German Films Quarterly 1 · 2010 PORTRAITS Detlev Buck, Ulla Wagner, Frisbeefilms, Nora Tschirner SPECIAL REPORT JEUX SANS FRONTIERES International Co-Productions with and in Germany German Films Quarterly 1 · 2010 special report 4 JEUX SANS FRONTIERES International Co-Productions with and in Germany directors portraits 14 RIGHT ON TARGET A portrait of Detlev Buck 16 PASSION AND NUANCE A portrait of Ulla Wagner producers’ portrait 18 COMING FULL CIRCLE A portrait of Frisbeefilms actress portrait 20 THE QUEEN OF COMEDY A portrait of Nora Tschirner 22 news in production 28 DER ALBANER Johannes Naber 29 ALMANYA Yasemin Samdereli 30 DU GEHOERST ZU UNS Hella Wenders 30 DAS ENDE IST MEIN ANFANG Jo Baier 31 GESTERN IST NIRGENDWO Elke Hauck 32 HAUSGAESTE Eva Stotz 33 HEIMWEH Andreas Kannengiesser 33 HERBSTGOLD – WETTLAUF GEGEN DIE ZEIT Jan Tenhaven 34 IN DER WELT HABT IHR ANGST Hans W. Geissendoerfer 35 DAS LEBEN IST ZU LANG Dani Levy 36 DER LETZTE ANGESTELLTE Alexander Adolph 37 DER MANN DER UEBER AUTOS SPRANG Nick Baker-Monteys 38 MOBY DICK Mike Barker 39 DAS SYSTEM Marc Bauder 40 WE ARE THE ROADCREW Olaf Held new german films 42 12 METER OHNE KOPF 12 PACES WITHOUT A HEAD Sven Taddicken 43 ALLES UMSONST! ALL FOR NOTHING! Jan Peters 44 BETTY B. & THE THE’S Felix Stienz 45 BIS AUFS BLUT – BRUEDER AUF BEWAEHRUNG Oliver Kienle 46 DRAUSSEN AM SEE LOSING BALANCE Felix Fuchssteiner 47 ENGEL MIT SCHMUTZIGEN FLUEGELN ANGELS WITH DIRTY WINGS Roland Reber 48 DIE ENTBEHRLICHEN THE DISPENSABLES Andreas Arnstedt 49 EVET, ICH WILL! EVET, I DO! Sinan Akkus 50 DIE FRAU MIT DEN 5 ELEFANTEN THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS Vadim Jendreyko 51 FRIEDENSSCHLAG – DAS JAHR DER ENTSCHEIDUNG PEACE PUNCH – THE YEAR OF DECISION Gerardo Milsztein 52 DIE FRISEUSE THE HAIRDRESSER Doris Doerrie 53 GESICHT ZUR WAND FACE THE WALL Stefan Weinert 54 HENRI 4 HENRY OF NAVARRE Jo Baier 55 HIER KOMMT LOLA! Franziska Buch 56 HUNGER Carolina Hellsgård 57 THE HUNTER Rafi Pitts 58 JERRY COTTON Cyrill Boss, Philipp Stennert 59 KEEP SURFING Bjoern Richie Lob 60 LEBENDKONTROLLE OUTSIDE Florian Schewe 61 MAENNERHERZEN MEN IN THE CITY Simon Verhoeven 62 MEIN KAMPF Urs Odermatt 63 DIE NEUEN NONNEN VON MOSKAU MOSCOW’S NEW NUNS Beate F. Neumann 64 ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE Stefanie Brockhaus, Andy Wolff 65 PORGY & ME – IN DER WELT VON GERSHWINS PORGY AND BESS PORGY & ME – IN THE WORLD OF THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS Susanna Boehm 66 DIE REISE NACH METROPOLIS THE JOURNEY TO METROPOLIS Artem Demenok 67 RÉSISTE! AUFSTAND DER PRAKTIKANTEN RESIST! INTERN REBELLION Jonas Grosch 68 DER SCHEIN TRUEGT – EINE EXPEDITION IN DIE RAETSEL DES GELDES IN WHAT WE TRUST – AN EXPEDITION INTO THE RIDDLES OF MONEY Claus Strigel 69 DIE SCHOENSTE NEBENSACHE DER WELT THAT FUNNY OLD GAME Tanja Bubbel 70 TANNOED THE MURDER FARM Bettina Oberli 71 TANZTRAEUME – JUGENDLICHE TANZEN “KONTAKTHOF” VON PINA BAUSCH DANCING DREAMS – TEENAGERS PERFORM “KONTAKTHOF” BY PINA BAUSCH Anne Linsel, Rainer Hoffmann 72 TERMINAL Joerg Wagner 73 VINCENT WILL MEER Ralf Huettner 74 WAGs_WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS Joachim Dollhopf, Evi Goldbrunner 75 ZUGABE. TALENTPROBE – EIN WIEDERSEHEN ENCORE. TALENT CONTEST – A REUNION Manfred Behrens 76 ZWEIOHRKUEKEN RABBIT WITHOUT EARS 2 Til Schweiger 79 film exporters 83 foreign representatives · imprint SPECIAL REPORT Scene from “The Reader” (photo Scene from © Senator Film) JEUX SANS FRONTIERES International Co-Productions with and in Germany The schoolyard is a microcosm that follows the same rules wherever co-production” is thus growing, even in traditionally strong pro- you are: it is a place where young people meet. It is here rather than duction countries like France. The number of international co-pro- in the classroom that exchanges take place, that new contacts are ductions supported in Germany has risen since the introduction of the made and existing ones consolidated, that kids with similar interests German Federal Film Fund (DFFF): there were 37 in 2008 by com- find each other. Then they meet up to play, later at the pub, to go to parison to 34 in 2007. By the end of November 2009, 35 applications the cinema or to travel. They talk about the future. The contacts had already been submitted to the DFFF, although certainly not all of initiated in the schoolyard develop into firm, often life-long relation- these were for international co-productions, but nevertheless quite a ships. few were. Film productions with international participation often have a higher production budget. The average production costs of the Thanks to European programs like EAVE and ACE, the European film international co-productions supported by the DFFF in 2007 and 2008 industry also functions like a schoolyard, at least according to film were 9.65 million Euros – by comparison to an average of 5.3 million producer Peter Rommel. For it is not dealing with the “paperwork” Euros among all the projects supported by the DFFF in the same that represents the challenge for producers involved in international period. co-productions, he says, but the personal aspects. Of course it is often about money. First and foremost, even. “And when it comes to The German film industry has become more international over the money, as we all know, that is often where a friendship ends,” says past five years. “And the producers are daring to tackle bigger Kirsten Niehuus, managing director of Medienboard Berlin-Branden- budgets,” says Christine Berg, project director of the DFFF. German burg. But trust becomes even more important for that very reason. cinema has a good international reputation, having won various prizes How do I find the right partners? Can I rely on them? Do we have the and acclaim. Fatih Akin, Michael Haneke, Tom Tykwer and Andreas same perspective on the project, not just in terms of the financing, but Dresen are popular with the critics, and successful at the big festivals also regarding content? Are we all pulling in the same direction, or is and box offices as well. there a risk of delays and disputes? Questions like these are essential in international co-productions, which are becoming an increasingly At the European Film Award 2009, two international co-productions important form of production and funding across the whole of with German participation received big awards: the prizes for the Best Europe. Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay went to The White Ribbon by Austrian director Michael Haneke. Kate Winslet received It is becoming more and more difficult, however, to finance projects, the prize for the Best Leading Actress for her role in The Reader especially ambitious ones, in one country alone and the “pressure of by British director Stephen Daldry. These two films represent the german films quarterly special report 1 · 2010 4 opposite ends of the spectrum of international co-productions: in the Euros simply through the entry of a co-producer. Co-productions first case, a majority German production that was financed from four mean longer periods of production and development, higher costs, different countries and in the second case, a US-UK production based many obligations due to the combination of different funding sources, on the novel by German novelist Bernhard Schlink, with international and a large number of legal, technical and artistic implications. Late- actors and co-produced by Studio Babelsberg. arriving co-producers may delay and complicate a project as well. The range between these two extremes shows that there can be “The bitter truth is that avoiding co-production is always the easier various motivations to embark on a co-production – they may con- and quicker way,” says Kristina Trapp, managing director of EAVE, cern content or they may be artistic in nature because the in- one of the leading training, development and networking programs volvement of another country is required for the material, theme, for producers in Europe. Whether a co-production is advantageous location of the action, actors or music. And financial reasons may be or desirable despite this always depends on the individual project and the determining factor if it is impossible to finance the project nation- must be decided individually, from one case to the next. Does the ally, for example. Technical conditions may also be decisive, because idea of a co-production suggest itself because of the project’s con- specific services are cheaper in other countries or can be realized with tent? Does a strong partnership exist with experienced co-producers? greater technical skill. Does the project actually have the potential to find an audience Scene from “The White Ribbon” Scene from (photo © X Filme Creative Pool/Les Films du Losange/Wega Film/Lucky Red) Films du Losange/Wega (photo © X Filme Creative Pool/Les CHANCES AND RISKS beyond the boundaries of the national market? One should ask one- self these questions. “Every project must be seen as a precedent, it The advantages of international co-productions include, among other has its own logic and spirit, and they should be respected,” says aspects, the fact that they present more funding possibilities. Co-pro- Kristina Trapp. duced films also have better opportunities for distribution in the co- production countries and have a bigger market potential. The partici- STARTING WITH THE SCREENPLAY pation of a producer from France means that the film will be recog- nized as a French production there; it will thus receive support and The international breakthrough as a renowned European co-produ- find a French distributor more easily and will also be marketed there. cer came for Stefan Arndt with the film The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke. After all, he succeeded in arranging a good bit the Another advantage that should not be underestimated is that one funding abroad for a film with a purely German subject and a German already gets feedback from colleagues at a very early stage of the pro- cast, set exclusively in Germany.