasbourg, HR, Frankfurt, dffb, Berlin Gesetzes and Hinter Gittern. Principal Cast Caroline Baehr, Marc Hosemann, Erdal Yildiz Length 118 min., 3.228 m. Format 35 Gregor Schnitzler was born in Berlin in 1964. He mm, colour, cs Original Version German studied communication design at the HdK Berlin in 1987. Subtitled Versions English, French Sound As well as several music videos and commercials for Pro- Technology Stereo With backing from paganda Films London (1995) and Mann im Mond / Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung NRW, Berlin (1996), he has directed episodes of Im Namen Filmförderung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern des Gesetzes for RTL (1994-98) and two films T.E.A.M. BERLIN and Unternehmen Feuertaufe (1998). Since 1988, Schnitzler and Ampelakiotou have coopera- ted to make several short films, including: Should I Kill The Snare (1989), Das Fenster (1990), Ellipse 01/Plus Minus Null (1991), Sonntage (1993) and Der Atem der Steine (1995). Finnlandia (2000) is the first full length feature they have made together. World Sales: Media Luna Entertainment GmbH & Co. KG · Ida Martins Hochstadenstr. 1-3 · D-50674 Cologne phone: +49-2 21-1 39 22 22 · fax: +49-2 21-1 39 22 24 email: [email protected]

45 Hilfe, ich bin ein Fisch HELP! I’M A FISH It is always the same: children simply won’t obey their parents. But this time the outcome is a real adventure: It all begins when three children, out on a fishing expedition, take refuge from sudden floods in a mysterious house belonging to Professor Confusius. This well-meaning professor aims to save the world from over-population with his ”fish-brew“. Little Stella drinks some of the mixture by mistake, and before anyone can do anything to help, she ends up as a starfish at the bottom of the deepest ocean. Her brother Fly then makes the professor turn him into a fish in order to rescue his little sister – and Chuck does the same, although he is more concerned with saving his own life. Then there is nothing the children can do but set off to look for the professor’s antidote – they have exactly 48 hours to find it. Unfortunately, right now the antidote is in the hands of the power-mad fish Joe and a simple-minded shark. The trio will need all their imagination and will have to exploit their different talents if they are ever to escape from this wondrous but alien world. Scene from ”Help! I’m A Fish“ Scene from

Genre Animated Feature Directors Stefan Stefan Alvaro Fjeldmark was born in 1964. He began his Fieldmark, Michael Hegner Screenplay Stefan career in 1981 as an animator and storyboard designer for commerci- Fieldmark, Karsten Kiillerich Music by Soren als, TV series and films. He was the sequence director of A Troll In Hyldgaard Producers Eberhard Junkersdorf, Central Park (1990) and of Fern Gully – The Last Rain- Anders Mastrup, Russel Boland Production forest (1991). In 1992-93, he directed Jungle Jack, produced by Companies Munich Animation Film, AFilm, Per Holst Film and AFilm, a company of which Fjeldmark was himself Copenhagen, Terra Glyph, Dublin, in co- co-founder in 1988. Since 1994 he has continued to work on anima- production with EIV Entertainment, Hamburg ted films, has taught animation (also at the Danish Film Academy) and Length 80 min., 2.400 m Format 35 mm, has written a children’s book. Help! I’m a Fish is his most recent colour, 1:1,85 Original Version English major project as a director, scriptwriter and storyboard designer. Subtitled Version German Sound Tech- Michael Hegner was born in 1966. In 1988, he began work as an nology Dolby Digital With backing from assistant in the production of commercials and TV series. From 1989- FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt 91, he was an animator and storyboard designer for full-length anima- (FFA), Eurimages German Distributor ted films, including: Werner I, Werner II, Der kleine Punker Kinowelt, Munich and Jungle Jack. Together with Stefan Alvaro Fjeldmark, he was responsible for the script, storyboard and direction of Help! I'm a Fish!

World Sales please contact Munich Film Animation · Eberhard Junkersdorf Rosenheimer Str. 143d · D-81671 Munich phone: +49-89-3 83 88 20 · fax: +49-89-38 38 82 22 www.munich-animation.com · e-mail: [email protected]

46 Gelobtes Land PROMISED LAND

Police commissioner Jürgen Tauber and his new colleague Jo Obermaier are ready to solve their first case together. But first, Tauber has to accept that his new colleague is not only a woman and a very energetic mother, but an excellent police-officer as well. Secondly, the disappearance of truck-driver Holger Wennisch is anything but easy to investigate. Jonah Dibango is desperate. He is living all alone in Munich, but only on a limited residen- ce permit. He wants to stay in Germany forever, but time is running out. Jonah’s wife was murdered in Africa. To save his two children, Thula and Lineo, Jonah engages Holger Wennisch, a professional smuggler, to bring them to Germany illegally. On their way across the border, Wennisch and the children have an accident. One of the children dies, the other one seems to have survived, but disappears. Wennisch, also surviving the accident, is missing as well. His blood-smeared clothes are found on the road. However, the blood- stains are not human, they are chicken blood. Tauber and his new colleague Jo Obermaier set about solving the mysterious case. Scene from ”Promised Land“ ”Promised Scene from

Genre Feature Director Peter Patzak Peter Patzak was born in Vienna in 1945. He studied Screenplay Christian Jeltsch Director of psychology and art history. He was a painter and concep- Photography Andreas Köfer Editor Jacqueline tual artist and lived in New York form 1968-70 where he von Brück Music by Peter Patzak Producer Tita also worked for a TV station. He made numerous 16 mm Korytowski Production Company Infafilm, and video films before returning to Vienna. He is best Munich, for BR, Munich Principal Cast Edgar Selge, known as the writer and director of the cult television Michaela May, Joana Adu Gyamfi, Aloysius Itoka series Kottan ermittelt (1-19). He shot his first fea- Length 88 min., 1.017 m. Format colour, 16:9 ture film in 1972. His other films include: Kassbach Original Version German Sound Technology (1978), The Uppercrust (Den Tüchtigen gehört Dolby SR International Festival Screenings die Welt, 1981), Wahnfried – Richard und Hof 2000 Cosima (1988), Der Joker (1988) and Shanghai Hotel (1995).

World Sales: Telepool Europäisches Fernsehprogrammkontor GmbH · Marlene Fritz Sonnenstr. 21 · D-80331 Munich phone: +49-89-55 87 60 · fax: +49-89-55 87 61 88 email: [email protected]

47 Goebbels und Geduldig GOEBBELS AND GEDULDIG

The story of Harry Geduldig and his love for Grete Zipfel is told before an explosive background … It is the year 1944. The Minister of Propaganda for the Third Reich, Joseph Goebbels, narrowly escapes an assassination attempt on his journey to the Obersalzberg. According to the gossip he hears, his rival Heinrich Himmler pulled the strings – and he is also concealing Goebbels’ double somewhere. Goebbels sets off immediately to continue his journey. In a mysterious fortress he meets his double Harry Geduldig. They are taken for each other, and the real Goebbels remains a prisoner in the fortress whilst the bogus minister deceives the guards and entourage, freeing his great love Grete Zipfel. He is cheered by the people at a party meeting in Nuremberg. But then the journey into the lion’s den begins: on the Obersalzberg he encounters Hitler, and then ”his“ wife Magda. To save Grete, Harry is prepared to take any risk. Scene from ”Goebbels And Geduldig“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Kai Wessel Kai Wessel was born in Hamburg in 1961. As a Screenplay Peter Steinbach Director of young man he worked for various film productions as Photography Rudolf Blahacek Editor Bernd a driver, stills photographer and – from 1985 onwards Lorbiecki Music by Ralf Wienrich Producer – as an assistant to Ottokar Runze. He began to make Dietrich Mack Production Company SWR, the Hamburger Wochenschau for the cinema Baden-Baden Principal Cast Ulrich Mühe, in 1983, and was later co-director of the subsequent Dagmar Manzel, Eva Mattes, Katja Riemann, series Hamburg, Bilder einer Großstadt (1986-89). Dieter Pfaff, Katharina Thalbach, Götz Otto, Tilo Wessel’s cinema films include Martha Jellneck Prückner, Jürgen Schornagel Length 90 min., (nominated for the German Film Award in 1988, and 2.500 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 awarded the Filmband in Gold for its protagonist Original Version German Subtitled Heidemarie Hatheyer), Das Sommeralbum Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR (1991) and the children’s film Die Spur der roten Fässer (1995). He has directed TV films for ZDF, ARD and ProSieben, including ARD’s award-winning Victor Klemperer - ein Leben in Deutsch- land (Golden Jupiter 1998/99). His TV work includes several feature films, for example Mein Bruder der Idiot as well as several episodes of the Sperling series.

World Sales: please contact Südwestrundfunk, FS-Film · Bettina Ricklefs, Dietrich Mack D-76522 Baden-Baden phone: +49-72 21-9 29 25 58/-9 29 25 62 · fax: +49-72 21-9 29 63 01 www.swr-online.de · email: [email protected]

48 Der Himmel kann warten EXIT TO HEAVEN

The two comedians, Alex and Paul, have been inseparable since childhood. Now they both hear that they have been selected for the final round of a comedy competition. Alex has just begun to prepare his programme when he finds out that he is suffering from an incu- rable bone cancer. Alex does not tell Paul the bad news - he hates sympathy. Instead, he decides to make Paul’s greatest dream come true – by arranging for Paul to spend a day practising a comedy number with his great comic idol, Rob Patterson, a huge comedy star in Los Angeles. Alex catches the next plane to L.A., searching for Rob Patterson. He soon discovers that the former king of comedy no longer performs. Nobody even knows where he lives. But a young man with death at his heels knows no fear. Alex is determined to achieve the impossible. He overcomes the obstacles, gets to meet his friend’s idol, persuades him to help Paul rehearse the routine he is going to use for the competition, and so makes Paul’s dream come true. Later Paul realises that this was a farewell present from his best friend. Alex’s death is a terrible blow to him, but it finally makes Paul into what he has never been before: a comedian with a real soul. Scene from ”Exit To Heaven“ ”Exit To Scene from

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Brigitte Brigitte Müller was born in 1957. She studied politics, Müller Director of Photography Tom sociology and philosophy at the University of Marburg. After Fährmann Editors Biljana Grafwallner-Brezovskn, completing her studies, she gained practical experience by Judith Futar-Klahn Music by Rainer Oleak working on a voluntary basis for a local newspaper and later Producers Ewa Karlström, Andreas Ulmke- for WDR. Since then she has been a free-lance scriptwriter, Smeaton Production Company Sam Film, including television series for SAT.1, ARD and ZDF such Munich Principal Cast Frank Giering, Steffen as Staranwalt Dr. Feuerbach (1994/95), Hallo Onkel Doc Wink, Catherine Flemming, Jürgen Schornagel, (1994/95), Freunde fürs Leben (1995/96) and St. Angela Regula Grauwiller, Tom Schilling Length 98 min., (1996). In 1994, she also developed and wrote the first ten 2.695 m. Format 35 mm, colour, cs Original episodes of a new series Für alle Fälle Stefanie. Her Version German Subtitled Version English later work includes the script for a TV movie Anna (RTL Sound Technology Dolby Digital With 1998), and script and direction of a further two episodes of backing from Filmstiftung NRW, FilmFernseh- St. Angela (1997) and of the cinema film Exit to Heaven Fonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) (1999/2000). At present she is working on a TV movie for German Distributor Buena Vista International SAT.1, Eine unmögliche Liebe. GmbH, Munich

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 49 Kleine Kreise CIRCLING

A notorious initiator of unsuccessful business ventures, Paul lives in a garage between a tra- ding estate and a furniture centre. Since his wife left him, he has not seen his son Niki very often. One day during a weekend visit, the two of them get hold of a racing go-cart, just to take a few rides around. They quickly develop a taste for it. Together with the grumpy shopkeeper Karl, whom they exploit as a sponsor, they set out to roam from race to race during the summer holidays. It soon becomes fairly obvious that they don't have a chance. But Paul is far too stubborn to give up easily. Scene from ”Circling“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Jakob Hilpert Jakob Hilpert was born in Munich in 1966. After his Screenplay Jakob Hilpert, Paul Mollenhauer school graduation and alternative service, Hilpert began Director of Photography Sebastian to study English and philosophy in 1988. In 1989, he Edschmid Editor Natali Barrey Music by Theo worked as a press photographer for the Frankfurter Krieger Producer Joachim von Vietinghoff Rundschau and also as a theatre photographer. His first Production Company Von Vietinghoff short films 069-7118523 (1989) and Die Insel Filmproduktion/Geist-Film, Berlin, in co-produc- (1990) were made during these years. Since 1992, tion with BR, Munich, dffb, Berlin, Studio Hilpert has been a student at the German Film & Babelsberg Independents, Potsdam Principal Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin. Here he has Cast Cornelius Schwalm, Matthias Zelic, produced numerous shorts, of which Villeneuve Jakob Matschenz, Willem Veerkamp, Ronnie (1998) was the most successful, winning the national Wechselberger, Lotte Letschert Length 87 min., competition in Oberhausen and being shown at several 2.380 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 international festivals. During his studies Hilpert has Original Version German Sound Techno- collected practical television experience with Spiegel-TV, logy Stereo International Festival and for two years he also worked as an author, director Screenings Hof 2000 and producer of incidental satirical sketches for a show on ARD. His television work also includes two docu- mentary reports on young people in Germany. Circling (Kleine Kreise) is his graduation film.

World Sales: please contact Von Vietinghoff Filmproduktion · Joachim von Vietinghoff Potsdamer Str. 199 · D-10783 Berlin phone: +49-30-2 35 53 00 · fax: +49-30-23 55 30 30 email: [email protected]

50 Liebe nach Mitternacht MIDNIGHT LOVE

New Year’s Eve in Munich-Schwabing. The scene-restaurant ”Alte Ampel“ prepares for a long, hot night. Helping-out waitress Julia is starting her new job with a rush of enthusiasm. She has just left behind her life in the country and her fiancé Wolfgang to try her luck as an actress in Munich. She feels quite sure that the ”real very important people“ will be ringing in the New Year here tonight. Even Wolfgang reappears in order to take her home – unsuccessfully. To console himself he falls for the travesty artist Chris and – after this supposed man-eating vamp turns into a tranquil head of the family – for the decorative bar-fly Blondie. But this exciting New Year’s Eve has more to offer: The landlady Tina and her daughter Annette have the same lover. Meanwhile, the landlord is waiting on the waitresses. City councillor Sauer catches his wife ”in flagranti“ with an industry manager on whose payroll he is listed, and he considers his debts paid. Johnny Berger, regular customer and taxi-driver, protects two prostitutes and ends up shooting their pimp ”Vampire“. Julia’s first career hope is shattered and she decides to return to Wolfgang’s home sweet home. But when her big chance smiles upon her unexpectedly at the motorway restaurant, she heads back to Munich straight away without batting an eyelid … Scene from ”Midnight Love“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Harald Leipnitz Harald Leipnitz was born in 1926. After training Screenplay Harald Leipnitz, Peter Wortmann as an actor and singer in Wuppertal, he began his Director of Photography Bernd Fiedler career on stage and screen in 1962. In 1963, he was Editor Margot von Oven Music by Kristian awarded the German Film Award for his role in Die Schultze Producer Peter Wortmann Pro- endlose Nacht, and he also received a Bambi duction Companies Spectacle Productions, Award in 1968. Apart from countless roles, for exam- Munich, r.s.g., Nuremberg Principal Cast Jutta ple in Karl-May-films, he has appeared in well-known Speidel, Daniel Friedrich, Heiner Lauterbach, Lara series such as Kir Royal (1985), Küstenwache (1995) Joy Körner, Harald Leipnitz Length 85 min., and Alarm für Cobra 11 (1999). Midnight Love 940 m. Format s 16 mm, colour Original (Liebe nach Mitternacht) is his debut as a Version German Subtitled Version English cinema director. Sound Technology Dolby Stereo

World Sales: Cine-International Filmvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich phone: +49-89-39 10 25 · fax: +49-89-33 10 89 www.cine-international.de · email: [email protected] 51 Liebesluder A BUNDLE OF JOY

As fresh and sweet-smelling as a spring rose, Ina arrives in a small town by bus, throwing the entire population into a tizzy. Suddenly, the days of comfy, middle class sameness are over. One by one, the town’s dignitaries (and then some) fall for the charms of the winsome young woman. Long-forgotten dreams are realized; hidden passions take on a new life. Ina bewitches everyone. But under the surface of the appealing student lurks a femme fatale with her eyes firmly fixed on the wallets of her newfound ”friends“. The gentlemen in question, however, are determined to resist blackmail – by whatever means necessary. Add a few jealous wives – particularly Christine – mix well, and you have a town prepared to go to any lengths to keep the peace in its trim and tidy half- timbers. A black comedy about expectant motherhood, murder and maintaining the good life in Germany. Scene from ”A Bundle OfScene from Joy“

Genre Feature Director Detlev W. Buck Detlev W. Buck was born in Bad Segeberg in 1962 Screenplay Ruth Toma, Detlev W. Buck and grew up on his parents’ farm in Schleswig-Holstein. Director of Photography Slawomir Idziak He studied at the German Film & Television Academy Editor Barbara Gies Music by Xaver (dffb) in Berlin from 1985-89. A number of shorts were Naudascher, Johnny Klimek, Ludwig Eckmann, Max made during his studies, including Normal Bitte Geller Producer Claus Boje Production (1986), Eine Rolle Duschen (1987), and Was Company Boje Buck Produktion, Berlin, in co- drin ist (1988), and he graduated in 1989 with the production with WDR, Cologne Principal Cast 55-minute film Hopnick. His feature-length films are: Mavie Hörbiger, Anke Engelke, Pierre Besson, Erst die Arbeit und dann (1984); Little Rabbit Detlev W. Buck Length 91 min., 2.489 m. (Karniggels, 1991) was chosen as Best Film at the Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Bavarian Film Awards; No More Mr Nice Guy Version German Subtitled Version English (Wir können auch anders, 1993) received a Jury Sound Technology Dolby Digital With Special Commendation at the Berlin Film Festival and won backing from Filmstiftung NRW, Filmboard in four categories at the German Film Awards: best actor, Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) best screenplay, best music, best production; Jailbirds International Festival Screenings Hof (Männerpension, 1996) and Love Your Neigh- 2000 German Distributor Delphi Filmverleih bour! (Liebe Deine Nächste!, 1998). He has also GmbH & Co.KG, Berlin made acting appearances in his own films like Jailbirds and A Bundle Of Joy, as well as in films by other directors such as Leander Haußmann’s Sun Alley World Sales: please contact (1999), Max Färberböck’s Aimee & Jaguar (1998) Boje Buck Produktion GmbH & Co.KG and Bernd Eichinger’s The Great Bagarozy (1999). Claus Boje, Sonja Schmitt Kurfürstendamm 225 · D-10719 Berlin phone: +49-30-8 85 91 30 · fax: +49-30-88 59 13 15 www.liebesluder.de · email: [email protected] 52 Newenas weite Reise LONG TRAVELLING NEWENA

This is the story of the German boy Jan who passes his vacation on a freighter ship with his uncle Fiete, who is captain of the ship. During the voyage Jan discovers a stowaway on board: Newena, a young girl form ex-Yugoslavia. Intrigued by this mysterious girl, Jan keeps his discovery a secret. Although the girl does not talk very much, Jan slowly finds out about her horrible fate during the war. Slowly the two children relate to each other. In order to help her, Jan becomes a stowaway himself. But before he can really help her, he needs to understand the full depth of Newena’s suffering. And he needs to learn how to act selflessly. This story is about the primary victims of any kind of war: the children who grow up in fear and whose childhood is stolen. It reminds us of our responsibility towards these victims of war. This story has recently regained its relevance in face of the current situation in Kosovo. This project has the support of UNICEF, Germany. Scene from ”Long Travelling Newena“ ”Long Travelling Scene from

Genre Feature Director Nenad Djapic Screenplay Nenad Djapic was born in former Yugoslavia in 1948, and Nenad Djapic, Marc Eric Wessel Director of he studied film at the university in Prague. In 1972 he moved Photography Anton Rangelov Bakarsky Editor to Berlin, where he continued his studies in the theory of art. Krasimira Velic˘kova Music by Ingo Frenzel Producer Since 1974, he has worked for film, television and theatre Ottokar Runze Production Company Ottokar Runze productions as a director, author and dramatic advisor. His GmbH & Co FilmherstellungKG, Hamburg, in co-produc- first full length feature film Peter Gombas Lehr- und tion with NDR, Hamburg, BR, Munich, SWR, Stuttgart, Wanderjahre was made for ZDF television in 1981, ORB, Potsdam Principal Cast Dieter Pfaff, Peter and was followed by Tu was, Kanake! (1982), Haus Franke, Max Herbrechter, Heike Falkenberg, Florian Jaeger, Excelsior (1984), Die Rache (1985) and Bosna Victoria Borislavova Borissova Length 85 min., 2.326 m. Express (1997). Djapic’s television work has also included Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version several series and short films for children, and one of his German Subtitled Version English Sound features made for cinema, Wie klaut man einen Technology Dolby SR With backing from Schwan, (1995) is also aimed at a young audience. He has FilmFörderung Hamburg, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, completed documentary work in several countries, including BKM German Distributor Basis Filmverleih GmbH, an appraisal of the war in Serbia and Croatia filmed in 1991. Berlin

World Sales: EuroArts International GmbH · Heide Schramm Teckstr. 64 · D-70190 Stuttgart phone: +49-7 11-2 68 76 12 · fax: +49-7 11-2 68 76 43 www.euroarts.com · email: [email protected]

53 Schule SCHOOL

One last chance to really ”paint the town red“, to really have some fun – with all their friends, with all the girls: 24 hours, shortly before they graduate, from the life of a group of school pupils in a small town in Germany – the last days before ”real“ life begins, for when school is over, nothing will ever be quite the same again. This story is concerned with a loss of youthful light-heartedness, with fears for the future, but it is also about setting forth into a new life and the happiness of young love. Daniel Brühl, JasminNiels-Bruno Schmidt Schwiers,

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Marco Marco Petry was born in Würselen in 1975. Petry Director of Photography/Co-Director From 1985 to 1994 he attended highschool in Axel Block Editor Barbara von Weitershausen Baesweiler. After graduating he spent one year Music by Jan Plevka Producers Uschi Reich, doing civil service. He then served a six month Bernd Eichinger Production Company Bavaria internship with media-impulse before Filmverleih & Produktion, Geiselgasteig, in co-produc- entering the Academy for Television and Film tion with Constantin Film AG, Munich Principal (HFF/M) in Munich in 1996 to study directing. His Cast Daniel Brühl, Jasmin Schwiers, Niels-Bruno credits, so far, include: Eine Portion Fritten Schmidt Length 100 min., 2.700 m. Format (short, 1997), Poppen (1998) and School. 35 mm, colour, cs Original Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby Digital With backing from FilmFernseh- Fonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), BKM International Festival Screenings Hof 2000 German Distributor Constantin Film AG, Munich

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 54 Der Tunnel THE TUNNEL

The Tunnel is the story – based on true events – of Harry Melchior and his sister Lotte. In the autumn of 1961, Harry escapes to the western sector of Berlin. There he joins an escape aid group together with his friend Matthis Hiller and meets Friederike Scholz. All three share a longing for their friends and families who have remained behind the Iron Curtain. In the meantime, the possible escape routes have been blocked, but Harry soon has an idea how he can fetch his sister Lotte into the West: he wants to dig a tunnel from west to east. Soon they have found the ideal location and the friends begin to dig. Tensions arise in the course of this difficult work, and not only among the group of friends. The western part of the city is teeming with Stasi spies; friends and relations in the East are pestered by a Stasi officer called Krüger. After months of working away like moles, the tunnel has almost reached its target in the eastern part of the city. Then an unforeseen event threatens to wreck their plan … Scene from ”The Tunnel“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Roland Suso Richter Roland Suso Richter, born in 1961, achieved his Screenplay Johannes W. Betz Director of breakthrough with his first feature-length film for the Photography Martin Langer Editor Eva cinema, Kolp (1983). Following its screening at Schnarre Music by Harald Kloser Producers Cannes, the film was invited to numerous internatio- Nico Hofmann, Ariane Krampe Production nal film festivals, was nominated for the German Film Company teamWorx für Kino & Fernsehen Award and the Bavarian Film Prize, and went on to win GmbH, Berlin/Munich, for SAT.1, Berlin the 1986 Youth Video Prize. Sven’s Secret (1994) Principal Cast Heino Ferch, Sebastian Koch, received countless awards including the 1996 Erich Nicolette Krebitz, Mehmet Kurtulus, Felix Eitner, Kästner Prize and the Rocky Award at the Banff Alexandra Maria Lara, Uwe Kockisch, Claudia Television Festival. Richter enjoyed cinema success Michelsen Length ca. 2 x 90 min. Format 35 with Fourteen Days To Live (1997). For his mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version German outstanding work as director on The Bubi Scholz Sound Technology Stereo With backing Story (1998, TV), he received the Bavarian Television from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg German Award. His latest films are: After The Truth Distributor Basis Filmverleih GmbH, Berlin (Nichts als die Wahrheit, 1999), which was shown in competition at San Sebastian in 1999 and A Handful Of Grass (Eine Hand voll Gras, 2000), recently screened in competition at Montreal.

World Sales: Kirch Media GmbH + Co.KgaA · Andreas Richter Robert-Bürkle-Str. 2 · D-85737 Ismaning phone: +49-89-99 56 27 56 · fax: +49-89-99 56 27 72 www.kirchgruppe.de · email: [email protected]

55 Walk Don’t Walk

Walk Don’t Walk is a documentary about the legs of Manhattan: sexy, fast and breaking taboos, with tropical sounds from the celebrated clarinettist, Don Byron, analyses by Diane Hanson, editor-in-chief of the fetish magazine Leg Show, and witty statements on their lower extremities. The film was two years in the making. Thomas Struck was arrested for voyeurism. Sixty hours of footage were condensed to sixty minutes. The film was shot using a small, digital camera attached to a stick at foot height. A small, fold-out monitor enabled the film-maker to control his image, and the camera was switched on and off by remote control. New York’s pedestrians reacted in many different ways: many of them didn’t notice the camera, others played along with it, commenting on it with witty remarks or gestures, some women felt molested by it and Thomas Struck was taken into police custody three times, where he ultimately succeeded in convincing the police that Walk Don’t Walk was not pornography, but a film about the rhythm of New York and the pursuit of happiness. Scene from ”Walk Don’t Walk“ ”Walk Scene from

Genre Documentary Director/Screen- Thomas Struck was born in Hamburg in 1943. After studying play/Director of Photography Thomas psychology and film history, he began making experimental films as Struck Editor Michèle Barin Music by a member of the Hamburg group Grüner Hase in 1965. From 1966 Don Byron Producer Peter Stockhaus onwards, Struck produced documentary films for NDR, ARD and Production Company Thomas Struck & HR, including: Damals in Hamburg – Die Beatles (1966) Peter Stockhaus Filmproduktion, Hamburg, in and a full length documentary about the Spencer Davis Group co-production with ARTE, Strasbourg, NDR, (1967). In 1968, he was a co-founder of the Hamburger Filmemacher Hamburg With Don Byron, Maria, Diane Cooperative, which organized the Hamburger Filmschau. Later, he Hanson, Dick Traum Length 60 min., 1.720 m. became a member of the Hamburger Filmbüro, a self-administrated Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 Original funding office. In 1985, Struck directed the first European Low Budget Version English Subtitled Version German Film Forum together with Claire Doutriaux and Dieter Kosslick, Sound Technology Stereo With backing laying the foundations for the funding system of the European Film from FilmFörderung Hamburg, MFG Baden- Distribution Organisation (efdo). In the 90s, Struck was also involved Württemberg International Festival in multimedia events, including Blaubarts Orchester, (1993) Screenings Karlovy Vary 2000: documentary and Einmal Casanova sein, (1997). In recent years, Struck has competition German Distributor Thomas returned to longer documentary films, including Ein Weinjahr Struck & Peter Stockhaus Filmproduktion, (1999) and his present project Walk Don’t Walk (2000). Hamburg

World Sales: Media Luna Entertainment GmbH & Co.KG · Ida Martins Hochstadenstr. 1-3 · D-50674 Cologne phone: +49-2 21-1 39 22 22 · fax: +49-2 21-1 39 22 24 email: [email protected]

56 www.erdinger.de for holiday! for brewed in Bavaria in brewed Foreign Representatives

Argentina Spain Dipl. Ing. Gustav Wilhelmi Stefan Schmitz Lavalle 1928 · 1º Piso Avalon Productions S.L. C1051ABD Buenos Aires C/ Duque de Rivas, 2-2°D phone: + fax: +54-11-49 51 19 10 E-28012 Madrid email: [email protected] phone: +34-91-3 66 43 64 fax : +34-91-3 65 93 01 email: [email protected] China & South East Asia Lukas Schwarzacher G/F, 71-B Peak Road United Kingdom Cheung Chau, Hong Kong Iris Kehr phone: +8 52-29 86 85 55 Top Floor fax: +8 52-29 86 85 58 113-117 Charing Cross Road e-fax: +1-240-255-71 60 GB-London WC2H OEA email: [email protected] phone: +44-20-74 37 20 47 fax: +44-20-74 39 29 47 email: [email protected] France Cristina Hoffman 2, Place de Séoul USA/East Coast & Canada F-75014 Paris Brigitte Hubmann phone + fax: +33-1-43 2144 75 246 West End Avenue email: [email protected] Suite 2 C New York, NY 10023, USA phone + fax: +1-2 12-7 21-19 17 Italy email: [email protected] Alessia Ratzenberger Angeli Movie Service piazza Massa Carrara, 6 USA/West Coast I-00162 Rome Corina Danckwerts phone: +39-06-86 20 44 14 / 8 60 54 21 Capture Film, Inc. fax: +39-06-8 60 74 75 2400 W. Silverlake Drive email: [email protected] Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA phone: +1-3 23-6 68-01 12 fax: +1-3 23-6 68-08 53 Japan email: [email protected] Tomosuke Suzuki Nippon Cine TV. Corporation Suite 123, Gaien House 2-2-39 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo. Japan phone: +81-3-34 05 09 16 fax: +81-3-34 79-08 69 email: [email protected]

58 Export-Union of German Films Shareholders and Supporters

Verband Deutscher Spielfilmproduzenten e.V./ Association of German Feature Film Producers please contact Franz Seitz Beichstr. 8, D-80802 Munich phone: +49-89-39 11 23, fax: +49-89-33 74 32

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Neuer Deutscher Spielfilmproduzenten/ Association of New Feature Film Producers please contact Margarete Evers Agnesstr. 14, D-80798 Munich phone: +49-89-2 71 74 30, fax: +49-89-2 71 97 28

Verband Deutscher Filmexporteure e.V./ Association of German Film Exporters please contact Lothar Wedel Tegernseer Landstr. 75, D-81539 Munich phone: +49- 89-6 92 06 60, fax: +49-89-6 92 09 10 email: [email protected]

Filmförderungsanstalt as of november 2000: Budapester Str. 41, D-10787 Berlin Große Präsidentenstr. 9, D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-2 54 09 00, fax: +49-30-25 40 90 57 phone: +49-30-27 57 70, fax: +49-30-27 57 71 11 www.ffa.de www.ffa.de email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Angelegenheiten der Kultur und der Medien Referat K 36, Bundeshaus Berlin, Bundesallee 216-218 , D-10719 Berlin phone: +49-30-22 41 62 07, fax: +49-30-22 41 62 23

Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH August-Bebel-Str. 26-53, D-14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg phone: +49-3 31-7 43 87-0, fax: +49-3 31-7 43 87-99 www.filmboard.de email: [email protected]

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern GmbH Schwanthalerstr. 69, D-80336 Munich phone: +49-89-5 44 60 20, fax: +49-89-54 46 02 21 www.fff-bayern.de email: [email protected]

FilmFörderung Hamburg GmbH Friedensallee 14–16, D-22765 Hamburg phone: +49-40-3 98 37-0, fax: +49-40-3 98 37-10 www.ffhh.de email: [email protected], [email protected]

Filmstiftung NRW GmbH Kaistr. 14, D-40221 Düsseldorf phone: +49-2 11-93 05 00, fax: +49-2 11-93 05 05 www.filmstiftung.de email: [email protected]

Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH Filmförderung Huberstr. 4, D-70174 Stuttgart phone: +49-7 11-1 22 28 33, fax: +49-7 11-1 22 28 34 www.mfg.de email: [email protected]

Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH Hainstr. 19, D-04109 Leipzig phone: +49-3 41-26 98 70, fax: +49-3 41-26 98 76 5 www.mdm-foerderung.de email: [email protected] Members of the German Film Exporters’ Association please contact Lothar Wedel FILM Tegernseer Landstr. 75 D-81539 Munich phone: +49-89-6 92 06 60 fax: +49-89-6 92 09 10

ARRI Media Worldsales Cine-International Filmvertrieb please contact Antonio Exacoustos jun. GmbH & Co. KG Türkenstr. 89 please contact Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh D-80799 Munich Leopoldstr. 18 phone: +49-89-38 09 12 88 D-80802 Munich fax: +49-89-38 09 14 33 phone: +49-89-39 10 25 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-33 10 89 www.cine-international.de email: [email protected] Atlas International Film GmbH please contact Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum DWF Rumfordstr. 29-31 Dieter Wahl Film D-80469 Munich please contact Dieter Wahl phone: +49-89-21 09 75-0 Sörgelstr. 15b fax: +49-89-22 43 32 D-81477 Munich www.atlasfilm.com phone: +49-89-53 27 21 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-53 12 97 email: [email protected]

Bavaria Film International Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH Exportfilm Bischoff & Co. GmbH please contact Michael Weber, please contact Jochem Strate, Philip Thorsten Schaumann Evenkamp Bavariafilmplatz 8 Isabellastr. 20 D-82031 Geiselgasteig D-80798 Munich phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 phone: +49-89-2 72 93 60 fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 fax: +49-89-27 29 36 36 www.bavaria-film-international.de email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

german united distributors Beta Film GmbH Programmvertrieb GmbH please contact Dirk Schürhoff please contact Silke Spahr Robert-Buerkle-Str. 2 Richartzstr. 6-8a D-85737 Ismaning D-50667 Cologne phone: +49-89-99 56 - 23 45 phone: +49-2 21-92 06 90 fax: +49-89-99 56 - 27 03 fax: +49-2 21-9 20 69 69 and www.epsilon-mediagroup.com email: [email protected] email: [email protected] and Bavaria Media TV Vertrieb please contact Rosemarie Dermühl cine aktuell Filmgesellschaft mbH Bavariafilmplatz 8 please contact Eugen Schaarschmidt, Ralf D-82031 Geiselgasteig Faust, phone: +49-89-64 99 36 66 Axel Schaarschmidt fax: +49-89-64 99 22 40 Werdenfelsstr. 81 email: [email protected] D-81377 Munich phone: +49-89-7 41 34 30 fax: +49-89-74 13 43 16 email: [email protected]

60 EXPORTERS

Kinowelt International GmbH RRS Entertainment please contact Bettina Kunde Gesellschaft für Filmlizenzen Neue Schönhauser Str. 20 GmbH D-10178 Berlin please contact Robert Rajber phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 Sternwartstr. 2 fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 D-81679 Munich www.kinowelt.de phone: +49-89-2 11 16 60 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-21 11 66 11 email: [email protected]

Media Luna Entertainment GmbH & Co.KG Telepool – Europäisches please contact Ida Martins Fernsehprogrammkontor GmbH Hochstadenstr. 1-3 please contact Wolfram Skowronnek D-50674 Cologne Sonnenstr. 21 phone: +49-2 21-1 39 22 22 D-80331 Munich fax: +49-2 21-1 39 22 24 phone: +49-89-55 87 60 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-55 87 61 88 email: [email protected]

Metropolis Filmvertrieb GmbH please contact Luciano Gloor Transit Film GmbH Schönberger Ufer 71 please contact Loy Arnold D-10785 Berlin Dachauer Str. 35 phone: +49-30-26 39 56 30 D-80335 Munich fax: +49-30-26 39 56 59 phone: +49-89-59 98 85-0 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-59 98 85-20 email: [email protected]

Progress Film-Verleih GmbH please contact Christel Jansen Uni Media International GmbH & Burgstr. 27 Co. D-10178 Berlin Produktions- und Vertriebs KG phone: +49-30-24 00 32 25 please contact Irene Vogt fax: +49-30-24 00 32 22 Bayerstr. 15 www.progress-film.de D-80335 Munich email: [email protected] phone: +49-89-59 58 46 fax: +49-89-5 50 17 01 email: [email protected] Road Sales GmbH Mediadistribution please contact Ulrich Felsberg, Valentina Lori Waldleitner Media GmbH Clausewitzstr. 4 please contact Michael Waldleitner, D-10629 Berlin Angela Waldleitner phone: +49-30-8 80 48 60 Münchhausenstr. 29 fax: +49-30-88 04 86 11 D-81247 Munich www.das-werk.de phone: +49-89-55 53 41 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-59 45 10 email: [email protected]

61 imprint

published by:

Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH Türkenstr. 93 D-80799 Munich phone: +49-89-39 00 95 fax: +49-89-39 52 23 www.german-cinema.de/ email: [email protected]

ISSN 0948-2547

Credits are not contractual for any of the films mentioned in this publication.

© Export-Union des Deutschen Films

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

Editors Susanne Reinker, Julia Basler

Production Reports Simon Kingsley

Contributors for this issue Michael Althen, Martin Blaney, Simon Kingsley, Christiane Peitz

Translations Simon Kingsley, Lucinda Rennison

Design Group Werner Schauer Agentur für Design und Kommunikation

Art Direction Werner Schauer

Printing Office ESTA Druck, Obermühlstraße 90, D-82398 Polling

Financed by the office of the Federal State Minister for Culture and Affairs of the Media.

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62 The Export-Union of German Cinema – A Profile

The Export-Union of German Cinema is the national information EXPORT-UNION’S RANGE OF ACTIVITIES: and advice centre for the export of German films. It was established in 1954 as the ”umbrella“ association for the Association of German Close cooperation with the major international film Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German Feature festivals, e.g. Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Montreal, Toronto, Film Producers and the Association of German Film Exporters and San Sebastian, Tokyo, New York, Locarno, Karlovy Vary; operates today in the legal form of a limited company.

Shareholders in the limited company are the Association of Organisation of umbrella stands for German sales companies German Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German and producers at international TV markets, e.g. MIP-TV, Feature Film Producers, the Association of German Film Exporters MIPCOM, NATPE; and the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

The members of the board of the Export-Union of German Staging of German Film Weeks in key cities of the internatio- Cinema are: Jochem Strate (chairman), Rolf Bähr, Antonio nal film industry (1999: Paris, London, Madrid, Buenos Aires Exacoustos Jr. and Michael Weber. and Mexico-City);

The Export-Union itself has six permanent staff: • Christian Dorsch, managing director Providing advice and information for representatives of • Susanne Reinker, PR manager the international press and buyers from the fields of • Julia Basler, project manager cinema, video, TV; • Stephanie Weiss, PR assistant • Petra Bader, office manager • Barbara Hirth, accounts Providing advice and information for German filmmakers and press on international festivals, conditions of participation and In addition, the Export-Union shares foreign representatives which German films are showing; in eight countries with the Federal German Film Board (FFA). (cf. page 58) Publication of informational literature on the current The Export-Union’s budget of presently approx. DM 4 German cinema: KINO Magazine and KINO-Yearbook; million (including projects, administration, foreign representatives) comes from the export levies, monies from the office of the Federal State Minister for Culture and Affairs of the Media and the FFA. In addition, the six main economic film funds (Filmboard An Internet website (http://www.german-cinema.de) Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, FilmFörderung offering both information about new German films as well Hamburg, Filmstiftung NRW, Medien- and Filmgesellschaft Baden- as a film archive; Württemberg and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung) have made a financial contribution, currently amounting to DM 0.45 million, towards the work of the Export-Union. In 1997, the Export-Union Organisation of the selection procedure for the German and five large economic film funds founded an advisory commit- entry for the OSCAR for Best Foreign Language Film. tee whose goal is the concentration of efforts for the promotion of German film abroad“ (constitution). The focus of the work: feature films; documentaries with The Export-Union is a founding member of ”European Film theatrical potential and shorts that have been invited to the main Promotion“, an amalgamation of twenty national film-PR agencies sections of the major festivals. (UNIFRANCE, Scandinavian Films, British Screen, Holland Film, among others) with similar responsibilities to those of the Export- Union. The organisation with its headquarters in Hamburg aims to develop and realise joint projects for the presentation of European films on an international level.