German Cinema in China (© Y J Lee)

GFQ GERMAN FILMS QUARTERLY

THE BERLINALE ISSUE

NEW GERMAN FILMS AT THE BERLINALE SHOOTING STAR Louis Hofmann

DIRECTORS Aslı Özge & Jan Zabeil PRODUCERS ONE TWO FILMS ISSUE 1-2017 CONTENTS GFQ 1-2017

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2 GFQ 1-2017 CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE IN BERLIN GESCHICHTE EINER LIEBE – FREYA LOVE IN THE TIME OF RESISTANCE – FREYA Antje Starost, Hans Helmut Grotjahn ...... 39 BEUYS Andres Veiel ...... 4 IM EXIL IN EXILE Tin Win Naing ...... 39 HELLE NÄCHTE BRIGHT NIGHTS Thomas Arslan ...... 5 MYANMARKET Eva Knopf ...... 40 RÜCKKEHR NACH MONTAUK UNTER ALLER AUGEN RETURN TO MONTAUK Volker Schlöndorff ...... 6 FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE Claudia Schmid ...... 40 IN ZEITEN DES ABNEHMENDEN LICHTS EL VIAJE – EIN MUSIKFILM MIT RODRIGO GONZALEZ IN TIMES OF FADING LIGHT Matti Geschonneck ...... 7 EL VIAJE – A ROAD TRIP INTO CHILE’S MUSICAL HERITAGE BACK FOR GOOD Mia Spengler ...... 8 Nahuel Lopez ...... 41 EISENKOPF IRONHEAD Tian Dong ...... 9 WIR SIND JUDEN AUS BRESLAU WE ARE JEWS FROM BRESLAU Karin Kaper, Dirk Szuszies ...... 41 MIKEL Cavo Kernich ...... 10 NEW SHORTS SELBSTKRITIK EINES BÜRGERLICHEN HUNDES SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG HOMEWORK Annika Pinske ...... 42 Julian Radlmaier ...... 11 KALTES TAL Johannes Krell, Florian Fischer ...... 42 EIN WEG PATHS Chris Miera ...... 12 TIMECODE Petra Lottje ...... 43 ZWISCHEN DEN JAHREN END OF THE SEASON Lars Henning ...... 13 EINE UNIVERSELLE LIEBESGESCHICHTE A UNIVERSAL LOVE STORY Natalie MacMahon ...... 43 DIE HÄSCHENSCHULE – JAGD NACH DEM GOLDENEN EI RABBIT SCHOOL – GUARDIANS OF THE GOLDEN EGG UPCOMING FILMS Ute von Münchow-Pohl ...... 14 AUS DEM NICHTS Fatih Akin ...... 44 SHOOTING STAR 2017 CONNI & CO 2 Til Schweiger ...... 44 GERMANY’S SHOOTING STAR CREDO Christian Schwochow ...... 44 A portrait of actor Louis Hofmann ...... 16 CULPA – NIEMAND IST OHNE SCHULD Jano Ben Chaabane ..... 45 PORTRAITS DARK Baran bo Odar ...... 45 STYLE, SPACE AND SERENDIPITY HIGH SOCIETY Anika Decker ...... 45 A portrait of director Aslı Özge ...... 18 HIMMEL UND HÖLLE Uwe Janson ...... 46 CONCENTRATING ON THE IMAGE A portrait of director Jan Zabeil ...... 20 ICEMAN Felix Randau ...... 46 AN INTERNATIONAL FOCUS FOR SUCCESS IN MY ROOM Ulrich Köhler ...... 46 22 A portrait of One Two Films ...... JIM KNOPF UND LUKAS DER LOKOMOTIVFÜHRER NEWS & NOTES ...... 24 Dennis Gansel ...... 47 DER KLEINE RABE SOCKE – SUCHE NACH DEM NEW FEATURES VERLORENEN SCHATZ Verena Fels, Sandor Jesse ...... 47 AMELIE RENNT MOUNTAIN MIRACLE – LASS DEN SOMMER NIE WIEDER KOMMEN AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP Tobias Wiemann ...... 31 Alexandre Koberidze ...... 47 AXOLOTL OVERKILL Helene Hegemann ...... 32 MARINA, MABUSE UND MORITURI Kathrin Anderson ...... 48 DIE BLUMEN VON GESTERN MATA HARI & MADEMOISELLE DOCTEUR Kai Christiansen ...... 48 THE BLOOM OF YESTERDAY Chris Kraus ...... 33 NUR GOTT KANN MICH RICHTEN Özgür Yildirim ...... 48 ICH HAB VON DIR ERZÄHLT OSTWIND – AUFBRUCH NACH ORA I SPOKE ABOUT YOU Christoph Otto ...... 34 Katja von Garnier ...... 49 EINE SACHLICHE ROMANZE MANIFESTO Julian Rosefeldt ...... 35 Laura Lackmann ...... 49 RAKETE PERELMAN SO WAS VON DA Jakob Lass ...... 49 ROCKET PERELMAN Oliver Alaluukas ...... 36 DER UNSICHTBARE FILM Anton Gonopolski ...... 50 WESTERN Valeska Grisebach ...... 37 URSULA MAYER GEGEN DEN REST DER WELT Petra Lüschow ...... 50 NEW DOCUMENTARIES WAS UNS NICHT UMBRINGT Sandra Nettelbeck ...... 50 DRIES Reiner Holzemer ...... 38 Shareholders & Supporters ...... 53 FRANCOS ERBE – SPANIENS GERAUBTE KINDER FRANCO’S Film Exporters ...... 54 LEGACY – SPAIN’S STOLEN CHILDREN Inga Bremer ...... 38 Imprint ...... 55 3 IN BERLINLIN GFQ 1-2017

IN COMPETITION

euys, the man with a hat, some felt, ANDRES VEIEL was born in 1959 in Stuttgart GENRE Biopic, Documentary YEAR OF PRO- and the Fettecke. Thirty years after and studied Psychology in Berlin. After DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Andres Veiel CINE- his death he still seems to be a attend ing seminars in Directing and Drama- MATOGRAPHY Jörg Jeshel PRODUCER visionary, way ahead of his time. turgy at the Artist House Bethanien in Berlin, Thomas Kufus CO-PRODUCER Christoph BackB then he was trying to patently explain he has been active writing film and theater Friedel PRODUCTION COMPANY zero one how “money shouldn’t be a commodity.” scripts and lectures at the Free University in film, in co-production with TERZ Film, SWR, He knew that money trade would undermine Berlin. His films include: A WINTERNIGHT’S ARTE, WDR RUNTIME 107 min LANGUAGE democracy. But there’s more. Beuys boxes, DREAM (doc, 1992), BALAGAN (doc, 1993) German, English FESTIVALS Berlinale 2017 parleys, lectures, and explains pictures to a winner of the IFFS Main Prize and the Ger- (In Competition) dead hare. He asks with a grin: “Do You Want man Film Award in Silver, THE SURVIVORS a Revolution Without Laughter?” His ex- (doc, 1996) winner of the Main Prize at SALES panded concept of art leads him smack in the DOK.fest München and the Adolf Grimme Beta Cinema middle of socially relevant discourse, even Award in 1998, the highly-acclaimed BLACK [email protected] today. BOX GERMANY (2001) which received the www.betacinema.com German Film Award for Best Documentary in A congenial montage of countless, previously 2002 and the European Film Award, DIE untapped visual and audio sources, director SPIELWÜTIGEN (2004), THE KICK (2006) Andres Veiel and his team created a one-of- which won the Grand Prix Cinema du Réel, a-kind chronicle: BEUYS is not a portrait in the feature IF NOT US, WHO (2011) which the common sense but an intimate look at a screened in Competition in Berlin, and his human being, his art, and his world of ideas. latest documentary BEUYS (2017).

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IN COMPETITION

BRIGHT NIGHTS

erlin-based engineer Michael must THOMAS ARSLAN was born in 1962. He GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 travel to Norway for his father’s studied Germanics and History in Munich DIRECTOR Thomas Arslan SCREENPLAY funeral. When his sister is un - and Film at the German Film & Television Thomas Arslan CINEMATOGRAPHY Reinhold willing to travel, Michael decides to Academy (DFFB) in Berlin. He has been work- Vorschneider CAST Georg Friedrich, Tristan takeB along his 14-year-old son Luis, with ing as a writer and filmmaker since 1992. His Göbel, Marie Leuenberger, Hanna Karlberg whom he has always had minimal contact. films include: MACH DIE MUSIK LEISER PRODUCERS Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael hopes to bond with Luis while ex- (1994), the trilogy, GESCHWISTER (1996), Michael Weber CO-PRODUCERS Maria ploring the remote region of northern Norway DEALER (1998) and A FINE DAY (DER Ekerhovd, Svein Andersen, Kjetil Jensberg, for a few days. But their first trip together SCHÖNE TAG, 2000), IM SCHATTEN (2009), Andrea Hanke PRODUCTION COMPANY is much more difficult than expected. Daily GOLD (2013), and BRIGHT NIGHTS (HELLE Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, in co-pro- interaction is unfamiliar territory to both, and NÄCHTE, 2017). duction with mer Films, FilmCamp, WDR Luis obviously holds a grudge because of his RUNTIME 86 min LANGUAGE German father’s negligence. But during these longest FESTIVALS Berlinale 2017 (In Competition) days of summer, Michael is determined to break a bittersweet father-son pattern. SALES The Match Factory [email protected] www.the-match-factory.com

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IN COMPETITION

ax Zorn arrives in New York to VOLKER SCHLÖNDORFF has been active for GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 promote his last novel. The more than 50 years. A selection of his award- DIRECTOR Volker Schlöndorff SCREENPLAY younger woman he lives with in winning films include: YOUNG TÖRLESS Colm Tóibín, Volker Schlöndorff CINEMA - Berlin, Clara, has been in town a (1965), BAAL (1970), THE SUDDEN WEALTH TOGRAPHY Jérôme Alméras CAST Stellan fewM months already. Max has the feeling that OF THE POOR PEOPLE OF KOMBACH (1971), Skarsgård, Nina Hoss, Susanne Wolff, Niels she has an affair with the editor. THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM Arestrup, Isi Laborde, Bronagh Gallagher, (1975, co-directed with Margarethe von Mathias Sanders, Malcolm Adams PRO - In his novel Max tells a love story, fiction or Trotta), FANGSCHUSS (1976), GERMANY IN DUCERS Regina Ziegler, Volker Schlöndorff, truth? It happened in New York 17 years ago AUTUMN (1976, together with Stefan Aust, Francis Boespflug, Stéphane Parthenay, and Rebecca, now a very successful lawyer, Alexander Kluge, et al), THE TIN DRUM (1979), Sidonie Dumas, Conor Barry CO-PRODUCERS might have been the inspiration. Max tries to CIRCLE OF DECEIT (1981), SWANN IN LOVE Til Schweiger, Tom Zickler, Marc Gabizon, get in touch with her. His young publicist (1983), DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1985), A Christoph Liedke, Rainer Kölmel, John helps him to find her. Rebecca invites him to GATHERING OF OLD MEN (1987), THE HAND- Keville, Mike Downey, Sam Taylor PRODUC- come along for a trip she has to make. MAID’S TALE (1990), VOYAGER (1990), THE TION COMPANIES Ziegler Film, Volksfilm, in OGRE (1996), PALMETTO (1998), THE co-production with Barefoot Films, Senator It is winter in Montauk, at the far end of Long LEGENDS OF RITA (1999), EIN PRODUZENT Film Produktion, Pyramide Productions, Island. There are two deck chairs on the HAT SEELE ODER ER HAT KEINE (2001), TEN Savage Productions, Film & Music Entertain- windswept beach. The chairs are waiting for MINUTES OLDER: THE CELLO (2002), THE ment, Starhaus Filmproduktion, ARTE France two people who have, for a long time, been NINTH DAY (2004), STRIKE (2006), ULZHAN Cinéma, WDR, BR, ARTE RUNTIME 105 min lost to each other. Now they have come back (2007), DAS MEER AM MORGEN (2011), LANGUAGE English, German FESTIVALS to Montauk, filled with regret and hope. The DIPLOMATIE (2014), and RETURN TO Berlinale 2017 (In Competition) bodies remember, but they do not know if it is MONTAUK (2017). possible to reverse time. In Montauk they find SALES Gaumont out. [email protected] www.gaumont.net

6 GFQ 1-2017 IN BERLINBERLIN

BERLINALE SPECIAL

n the early fall of 1989, the Powileits from family story with laconic humor, all the more BERLIN, SCHÖNHAUSER CORNER (1957), East Berlin are celebrating the 90th birth- understandable. THE GLEIWTZ CASE (1961), I WAS NINETEEN day of their family patriarch Wilhelm, a (1968), SOLO SUNNY (1980), THE LEGEND OF former resistance fighter and exile, and IN TIMES OF FADING LIGHT is based on the RITA (2000), SUMMER IN BERLIN (2005), AS anI incorrigible Stalinist. His wife Charlotte bestselling novel by Eugen Ruge, which has WE WERE DREAMING (2015), and IN TIMES has invited neighbors, friends and dignitaries, been translated into 23 languages and sold in OF FADING LIGHT (2017). who all bring flowers and hold speeches as if more than 40 countries. the world outside were still in order. But one GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 person is missing, namely the only person, MATTI GESCHONNECK was born in 1952 in DIRECTOR Matti Geschonneck SCREENPLAY who, according to Charlotte, is capable of Potsdam. A prolific director, his award- Wolfgang Kohlhaase CINEMATOG RAPHY setting up the extendable table for the buffet: winning films for television and the cinema Hannes Hubach CAST Bruno Ganz, Hildegard Sascha, her grandson. But what no one include: REISE IN DIE NACHT (1997), DIE Schmahl, Sylvester Groth, Alexander Fehling, suspects: Sascha defected to the West a few NACHRICHTEN (2005), SILBERHOCHZEIT Natalia Belitski, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, days ago… (2006), DUELL IN DER NACHT (2007), ENT- Angela Winkler, Thorsten Merten PRO - FÜHRT (2009), BOXHAGENER PLATZ (2010), DUCERS Oliver Berben, Sarah Kirkegaard From the perspective of Sascha’s father Kurt LIEBESJAHRE (2011), DAS ENDE EINER PRODUCTION COMPANY MOOVIE, in co- – historian, Gulag survivor and unhappily NACHT (2012), THE WITNESS HOUSE (2014), production with ZDF RUNTIME 100 min married to the Russian woman Irina – we DER VERLORENE BRUDER (2015), and IN LANGUAGE German, Russian FESTIVALS experience the “time of fading light” as a TIMES OF FADING LIGHT (2017). Berlinale 2017 (Berlinale Special) snapshot of personal and political upheaval, which is experienced and denied by all those WOLFGANG KOHLHAASE was born in 1931 in SALES involved in very different ways. IN TIMES OF Berlin and is regarded as one of the most Beta Cinema FADING LIGHT depicts the dissolution of a important screenwriters in German film [email protected] family and a system: a great panorama on a history. He gained international recognition www.betacinema.com small scale which makes history, told as a and numerous awards for works such as

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

ngie, a reality-TV star just moved MIA SPENGLER was born in 1986 in Munich GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 back in with her mom, since none and studied at the Filmakademie Baden- DIRECTOR Mia Spengler SCREENPLAY of her friends would take her Württemberg. Her films include: the award- Stefanie Schmitz, Mia Spengler CINEMATOG- in after she came out of rehab winning shorts DAZWISCHEN (2009), DAS RAPHY Falko Lachmund CAST Kim Riedle, totallyA broke. Her mom’s health is as bad as RITUAL (2010), HEIMWEG (2012), 2 KNOW U Juliane Köhler, Leonie Wesselow PRO - their relationship, so Angie soon finds herself (music video, 2012), DON’T HIT THE GROUND DUCERS Stefan Sporbert, Rüdiger Heinze taking care of her teen-sister Kiki, while try- (2013), TRENNUNGSTRAINING (series pilot, PRODUCTION COMPANY Zum Goldenen ing to get back into business at the same 2015), her graduation feature BACK FOR Lamm Filmproduktion, in co-production with time. But what seems to be destined for GOOD (2017), and the feature VERBINDUNGS- Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg RUN- disaster at first, turns into a bittersweet FEHLER (2017). TIME 90 min LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS opportunity for all three women to transform Berlinale 2017 (Perspektive Deutsches Kino) themselves. SALES Zum Goldenen Lamm Filmproduktion [email protected] www.zum-goldenen-lamm.com

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

IRONHEAD

RONHEAD is about a young football team TIAN DONG was born in 1984 in China. He GENRE Children & Youth, Sports, Documen- which is gaining attention in China: the studied Music in Nanjing before studying tary YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Shaolin Kung Fu Football Team. Their Media Art at the Academy of Media Arts in Co- Tian Dong CINEMATOGRAPHY Christian Löhr method of playing football combines the logne from 2009-2015. A selection of his films PRODUCER Tian Dong PRODUCTION COM- traditionalI ball sport with elements of the includes: the shorts STREIT IM BETT (2010), PANY Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln ancient Chinese martial art. While playing, DIE SCHULD (2011), DER MITBEWOHNER RUNTIME 92 min LANGUAGE Chinese they apply techniques like the Shaolin Iron (2012), ADAGIO (2015), DREI (2016), and the FESTIVALS Berlinale 2017 (Perspektive Deut- Head or the Shaolin Tornado footwork, but documentaries DAS NEUE LEBEN (2012), sches Kino) they also adhere to the official FIFA rules of GAO KAO (2014), SEIDENSTRASSE (2015), and the game. Training with elements of Kung Fu EISENKOPF (2017). SALES is meant to improve the players’ strength, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln condition and flexibility. Shi Yanlu is a Shaolin [email protected] Kung Fu master and the founder of Kung Fu www.khm.de football. He believes that this new training method is very promising and could help lead China’s up-and-coming players to inter - national recognition. A huge Kung Fu football school for 10,000 students is being built, fund ed with 200 million euros from a major Chinese company. What are the hopes and dreams of these young students? Is Kung Fu football really as promising as it seems? And what will become of the Kung Fu football students? Can they really become pro - fessional players?

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

IKEL is about a young man trying CAVO KERNICH is also active as a director’s GENRE Drama, Short YEAR OF PRODUCTION to free himself from an exploita- assistant, continuity advisor, gaffer and came- 2016 DIRECTOR Cavo Kernich SCREENPLAY tive work situation. As an illegal raman. His films as a director include: Cavo Kernich CINEMATOGRAPHY Katharina refugee, he works for Norbert’s DAS ANDERE (2012), MIKEL (2016), and Hauke CAST Jonathan Aikins, Para Kiala, Mrenovation company. Norbert, a German, pro- KURDISTAN, which is currently in develop- Frank Leo Schröder PRODUCER Cavo Kernich mises him a residency permit and fair pay. In ment. CO-PRODUCER Svenja Heinrichs PRODUC- gentrified Berlin, Mikel lives the life of a TION COMPANY Kernich/Heinrichs RUN- nomad. But his awareness of the exploitation TIME 31 min LANGUAGE German, English becomes increasing difficult to justify with his FESTIVALS Berlinale 2017 (Perspektive own self-esteem. Without really knowing Deutsches Kino) where he is going, he takes off in search of an alternative. SALES Kernich/Heinrichs [email protected] [email protected]

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

bourgeois dog confesses how he plantation accidentally gets killed, and an GENRE Art, Comedy YEAR OF PRODUCTION was transformed from being a attempted revolution ends up in confusion. 2017 DIRECTOR Julian Radlmaier SCREEN- filmmaker to being four-legged: At this moment, however, the sparrows in the PLAY Julian Radlmaier CINEMATOGRAPHY Unable to find financing for his trees come up with an unexpected plan... Markus Koob CAST Deragh Campbell, Julian Afilm, Julian is forced to accept a job as a Radlmaier, Kyung-Taek Lie, Beniamin Forti seasonal farmhand. At a party, however, he JULIAN RADLMAIER was born in Nurem- PRODUCER Kirill Krasovskiy PRODUCTION makes the young Canadian expat Camille berg. After studies in Film Theory and Art COMPANY Faktura Film, in co-production believe that he’s going to do research for a History in Berlin and Paris, he was the perso- with Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie communist fairy-tale film and offers her the nal assistant to Werner Schroeter and worked Berlin (DFFB), RBB RUNTIME 99 min leading part. To his great surprise, she de - as a translator and editor of film-theoretical LANGUAGE German, English FESTIVALS cides to accompany him, sparking off Julian’s writings by the French philosopher Jacques Rotterdam 2017, Berlinale 2017 (Perspektive lurking romantic fantasies. Thus they arrive Rancière. He has been studying Directing at Deutsches Kino) at the deceitfully idyllic scene of an exploita- the German Film and Television Academy tive apple plantation. While Julian finds the in Berlin since 2009. His films include: A SALES manual labor agonizing and fears the strange SPECTRE IS HAUNTING EUROPE (2013), Faktura Film roommates in his humble container home, A PROLETARIAN WINTER’S TALE (2014), and [email protected] Camille enthusiastically plunges into the SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG www.fakturafilm.de alleged research and makes friends with (2017). Hong and Sancho, two credulous proletarians in pursuit of happiness. For Julian, it’s getting more and more difficult to act the communist filmmaker. And what’s more, a hot-tempered model worker with American dreams gets in his way, a mute monk with magical powers and a screw loose shows up, the owner of the

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

PATHS

ow long is an eternity? A few years CHRIS MIERA initally studied Computer GENRE Drama, Love Story YEAR OF PRO - or just a breaking of the waves at Sciences before taking up studies at the Film DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Chris Miera the rugged Baltic coast? Andreas University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. A SCREENPLAY Philipp Österle, Chris Miera and Martin share all the ups and selection of his films includes: GEFÜHLT CINEMATOGRAPHY Chris Miera CAST Hdowns of everyday life, and their son is matur - (short doc, 2011), BEVOICE (doc, 2012), Andreas Hoffmann, Mathis Reinhardt, Cai ing. A cautious approach to the traces of a GETEILT (short, 2013), DIE KRAFT DIE BLEIBT Cohrs, Tom Böttcher PRODUCER Chris Miera long relationship. (2016), and PATHS (2017). CO-PRODUCER Kordula Hildebrandt PRO- DUCTION COMPANY Filmuniversität Babels- PATHS is the love story of two people. Not berg KONRAD WOLF RUNTIME 108 min about how they come together, not a phase LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Berlinale they go through, but all of their shared ex - 2017 (Perspektive Deutsches Kino) periences: all the years between the first kiss and today. SALES Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF [email protected] www.filmuniversitaet.de

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PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO

fter serving a “life-long” prison LARS HENNING was born in 1976 in Ham- GENRE Drama, Thriller YEAR OF PRODUC- sentence, the murderer Becker is burg. After working in script and continuity TION 2016 DIRECTOR Lars Henning SCREEN- released. He has only one pur- and as a director’s assistant, he studied at the PLAY Lars Henning CINEMATOGRAPHY Carol pose: to start a new life and finally Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Active as a Burandt von Kameke CAST Peter Kurth, Karl Aleave the terrible act from the past behind. freelance director and screenwriter, his films Markovics, Catrin Striebeck, Leonardo Nigro Becker finds a job, friends and, in the lonely include: the shorts SCARLETT IS GONE PRODUCER Michael Gebhart PRODUCTION cleaning woman Rita, even a woman who is (1995), BETTZEIT (1996), GIRL YOU PUT ME COMPANY Radical Movies Production, in co- interested in him. One day, however, he is (1998), DIE PRAGER PARANOIA (2000), operation with WDR, ARTE RUNTIME 97 min completely surprised by his past: the widower KOSLOWSKI (2005), WRONG SIDE (music LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Berlinale Dahlmann stands before him, the man whose video, 2005), SECURITY (2006), DRIVING 2017 (Perspektive Deutsches Kino) wife and child he had shot 18 years ago – a ÉLODIE (2009), OSHIMA (2010), KALTFRONT tragic ending of a burglary. Apparently, (TV, 2013), and the feature END OF THE SALES Dahlmann knows everything about the ex- SEASON (2016). Radical Movies Production prisoner and his new life. Becker leaves noth - [email protected] ing untried to soothe the stalker, begging him www.radical-movies.de to leave him in peace. But Dahlmann wants revenge – and Becker realizes that there is apparently only one way to protect the people who are close to him from this revenge.

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GENERATION K+ COMPETITION

ax, an urban rabbit boy, gets UTE VON MÜNCHOW-POHL has directed GENRE Animation, Adventure, Children & trapped in an old-fashioned several animated productions such as Youth, Family Entertainment YEAR OF PRO- Easter rabbit school that is sur- KOMMANDO STÖRTEBEKER (2001), the TV DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Ute von Münchow- rounded by a clever fox family series LITTLE DODO (2007), the features Pohl SCREENPLAY Katja Grübel, Dagmar schemingM to take over Easter. With the help LITTLE DODO (2008, co-dir), LAURA’S STAR Rehbinder PRODUCER Dirk Beinhold PRO- of cute rabbit girl Emmy and training lessons AND THE DREAMMONSTERS (2011, co-dir), DUCTION COMPANY Akkord Film, in co-pro- from mysterious Madame Hermione, Max RAVEN THE LITTLE RASCAL (2012) and duction with Virgin Lands, NDR, SWR not only learns the secret magic of Easter RAVEN THE LITTLE RASCAL – THE BIG RACE RUNTIME 76 min LANGUAGE German bunnies, but also where he truly belongs. Will (2015). RABBIT SCHOOL – GUARDIANS OF FESTIVALS Berlinale 2017 (Generation K+ this be enough to save Easter and his new THE GOLDEN EGG (2017) is her 6th animated Competition) friends? feature. She is also active as a screenwriter, storyboard artist and animator. SALES A story about a courageous rabbit who real - Sola Media izes that home is where your heart is – and [email protected] where you’ll never hop alone. Based on an www.sola-media.com all-time children’s book classic and brought to life with a fresh twist and a modern look- and-feel by some of Germany’s best writing, design & animation teams.

14 Shooting Stars are Europe’s best up-and-coming actors, selected annually by an international jury. Introduced at the Berlin International Film Festival — February 10 – 13. Honoured with the European Shooting Stars Award donated by TESIRO.

WWW.SHOOTING-STARS.EU

Denmark Portugal Martin Dam Kristensen Dam Martin Sara Pinheiro

ESBEN SMED © VICTORIA GUERRA ©

Poland Franciszek Franciszek Przybylski

ZOFIA WICHŁACZ ©

Italy Riccardo Riccardo Ghilardi

ALESSANDRO BORGHI © Latvia Arturs Arturs Kondrats

ELĪNA VASKA ©

Slovenia Matjaz Matjaz Ivanisin

MARUŠA MAJER ©

Romania Andrei Andrei Runcanu

TUDOR AARON ISTODOR ©

Germany PARTICIPATING Alex Alex Gonzalez LOUIS HOFMANN © Sweden EFP MEMBERS Jonas Jonas Jörneberg

KARIN FRANZ KÖRLOF © Danish Film Institute, German Films, Istituto Luce Cinecittà (Italy), National Film Centre of Latvia, EYE International (The Netherlands), Polish Film Institute, Instituto do The Netherlands Cinema e do Audiovisual I.P./ICA Chloe Chloe Leenheer

European Film Promotion HANNAH HOEKSTRA © (Portugal), Romanian Film [email protected] Promotion, Slovenian Film Centre, www.shooting-stars.eu Swedish Film Institute.

European Shooting Stars With the support of Main Partner Automobile Partner Event Partners Special Thanks EFP is supported by

medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH SHOOTING STAR 2017 GFQ 1-2017 GERMANY’S SHOOTING STAR © Alex Gonzalez © Alex

A PORTRAIT OF ACTOR LOUIS HOFMANN

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German prisoner of war in the Danish film LAND OF MINE he not only received prizes at film festivals in Tokyo and Beijing but also Center of the acclaimed Danish critics’ award, the Bodil. “To be sitting there among all those great Danish stars like Trine Dyrholm and to My World receive a prize abroad, that felt quite surreal, by Jakob M. Erwa based on the novel by Andreas Steinhöfel it was extremely hard to grasp.” Meanwhile, the film by Martin Zandvliet even has a realistic chance of an Oscar® as Denmark’s entry in the category Best Foreign Language Film.

Hofmann, who also had a small part in Vincent Perez’s film version of the novel ALONE IN BERLIN, modestly explains his seemingly unerring instinct for high-quality, complex parts as “the good fortune to have been offered such incredibly exciting, fantastic films and roles.” At the same time,

UNIVERSUM FILM PRESENTS A NEUE SCHÖNHAUSER FILMProduktion IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH PRISMA FILM, UNIVERSUM FILM AND MOJO:PICTURES IN ASSOCIATION WITH WDR, BR, ARTE AND ORF FUNDED BY FILMSTIFTUNG NRW, DIE BEAUFTRAGTE DER BUNDESREGIERUNG FÜR KULTUR UND MEDIEN, FILMFÖRDERUNGSANSTALT, DEUTSCHER FILMFÖRDERFONDS, ÖSTERREICHISCHES FILMINSTITUT, FILMFONDS WIEN, SCRIPTLAB DREHBUCHFORUM WIEN AND CINE ART LAND STEIERMARK SCORE PAUL GALLISTER SOUNDDESIGN VERONIKA HLAWATSCH SOUNDMIXING BERNHARD MAISCH ORIGINAL SOUND JÖRG KIDROWSKI CASTING JAQUELINE RIETZ, SUSE MARQUARDT MAKE UP KATHRIN BORNMÜLLER however, thanks to the experience gathered COSTUME DESIGN PERI DE BRAGANCA PRODUCTION DESIGN VERONIKA MERLIN EDITED BY CARLOTTA KITTEL DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY NGO THE CHAU COMMISSION EDITORS ANDREA HANDKE (WDR), GEORG STEINERT (ARTE), CORNELIUS CONRAD (BR), HEINRICH MIS (ORF) CO-PRODUCERS VIKTORIA SALCHER, MATHIAS FORBERG, BERNHARD ZU CASTELL, JAKOB M. ERWA PRODUCED BY BORIS SCHÖNFELDER BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ANDREAS STEINHÖFEL WRITTEN FOR THE SCREEN & DIRECTED BY JAKOB M. ERWA so far, Hofmann knows very well what he is looking for in his work: “In fact, it is often a certain measure of insecurity. When I am view it as a great honor, not least Hermine Huntgeburth’s TOM SAWYER at the reading and I’m not sure whether I can cope “ after seeing which of my German early age of only 13. It was followed by a with a part, then that is actually a good sign.” colleagues have been selected in the sequel, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN. And as an example, he cites his role as a gay past.” There is no overhearing the But it wasn’t long before an exciting hobby in young man in love in CENTER OF MY WORLD prideI in Louis Hofmann’s voice when he the school summer holidays became some- by Jakob M. Erwa, which had its world pre- talks about receiving one of the ten Euro- thing more: “The first role I found really miere at the Moscow International Film pean Shooting Stars awards at the Berlinale challenging was in THE ALMOST PERFECT Festival, of all places, in 2016: “That was a 2017. “It’s very special to join the ranks of MAN by Vanessa Jopp. That was the first part I viewed with masses of respect and actors like Moritz Bleibtreu or Daniel Brühl, dramatic role that meant I had to cry, for even anxiety. But through it I developed yet people I looked up to ten years ago.” example. That’s when I first caught the bug, more ambition and desire to succeed.” as you might say.” This award, which is celebrating its 20th Hofmann already has the next roles of this anniversary this year, certainly seems fitting Once ambition had struck, he made a type safely in the bag. He has accepted a in the case of a performer like Hofmann, who smooth and successful transition from child supporting role as a hacker in the first is just 19 years old but can still look back on star to adult actor, if not without the occasio- German Amazon Prime series YOU ARE more outstanding roles than many of his nal worry. “I was concerned about whether I WANTED by and with Matthias Schweighöfer. older colleagues. But what exactly does he could manage it, certainly,” Hofmann admits. And he is currently facing the cameras expect from it? “As an actor, of course you “I interrupted filming for a high school year alongside Oliver Masucci and Jördis Triebel are always trying to be seen, and you want in Australia, but after getting back I was in DARK, another series production, this people to take notice of you. Not only audi- determined to continue pursuing my aim. time for the streaming service Netflix. In the ences but also directors, casting directors, However, I wasn’t sure how to do it, and foreseeable future, therefore, it is unlikely and all the others who might be of some whether I could pick things up from where I he will have to worry about being seen or assistance in your career,” says the young had left them before. But then there was getting noticed. man born in Cologne who now lives in Berlin. SANCTUARY – and it gave me the courage to “As a Shooting Star at the Berlinale you don’t carry on regardless.” Patrick Heidmann need to worry about all that. You are introduced explicitly to all those people, and Marc Brummund’s drama about brutal prac- obviously you will get noticed.” tices at an educational institution in North Germany during the 1960s was shown suc- To be seen – perhaps even as a child, this cessfully, not only at the Max Ophüls Prize was the motivation behind Hofmann trying film festival but also at festivals in Armenia, his hand in front of the cameras. At least if France, Argentina and Sweden – and it you are inclined to view Freudian theories as brought Hofmann his first major award. an explanation, he adds with a laugh, before “When I won the Bavarian Film Prize, I knew going on to say: “And yet I’m not really some - that I was finally on the right track,” he re- one who wants to push himself to the fore at calls. “The idea of actually making acting all costs. But even at an early age, I enjoyed into my profession didn’t seem quite so un- any opportunity to show what I could do, and realistic after that.” the feeling that people were actually looking at me. Precisely because I’m really more of And that was not the only prize: he also re- a reticent type otherwise.” ceived the German Actors’ Award for SANCTUARY, which was especially important After first appearances on regional tele- to him, “as nothing feels quite as good, after vision and taking small parts in series, he all, as your colleagues saying that you have got his first leading role for the cinema in done a job well.” And for his role as a

17 DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT GFQ 1-2017 © Emre Erkmen © Emre

A P O R T R A I T O F D I R E C T O R A S L I Ö Z G E

f you want to say something about BRIDGE (2009) and LIFELONG (2013), both carried off the FIPRESCI award. Clearly, “ people, you need to understand shot in her native Turkey. Özge is un- however, her work also has international their culture. Values differ from doubtedly one of the most talented film- appeal; after their Panorama Special country to country; that affects jud- makers to have emerged from that country; screenings at the Berlinale, LIFELONG and gementsI and behavior. And to understand a small wonder she has received encourage- ALL OF A SUDDEN traveled widely around place, you should spend time there. I’ve ment from Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The Istanbul the world. And in Germany itself, the latter lived in Germany for 15 years now, so I felt festival has repeat edly recognized her gifts: film rightly received extremely favorable ready to make a film here.” her debut feature (made after several shorts reviews; the fact that it was a success with and documentaries) was awarded the both critics and audiences testified to Aslı Özge is referring to ALL OF A SUDDEN, Golden Tulip for Best Turkish Film, her Özge’s firm grasp not only of the German her third feature as writer-director, and her second won the Best Director and Best language but of the country’s culture, first set in Germany, following MEN ON THE Cinematography prizes, and the third customs and mores.

18 GFQ 1-2017 DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT

Born in Istanbul, Özge decided in her teens hindsight – that all my movies deal in one way tent: we try to find locations that reflect how that she wanted to make movies. “My mother or another with being stuck, having nowhere the characters feel. For example, in ALL OF A died when I was 17; I felt lost and was going to go. It’s not that I choose a particular theme SUDDEN, we wanted a location that would to the cinema every day. That opened up new – I’ve never done that. I just follow my in- suggest how the main character feels perspectives. I remember telling myself I’d stincts; I observe daily life and follow images, trapped, so we looked for a town surrounded become a director, though I can’t recall how moments or situations that captivate me.” by mountains; in other words, it’s as if he I would have defined exactly what a director can’t tell where his future lies. But we also did back then! Anyway, since then I’ve never “So MEN ON THE BRIDGE came from seeing work on building a color palette for all the stopped thinking about film.” street hawkers selling roses amidst all the elements of a film’s design: the costumes, traffic pollution. The contrast between the red furniture and so on. LIFELONG was about a She pursued her ambition by studying at the roses and the dust was what drove me to couple feeling isolated from one another, so universities of Istanbul and Marmara, and make that film. For LIFELONG, I had an image we chose icy colors: blue and grey. And to then in Berlin, where she studied Philosophy in my head of a couple living with each other evoke feelings of loss and melancholy in ALL and set up a production outfit with Emre in a glass box and avoiding all confrontation – OF A SUDDEN we opted for autumnal hues. Erkmen, the cinematographer responsible for never quarrelling or discussing their pro- We completely avoided blue so that what pre- the supremely elegant, expressive imagery blems. And with ALL OF A SUDDEN, I read dominated were harmonized reds, yellows that distinguishes her films. about a woman’s death in the newspapers, and browns.” and was immediately hooked by a question: Her work to date is notable not only for its what if a stranger suddenly dies right next to Evidently, Özge is someone who prepares her consistently high standards – in writing, you? Couldn’t that change everything in your films meticulously. When writing a script, she mise-en-scène, performance, sound design life?” is careful not to reveal too much – “I prefer or whatever – but for its range in terms of things not to be too explicit, and leave room content and style. MEN ON THE BRIDGE, an Özge’s comment that her films so far have for audiences to make guesses about what’s account of the lives of various people linked dealt with characters who feel somehow happening and why, to make their own judge- by their daily use of the Bosphorus Bridge, stuck or stifled is highly pertinent: all three ments about characters” – and then, after feels at times almost like a documentary; movies are notable for their sure sense of what can be a lengthy casting process, she LIFELONG, a study of a troubled marriage place and space, be it topographical or archi- likes to discuss the characters and their which occasionally brought to mind no less a tectural. Whether set in Turkey or Germany, backstories with her actors in detail. That master than Antonioni, impresses with its they are at once wholly convincing and vividly said, she also acknowledges the value of subtly ex pressionist images, pregnant pauses evocative. serendipity and surprise. and meticulously measured pace; while ALL OF A SUDDEN, about the effects of a young “Because I want the audience to experience “I’m never so in love with a script that I think woman’s death on the lives of a group of places in a film almost as if they’ve been there it can’t be improved on. That’s why I like to friends who barely met her, performs a pre- themselves, the main location, whether it’s a allow space to take advantage of surprises, carious but expert balancing act that mixes house or a city, becomes a character in my improvisations, coincidences, even mishaps mystery and suspense, psychological study movies. Our lives are affected by where we that might occur during filming. But also I and social commentary, ethical rumination live, and I like to reflect that on screen. don’t give any of the actors a full script: they and bracing black humor. Places can become obstacles: crossing the only get to know as much as their characters Bosphorus Bridge for two or three hours in a know, so they can’t foresee what the other “I like to take risks,” explains Özge, “so I try to traffic jam feels like going through the eye of actors will do or say. That makes for more do something different each time. That said, a needle!” authentic performances. Also, I like to sur- I think my overall approach and my way of prise myself as well as the viewer!” looking at things remain pretty constant. In “So I involve Emre in every film at a very early fact, I’ve now realized – though only with stage. Our starting point is always the con- Geoff Andrew

19 DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT GFQ 1-2017 © Sebastian Woithe © Sebastian

CONCENTRATING ON THE IMAGE

A PORTRAIT OF DIRECTOR JAN ZABEIL

20 GFQ 1-2017 DIRECTOR’S PORTRAIT

studied cinematography at the Film forehand. But it is also necessary to listen to of scenes, the rhythm, determine the film’s “ University KONRAD WOLF in Babels- the actor’s feelings and ideas. I run it past my existence. It’s where the film can be revealed berg,“ Jan Zabeil explains, "then own and then we start!“ in all its potential and possibilities. It’s like a directed shorts that did well at huge puzzle. And at night I dream the timeline festivals,I then my first feature, THE RIVER Still working as a cameraman for other pro- back and forth, testing its flow over and over. USED TO BE A MAN, and now I‘m working on jects, Zabeil finds “concentrating mainly on And sometimes you have to be open to new my second!“ the image enables entry to the story via visual possibilities that can intensify moods and en- narration: Viewers can rely on the images and hance scenes that might have been different THREE PEAKS (working title), a drama set in moments of conflict more than on dialogue.“ in the script.“ the high mountain fog of Northern Italy, stars Alexander Fehling and Bérénice Bejo. A new Apropos, Zabeil also writes his own scripts: Music is also an interesting theme for Zabeil: husband arrives in the family, boy and man “The idea lives in my head for a while“, he “Alexander plays an organ in the film, for real! are torn between love and hate, and a says. “It‘s a mixture of images and perhaps It‘s an important scene and I use the sounds mountain trip turns into a matter of life and situations that create a specific atmosphere elsewhere. It‘s natural music from the film. death. in my head and stomach. Then I build a story. The instrument breathes, just as Alexander’s The starting point is always very subjective.“ character desperately needs to breathe as he “Nature plays the fourth role,“ Zabeil explains, swims below the ice, trying to surface.“ “so I wanted to shoot on location, in natural “I look for communicable images and fog, in the snow, and inside a frozen lake – and rhythms,“ Zabeil continues. “My imagery, the Simon Kingsley all that 2500 meters above sea level! But in setting, is very realistic, which gives the basis the end it comes down to the actors and Arian for tangible nature, a basic situation. I’m Montgomery, as the boy, who enable the interested in the contrast between perceived viewer to experience fear, love and aggres- and real, connected with the artistic super- sion, with and through them.“ elevation. And, in the best case, without the audience being aware.“ As in THE RIVER USED TO BE A MAN, the conflict between man and boy is carried out “My films leave a lot of room for inter- on the stage of overwhelming nature. “I let my pretation for the viewer. With the last one, I characters thrust onto a kind of nature that experienced that the audiences of different overwhelms them, reassuring them of how cultures and economical socializations had small they are as human beings. And at some very different ideas of what they had seen. point my characters lose their civilized be - For example, in Mexico it was their very own haviors and archaic needs and emotions Mexican spirits on the screen, at the MoMA in come to the surface.“ New York everyone debated about the social fabric of the world, and in Korea they thought For Zabeil “rehearsals show a scene‘s conflict that only a Buddhist could make such a film and how it might become alive. I have had a and that therefore, I ought to be a Buddhist – long relationship with Alexander [Fehling] so even if I don’t know it yet.“ we have great trust in each other. My working method with actors is hard to generalize. Now editing THREE PEAKS with Florian Sometimes improvisation can be very produc- Miosge, who also cut his first film, Zabeil tive, but only if the conflict and its transition finds editing “very creative and intensive. I lay throughout the scene is clearly defined be- great value on it; the complexity and strength

21 PRODUCERS’ PORTRAIT GFQ 1-2017 Sol Bondy, Jamila Wenske, Christoph Lange (© One Two Films) Lange (© One Two Christoph Jamila Wenske, Sol Bondy, AN INTERNATIONAL FOCUS FOR SUCCESS A PORTRAIT OF ONE TWO FILMS

ach of our films is a prototype, “What has perhaps distinguished us from duction landscape with six feature films com- “ we never copy and paste,” says other production companies is that we gave a pleted and released in the first six years, be- Jamila Wenske who co-founded lot of thought at the outset,” Bondy recalls. ginning with the 2012 Max Ophüls audience the Berlin-based production “We needed a clear strategy to differentiate award winner DOLL, THE FATSO & ME by Felix outfitE One Two Films in October 2010 with Sol ourselves because there is such tough com- Stienz, the Israeli-German co-production Bondy and Christoph Lange. petition in Berlin for funding.” YOUTH by Tom Shoval, Grzegorz Muskala’s television feature debut, WHISPERS BEHIND Wenske had studied production at the Film “Jamila and Sol have different strengths as THE WALL, the Danish-German co-produc- University KONRAD WOLF in Babelsberg, producers,” Lange adds. “Jamila had more tion I AM HERE by Anders Morgenthaler and graduating in 2005 with the feature film experience on international productions [in- starring Hollywood actress Kim Basinger, CHILDREN OF THE MOON and subsequently cluding serving as production manager on Pan Nalin’s Indian-German co-production participated in the German-French Master- Hans-Christian Schmid’s international co- ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES, and the Fin- class Atelier Network for European pro - production STORM] before One Two Films, nish-German-Swedish co-production THE ducers, while Bondy had attended the while Sol is a great networker and a sensa- HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI by German Film & Television Academy (DFFB) in tional pitcher! My role has basically stayed the Juho Kuosmanen. Berlin where he graduated in 2010 with Jan same: as the one looking after the business Speckenbach’s feature debut REPORTED and organizational side,” he continues. “But “Tom Shoval’s YOUTH was the film which MISSING. I’d say that Jamila and Sol have both become quickly brought us to this international focus,” more rounded producers over the course of explains Bondy who had been introduced to Meanwhile, Christoph Lange brought strate- these first six years.” the Israeli producer Gal Greenspan by a gic and entrepreneurial know-how from mutual friend at the Berlinale. “They were work ing at various firms as a management Indeed, the trio are pleased at how the com- really astonished that I already knew Tom’s consultant to serve as a silent strategic inve- pany has been able to establish itself in the shorts when they pitched me YOUTH,” he re- stor and business angel for One Two Films. German – and wider international – pro- calls. “But I had been going to festivals with

22 GFQ 1-2017 PRODUCERS’ PORTRAIT

INTERNATIONALE TORONTO HOFER INTERNATIONAL FILM FILMTAGE 2015 FESTIVAL 2015

EIN FILM VON PAN NALIN

ANGELS. LOVERS. VICTIMS. KILLERS. BUDDIES... WOMEN.

NFP MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION* PRÄSENTIERT EINE JUNGLE BOOK ENTERTAINMENT PRODUKTION IN KOPRODUKTION MIT ONE TWO FILMS „ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES“ EIN PAN NALIN FILM MIT AMRIT MAGHERA RAJSHRI DESHPANDE PAVLEEN GUJRAL ANUSHKA MANCHANDA SANDHYA MRIDUL SARAH JANE DIAS TANNISHTHA CHATTERJEE ADIL HUSSAIN ANUJ CHOUDHRY ARJUN MATHUR NIA DHIME CASTING & CO-REGIE DILIP SHANKAR MAKE-UP & HAARE SARA MENITRA KOSTÜM ASHIMA BELAPURKAR PRODUCTION DESIGNER ARADHANA SETH AUSSTATTUNG TIYA TEJPAL ORIGINALTON ATIREK PANDEY SOUND DESIGN P.M. SATHEESH MANOJ GOSWAMI MISCHUNG AJAY KUMAR P.B. FILMMUSIK CYRIL MORIN SCHNITT SHREYAS BELTANGDY VESSELA MARTSCHEWSKI KAMERA SWAPNIL S. SONAWANE LINE PRODUCER SHYAM BORA ASSOCIATE PRODUCER ARSALA QUREISHI SIDDHARTH BAGAI GAURAV SEHGAL SUMEETA BHARDWAJ SEHGAL KOPRODUZENTEN SUDHIR CHANDER DHINGRA SOL BONDY JAMILA WENSKE DREHBUCH PAN NALIN SUBHADRA MAHAJAN DILIP SHANKAR ARSALA QUREISHI EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NANDISH DOMLUR PRODUZENTEN GAURAV DHINGRA PAN NALIN REGIE PAN NALIN

INTERNATIONAL

Grzegorz Muskala’s short MY FATHER IS Another project forum – this time, the Torino to a festival near you in the coming months. SLEEPING and saw Tom’s films when I was at Film Lab – brought One Two Films’ attention a festival in Israel. So, this was a real con- to Finnish writer-director Juho Kuosmanen’s They range from a renewed collaboration be - fidence-building moment for a potential feature debut THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE tween Bondy and German director Jan partnership.” LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI at the end of 2014. Speckenbach in the low-budget production FREEDOM, which was 2 ½ years in the mak - When principal photography then began on “We loved the story and then set about getting ing with Johanna Wokalek and Hans-Jochen YOUTH in Israel, One Two Films was simulta- commissioning editors to come onboard,” Wagner in the leads, to serving as the neously involved in another international Wenske notes. “We eventually had the com- German production partner on Jennifer Fox’s co-production, Anders Morgenthaler’s I AM mitments in place by the Filmfest in Munich, fiction feature debut, the autobiographical HERE, starring Kim Basinger, Jordan after explaining that it was a love story rather investigative thriller THE TALE, with Laura Prentice, Peter Stormare and German actor- than ‘another boxer film’”. Dern and Ellen Burstyn; Hungarian film- director Sebastian Schipper, whose shoot at maker Balint Kenyeres’ Morocco-set debut locations in Hamburg was overseen by “Apart from working with Juho and his produ- HIER; Isabelle Coixet’s adaptation of Pene- Wenske. cer on fine-tuning the screenplay, one of our lope Fitzgerald’s THE BOOKSHOP; and key inputs was to find the right strategy for Icelandic director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurds- And if this was not enough, Bondy was at the the film’s distribution because we were son’s UNDER THE TREE. time producing Grzegorz Muskala’s gradua- slightly more experienced than our Finnish tion film from the DFFB, the thriller WHIS- partners thanks to the work on ANGRY IN- In addition, Wenske and Bondy have closed PERS BEHIND THE WALL, which was DIAN GODDESSES and the other previous the financing for THE MOST BEAUTIFUL produced with pubcaster ZDF as a TV movie. films,” Bondy adds. COUPLE, the next feature project by Sven The film had its world premiere in the Bright Taddicken, whose ORIGINAL BLISS was Future sidebar in Rotterdam in 2014 and was “And the contacts I had built up during my screened and awarded in competition at nominated for the prestigious Grimme Award time at the German-French Masterclass Karlovy Vary last year. WDR and ARTE are on- in Germany a year later. meant that we suggested to go for Les Films board as broadcasters for what Bondy calls du Losange as the sales company,” Wenske “a passion project” for Taddicken with “Each of our projects has its own particular points out. France’s Arsam International as a co-pro - genesis,” Bondy explains, pointing out that ducer. One Two Films came onboard Pan Nalin’s Kuosmanen’s film had its world premiere in ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES after he was Un Certain Regard last year in Cannes, where On top of that, One Two Films is expecting a pitched the project whilst attending the Trans it won the section’s top prize and has since green light for a second collaboration with Atlantic Partners program in 2013/2014. picked up awards at festivals in Chicago and Tom Shoval on his second feature SHAKE Zurich, among others. Les Films du Losange YOUR CARES AWAY, starring the French “We weren’t able to raise finance in Germany has closed key territories like the US and actress Bérénice Bejo, which the partners for the film but later suggested that we take China and sold out Europe completely. had recently pitched together at the Torino on the responsibility of re-editing the film in Film Lab. return for a German co-producer credit,” he In addition, OLLI MÄKI won the European says. “We took the risk personally to invest in Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at the 29th Euro- So, One Two Films is definitely one to watch the re-edit, but the gamble paid off because pean Film Awards in December 2016. And the in the future! the film was then invited to have a Special debut was submitted by Finland as its candi- Presentation in Toronto in 2015,” Lange re- date for the 2017 Academy Award®’s Best Martin Blaney calls, where it was a People’s Choice Award Foreign Language Film category. Runner Up and then started a successful career around the international festival Meanwhile, 2017 looks like it will be a parti- circuit, winning the Audience Award in Rome cularly busy year for One Two Films with five and selling to over 50 territories. new international co-productions set to come 23 NEWS & NOTES GFQ 1-2017 NEWS1 & NOTES

1 GERMAN SHORTS COMPETE IN ROTTERDAM AND THE BERLINALE

Numerous German short films and co- Barba, WHAT THE HEART WANTS by Cécile THAT DREAM BURNING by Rainer Kohl - productions are present in the competition B. Evans (DE/UK/BE/AU), and AUGUST by berger (DE/AT), CALL OF CUTENESS by sections of the International Film Festival Omer Fast were selected. Brenda Lien, MISS HOLOCAUST by Michalina Rotterdam (25 January-5 February) and the Musielak (PL/DE), and O BROTHER OCTOPUS Berlinale (9-19 February) – two of the first For the Berlinale Shorts section six German by Florian Kunert. major film festivals in 2017. short films are competing: STREET OF DEATH by Karam Ghossein (DE/LB), FISHING For the Tiger Competition for Short Films in IS NOT DONE ON TUESDAYS by Marcel Rotterdam FROM SOURCE TO POEM by Rosa Odenbach and Lukas Marxt (DE/AT), KEEP

FISHING IS NOT DONE ON TUESDAYS (© Lukas Marxt)

24 GFQ 1-2017 NEWS & NOTES 2 4

Matthias Rosenberger (Malao Film), Maximilian Leo (Augenschein Film), Philip Borbely (MMC Studios/MMC Movies Köln), Matthijs Wouter Knól, Dieter Kosslick, Petra Müller Anja Metzger (FFF Bayern), Julia Tanz (IFP Entertainment/IFP), Vanessa Frey (IFP), Tom Streuber (Knudsen & Streuber Medienmanufaktur), (© Anna Kaduk/Film- und Medienstiftung NRW) Markus Vogelbacher (IFP) (courtesy of IFP)

2 3 4 AFM WELCOMED GERMAN DELEGATION 10 YEARS OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL FILM- UND MEDIENSTIFTUNG OFFICIAL FILM FUND PARTNER FOR DRAMA SERIES DAY The 3rd annual International Film Partners “IFP German Delegation Trip” to the Ameri- 1,087 productions, 594 million euros in sup- The Drama Series Days will be held for the can Film Market provided the German film port, 3.5 billion euros investment in the film third time this year. This industry platform industry, top producers and representatives location Germany – those are the impressive for high-end series was initiated in 2015 by an opportunity to attend the AFM and 10-year figures of the German Federal Film the Berlinale and the Film- und Medien - conduct high-level meetings with such local Fund (DFFF). Since 2007, the automatic stiftung NRW and will once again, from 13- giants as Amazon Studio, Netflix, Universal funding model established by the Federal 15 February, offer an extensive screening and Pictures International/Focus Features, Para- Government has become an essential financ - conference program dedicated to series pro- mount Pictures, MGM Studios, HBO Films, ing tool for German and international pro - duction. This year’s program is also open to and UTA, as well as the New Zealand Film ducers for the production of feature films of qualitative and sophisticated documentary Commission and studio tours at Sony all genres and budgets, including 38 large series. Pictures Entertainment and YouTube Space productions with production costs of over 20 LA. The trip culminated with the “German million euros. As a result there were not only Due to the great success in the past, the Reception” at the Pixomondo Studios, hosted great successes at the box office and festivals Drama Series Days 2017 are being held in the by German Consul Hans-Jörg Neumann and by the end of 2016, the incentives of the DFFF Zoo Palast cinema and will be opened on 13 Thomas Feith, producer and Film Affairs also provided for sustainable networking February by EFM director Matthijs Wouter Officer at the German Consulate General in among filmmakers. Steven Spielberg and Knól and Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Los Angeles. Tom Hanks came from Hollywood to Berlin Medienstiftung NRW. The Drama Series Days and Brandenburg with huge crews to shoot are a joint initiative of the European Film IFP managing director Markus Vogelbacher BRIDGE OF SPIES, as did Jennifer Lawrence Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, explained that the “intelligence revealed with the team of A TRIBUTE TO PANEM – and Berlinale Talents. The EFM is one of the during such exclusive meetings with the MOCKINGJAY PART 2, and the MARVEL em- most significant international markets for studios can’t be obtained under normal pire set up shop here too with THE FIRST the international trade of film rights and market circumstances“ and IFP are proud to AVENGER – CIVIL WAR, before travelling on audio visual content. announce that they are already planning to Saxony. Thuringia hosted the all-star cast another delegation trip for 2017. of the Oscar®-winning GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, while action at its best came to life in North Rhine-Westphalia with RUSH and in Bavaria with THE THREE MUSKATEERS 3D. But also local blockbusters like Til Schweiger’s HEAD FULL OF HONEY, comedies likes FACK JU GÖHTE 1 & 2 and WILLKOMMEN BEI DEN HARTMANNS, the most successful German film of 2016, all resulted from support by the DFFF.

The film location Germany has become more attractive over the years – all thanks to the DFFF: 10 years of success for the German film industry – Happy Birthday German Federal Film Fund!

25 NEWS & NOTES GFQ 1-2017 5

Magdalena Sroka, Peter Dinges, Claas Danielsen, Kirsten Niehuus (© MDM)

5 6 GERMAN FEDERAL FILM BOARD NEW MFG WITH TWO WORLD PREMIERES PARTNER OF THE POLISH-GERMAN AT THE BERLINALE FILM FUND The Zum Goldenen Lamm produced feature The animation film RABBIT SCHOOL – On 9 December 2016, the eve of the 29th BACK FOR GOOD by Mia Spengler is opening GUARDIANS OF THE GOLDEN EGG by Ute European Film Awards ceremony in Wroclaw, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section von Münchow-Pohl is based on the children’s the heads of the Polish Film Institute, the and the animation RABBIT SCHOOL – GUAR- book classic of the same title: Max, a small- German Federal Film Board (FFA), Medien- DIANS OF THE GOLDEN EGG by Ute von time big-city gangster rabbit, lands in rabbit board Berlin-Brandenburg, and MDM Münchow-Pohl is competing in the Genera- school. With the help of the mysterious Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung signed an tion Kplus section of this year’s Berlinale. Hermine, he learns about the secret tech - agree ment of cooperation within the frame- niques of Easter bunnies, and a lot about work of the Polish-German Film Fund, which Mia Spengler’s graduation film BACK FOR himself, and surpasses himself in the fight added the German Federal Film Board as a GOOD was shot in its entirety in Baden-Würt- against the foxes. Within the framework of its new partner of this initiative. The annual temberg and tells a story from jungle camp funding priority for animation and VFX, MFG budget of the Polish-German Film Fund will to parent-teacher conference: after being re- supported the new Akkord Film feature with increase from 300,000 euros to 500,000 leased from rehabilitation, the ex-reality production funding. euros. show star Angie has to move back in with her mother and take care of her pubescent sister. As stated by Magdalena Sroka, head of the The feature was produced by Ludwigsburg- Polish Film Institute, Kirsten Niehuus, head based Zum Goldenen Lamm together with of Medienboard, and Claas Danielsen, head pubcaster SWR and the Filmakademie of MDM: “Germany and Poland are two Baden-Württemberg with support from MFG. nations with a long and versatile film tradition. The FFA’s participation in the program means that our cooperation will be fostered on the national level by the German side as well6 as the Polish side.” The Polish-German Film Fund was launched in 2015 and replaced the Polish-German Co- 6 Development Fund, which had been running since 2005 and focused on supporting colla- borative film projects. It was in 2015 that the heads of the cooperating organizations decided to broaden the scope of the Fund to include support for film production.

RABBIT SCHOOL (© Akkord Film)

26 GFQ 1-2017 NEWS & NOTES 7 8

THE PARTICULAR ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER (© Zum Goldenen Lamm)

7 8 GERMAN-MEXICAN FRIENDSHIP CLERMONT-FERRAND – A HOME FOR GERMAN SHORTS Within the framework of the “German Year” 2017 in Mexico not only is the Mexican parti- Over the past 13 years, the International The third edition of the program “EMERGING cipation at the Berlinale stronger than ever, Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand has ARTISTS – Contemporary Experimental Film Germany will also be the guest of honor at developed into a steady platform for the and Video Art from Germany” was presented this year’s 32nd Guadalajara International presentation of German short films. Not only as a market screening. This program of AG Film Festival (10-17 March 2017). German were the German Short Film Association Kurzfilm and German Films was curated by Films and the Goethe-Institut Mexico are (AG Kurzfilm) and German Films on hand representatives of notable German film presenting a panorama of some of the with market screenings and a booth at the festivals such as Stuttgarter Filmwinter, newest German productions and inviting a festival’s film market, but there were also Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival, large delegation of German guests to Mexico nine German shorts or co-productions com- International Short Film Week Regensburg to personally present their films, participate peting for the Grand Prix in the two sections and EMAF. It is available for screenings at in the festival’s juries and take part in co-pro- International and Lab Competition during the festivals and art galleries. duction events. A number of German films 39th edition of the festival: THE PARTICULAR and co-productions will also be screened in ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER by Paul Philipp, A further nine outstanding German short the official sections of the festival. ETAGE X by Francy Fabritz, HOMEWORK films were presented in the market screen- by Annika Pinske, THE TRANSFER by Michael ing “Matinée Allemande · Coup de foudre – The Guadalajara International Film Festival Grudsky (DE/IL), and WANNABE by Jannis Le court métrage allemand”. is one of the largest film events in Latin Lenz (DE/AT) were shown in the Inter- America, drawing in huge audiences and national Competition. KALTES TAL by Florian welcoming international film professionals Fischer and Johannes Krell, BROKEN – THE every year. German Films will also have a WOMEN’S PRISON AT HOHENECK by Volker booth at the festival’s accompanying film Schlecht and Alexander Lahl, PERSONNE by market. Matthias Müller and Christoph Girardet as well as UNITED INTEREST by Tim Weimann were selected for the Lab Competition.

At the German market stand, representatives of international short film festivals and organizations picked up the latest edition of the popular catalogue “German Short Films” and its accompanying preview DVDs. Addi - tionally three programs were presented by the AG Kurzfilm: the 12th edition of the “Soirée Allemande” a French-German cooperation between AG Kurzfilm, German Films, the Inter national Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand, the Goethe-Institut Lyon and the KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg cel - ebrated its premiere at the festival on 6 February.

27 NEWS & NOTES GFQ 1-2017 9

SHORT FILM DAY in Cologne (© tobiasvollmer.de)

9 10 11 AS MANY AS NEVER BEFORE: KINO!2017: ROUND FOUR AG KURZFILM AT THE EUROPEAN SHORT FILM DAY FILM MARKET IN BERLIN Last year’s edition of KINO! in April was so The 5th annual SHORT FILM DAY with 275 successful that the festival will return to the For the 15th time, the German Short Film events all over Germany took place on 21 De- spring dates again. This year’s new venue is Association (AG Kurzfilm) is representing cember 2016. Watching short films in a one of the leading arthouse theaters in town German short filmmakers and their films at school, a vineyard, a pub, a private kitchen, – the arthouse-complex Sunshine Cinema the most important film market in Germany. an observatory, even on a hide in the woods (Landmark Theatres) in the East Village – As part of the German Films booth at the – almost every place can become a cinema with more capacity and daily screenings from EFM, the association provides a meeting on the SHORT FILM DAY. For the fifth time, March 31 – April 6. Programmed by an point as well as useful information and con- Germans celebrated the “short format” on independent jury of leading industry pro- tacts to industry professionals, such as film- the shortest day of the year. 275 events were fessionals – Karl Rozemeyer (film journalist), makers, producers, distributors and festival organized in 135 places all over the country Marian Masone (film curator, festival advisor) representatives. Furthermore, the latest – as many as never before. “Of course we are and Meghan Wurtz (distributor), the festival edition of the short film catalogue “German very happy about the new record. It shows will present ten full-length new feature films Short Films 2017” will be introduced as well that more and more people are aware of the from 2016 – highlighting one of the German as the highly sought-after festival calendar SHORT FILM DAY,” so Jana Cernik, one of the actresses of the FACE TO FACE WITH for 2017, the indispensable assistance for heads of the German Short Film Association GERMAN FILMS campaign. Centerpiece will everyone in the international short film (AG Kurzfilm), which coordinates the event. be a silent film with live electronic music by circus. The catalogue presents 100 of the “On December 21st we bring a wide range of a DJ. Short film buffs will love the NEXT most interesting current German short film the ‘short format’ to the audience. We are ai- GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2016 program productions in detail. Two new DVD compila- ming at a stronger recognition for short films that is also part of the line-up. New York tions, GERMAN SHORT FILMS 2017 and the on this day but also during the rest of the audiences will have the opportunity to vote CHILDREN AND YOUTH EDITION 2017, are year.” online for their favorite film – the KINO!2017 also available. After the Berlinale, curators, Audience Award. festivals, journalists and other industry Well-known actors, filmmakers and film-en- thusiasts6 support the event as ambassadors. This year Sandra Hüller, Iris Berben, Aylin Tezel and Piet Fuchs told in video clips about their personal relationship with short films 10 11 and the shortest day of the year. The German State Minister for Culture and the Media, Monika Grütters, took on the patronage for the event. The SHORT FILM DAY is celebrated not only in Germany, but in many other countries around the world as well.

2017

28 GFQ 1-2017 NEWS & NOTES 12

German delegation at 4th Festival of German Cinema in China (© Y J Lee)

FESTIVALS OF GERMAN FILMS AROUND THE GLOBE representatives can order copies of the In 2016 German Films organized Festivals of In Tokyo, the HORIZONTE Festival of German catalogue and the DVDs from German Films German Films in a number of potentially Cinema opened with FUKUSHIMA, MON and the AG Kurzfilm. The digital version of attractive territories such as China, Japan, AMOUR and was celeb rated by a large audi- the catalogue is now available as well on Turkey and Australia. In all these regions the ence, with director Doris Dörrie introducing www.ag-kurzfilm.de. On this website, in - Goethe-Institut was the main partner for the her team to the enthusiastic fans. The young dustry representatives can get password- festivals, which aim at reaching out to new Japanese audience was also very taken by protected access to online screening of many audiences for German cinema. Not only the 4 KINGS and director Theresa von Eltz. The of the short films selected for the catalogue. audience (over 30,000 tickets sold at the 4 3rd Festival of German Cinema in Turkey events) but also the press response proved toured from Istanbul to Ankara, from Izmir the interest in German cinema to be above to Diyarbakir. While director Maren Ade average in 2016. In China, the audiences couldn’t attend the event in Izmir, the audi- in Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen were ence nevertheless enjoyed the screening of particularly taken by the opening film of the TONI ERDMANN at the Institut Français. festival, COLONIA, and Florian Gallenberger Other popular titles in the program included had to give a large number of autographs to 24 WEEKS, ME & KAMINSKI, ONE BREATH the keen, young spectators. Selected films of and WILD. The most long-living event in the festival program could be shown only in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut is the special venues like the Goethe-Institut, UCCA Festival of German Films in Australia, which or the Institut Français. Among those titles took place in four cities (Sydney, Melbourne, both 4 KINGS by Theresa von Eltz and IN Brisbane and Canberra) in 2016. Opening LOVE WITH LOU by Cordula Kablitz-Post film GOODBYE BERLIN by Fatih Akin was were very popular. And the attendance of enthusiastically received, other films in the well-known Chinese filmmakers like successful program included THE DIARY Berlinale-winner Lou Ye and actress Zhang OF ANNE FRANK by Hans Steinbichler, IN Jingchu on the opening night increased the LOVE WITH LOU and FOG IN AUGUST by press interest in the event. German cinema Kai Wessel. has definitely become more attractive for the Chinese audience.

29 NEW FILMS GFQ 1-2017

more new German productions are presented

on the following 20 pages. Please visit

our website www.german-films.de

for more information on German features,

documentaries and shorts. MANIFESTO © Julian Rosefeldt/VG Bild-Kunst © Julian Rosefeldt/VG MANIFESTO

30 GFQ 1-2017 NEW FEATURES

MOUNTAIN MIRACLE – AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP

melie (13) thinks of herself as a TOBIAS WIEMANN was born in Greifswald GENRE Family Entertainment YEAR OF PRO- tough big-city brat and she proba- and studied Media Design. Active as a cam - DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Tobias Wiemann bly is indeed the most stubborn eraman, editor, director and producer, he SCREENPLAY Natja Brunckhorst CINE MA - girl in all of Berlin. Amelie doesn’t produced and directed numerous short films TOGRAPHY Martin Schlecht CAST Mia Kasalo, letA anyone tell her what to do, least of all her for Howman-Pictures and worked for Til Samuel Girardi, Susanne Bormann, Denis parents, who ship her off to a special clinic in Schweiger’s production company Barefoot Moschitto, Jerry Hoffmann, Jasmin Tabatabai, the mountains after just another asthma at- Films. His films as a director include: David Bredin, Shenia Pitschmann PRODU- tack. Exactly what Amelie definitely doesn’t GROSSSTADTKLEIN (2013), VON EINEM, DER CERS Philipp Budweg, Thomas Blieninger want. But instead of getting help at the clinic, AUSZOG, DAS FÜRCHTEN ZU LERNEN (TV, CO-PRODUCER Martin Rattini PRODUCTION she runs off and flees to a place where cer- 2014), TOM UND SHERRY (in development, COMPANY Lieblingsfilm, in co-production tainly no one would expect to find her: the top with Jytte-Merle Böhrnsen), and MOUNTAIN with helios sustainable films RUNTIME 97 of the mountain. When the clinic and her pa- MIRACLE – AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP min LANGUAGE German rents realize she ran away, a big search for (AMELIE RENNT, 2017). her is underway. Focused on trying to find a SALES hiding place in the mountains, Amelie meets ARRI Media International the quirky boy named Bart. When Bart saves [email protected] her life, Amelie realizes that Bart is actually www.arrimedia.de/international a lot cooler than she first thought. Learning of Amelie’s illness, Bart tells her about an old tradition happening that time of the year, the Alps Mountain Fires. These mountain fires are miracles, which allegedly help cure the sick: humans and animals. Now on a mission to get to the fires in time, the kids take off on an adventurous journey of hope and true friendship.

31 NEW FEATURES GFQ 1-2017

ifti is a beautiful and reckless vulnerability, perfectly capturing a girl’s GENRE Tragicomedy YEAR OF PRODUCTION 16-year-old girl. Her mother is search for love and her ultimate realization 2016 DIRECTOR Helene Hegemann SCREEN- dead, and her wealthy, eccentric of needing to free herself in order to move PLAY Helene Hegemann CINEMATOGRAPHY father is too self-absorbed to be forward. Manu Dacosse (SBC) CAST Jasna Fritzi Mresponsible for her. Mifti has no use for peers Bauer, Arly Jover, Mavie Hörbiger, Laura her own age, and being aware of the sexual HELENE HEGEMANN was born in 1992. Also Tonke, Julius Feldmeier, Hans Löw, power she wields with her looks and youth, active as a writer and an actress, her films as Christopher Roth, Bernhard Schütz PRO- she immerses herself in a world of adults of a director are TORPEDO (2008) and AXOLOTL DUCERS Hanneke van der Tas, Alain de la questionable character. Lovesick over an OVERKILL (2016). Mata CO-PRODUCERS Constanze Guttmann, elusive older woman, she strikes up a friend- Friederich Oetker PRODUCTION COMPANY ship with Ophelia, an actress, and together Vandertastic, in co-production with Constan- they test their limits through Berlin‘s nightlife tin Film Produktion, RBB, BR RUNTIME 94 and extreme partying. min LANGUAGE German, English FESTIVALS Sundance 2017 (World Cinema Dramatic Writer/director Helene Hegemann, whose Competition) novel Axolotl Roadkill was a controversial best-seller in Germany, makes an astonish - SALES ingly accomplished and stylish debut feature. The Match Factory With its soul and R & B soundtrack, this [email protected] tightly and kinetically edited tale of youthful www.the-match-factory.com excess and exuberance is a trippy, picaresque ride through adolescent impulses and de- sires. Jasna Fritzi Bauer makes an indelible impression as she balances toughness and

32 GFQ 1-2017 NEW FEATURES

otila Blumen is a Holocaust re- CHRIS KRAUS was already a noted script - GENRE Tragicomedy YEAR OF PRODUCTION searcher. As such, he has no sense writer before making his debut as a director 2016 DIRECTOR Chris Kraus SCREENPLAY of fun. This applies in a general with SHATTERED GLASS (2002), which was Chris Kraus CINEMATOGRAPHY Sonja Rom sense and specifically when his awarded two Bavarian Film Prizes, among CAST Lars Eidinger, Adèle Haenel, Jan Josef colleaguesT try to turn an Auschwitz con- other awards. His second film, FOUR Liefers, Hannah Herzsprung, Sigrid Mar- ference into a corporate-sponsored media MINUTES (2006), was one of the most quardt, Djenabu Jalloh, Bibiana Zeller, Rolf event. In the process, they trample all over the successful German films of the past years Hoppe, Eva Löbau, Cornelius Schwalm, Irene memory of the recently deceased Professor and won over 60 German and international Rindje, Hans Jochen Wagner, Gerdy Zint PRO- Norkus – whom Totila revered. On top of all awards. His third film, THE POLL DIARIES DUCERS Danny Krausz, Kathrin Lemme CO- this, Totila is lumped with an intern: a very (2011), won almost 20 prizes, including four PRODUCERS Chris Kraus, Gerd Huber, Kurt young and irritating French student named German Film Awards, three Bavarian Film Stocker PRODUCTION COMPANIES Dor Film- Zazie. As she follows Totila like a puppy and Prizes, one Bambi Award and numerous West, Four Minutes Filmproduktion, in co- has a fling with his boss, the otherwise ser - festival accolades all over Europe. Kraus is production with Dor Film RUNTIME 125 min ious and measured academic becomes a also a distinguished opera director (Premio LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Tokyo 2016, nervous wreck. Abbiati for his Fidelio in Reggio Emilia). Hof 2016, Tallinn Black Nights 2016 AWARDS Grand Prix & WOWOW Viewer's Choice Award But it’s no good moaning about it – certainly Tokyo 2016, Baden-Württemberg Film Prize not to his stressed wife, who demands that he 2016 gripe less and learn to accept what his life has to offer. And so Totila ploughs on with his SALES work, aided by the overwrought, eccentric Beta Cinema Zazie. She, however, appears to have an [email protected] agenda of her own – and it’s closely related to www.betacinema.com Totila’s background and well-guarded family secret.

33 NEW FEATURES GFQ 1-2017

young woman (Lilith), living in the CHRISTOPH OTTO is a student at the GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 here and now, lives supposedly Academy of Media Arts Cologne. His films DIRECTOR Christoph Otto SCREENPLAY aimless in the world. Everything is include: HUNT (2012), I SPOKE ABOUT YOU Christoph Otto CINEMATOGRAPHY Paul Faltz, open to her and yet she cannot (2016), and DEAD HOMELAND (currently in Alexander Pauckner CAST Julia Riedler, decideA how to live her life. Spontaneously, development). Johannes Benecke, Yuri Englert PRODUCERS Lilith visits her older brother in Cologne. She Christoph Otto, Mario von Grumbkow CO- helps him move into a new flat and for a short PRODUCER Julia Riedler PRODUCTION COM- moment believes to have found the right PANY Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln place to stay and live. However, an in - RUNTIME 65 min LANGUAGE German FESTI- describable desire pulls her unexpectedly VALS Hof 2016, Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis back into reality. Among highways, remark - Saarbrücken 2017, Lisbon 2017 able forests and paltry parking spots, she meets showman Hans, whom she trusts and SALES follows into a strange colorful life in an Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln (KHM) amuse ment park. [email protected] www.khm.de www.ichhabvondirerzaehlt.de

34 GFQ 1-2017 NEW FEATURES

ulian Rosefeldt’s film MANIFESTO new dramatic life into both famous and world. In addition to numerous film installa- pays homage to the moving tradition lesser-known words in unexpected contexts. tions, his films include: the shorts ASYLUM and literary beauty of artistic mani - (2002), LONELY PLANET (2006), DEEP GOLD festos, ultimately questioning the role Rosefeldt’s film reveals the performative (2014), THE SWAP (2015), IN THE LAND OF Jof the artist in society today. MANIFESTO component and the political significance of DROUGHT (2015), and the feature film and draws on the writings of Futurists, Dadaists, these declarations. Often written in youthful film installation MANIFESTO (2017). Fluxus artists, Suprematists, Situationists, rage, they not only express the wish to change Dogma 95 and other artist groups, and the the world through art, but also reflect the GENRE Drama, Experimental YEAR OF PRO- musings of individual artists, architects, voice of a generation. Exploring the powerful DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Julian Rosefeldt dancers and filmmakers. Passing the ideas of urgency of these historical statements, which SCREENPLAY Julian Rosefeldt CINEMA - Claes Oldenburg, Yvonne Rainer, Kazimir were composed with passion and conviction TOGRAPHY Christoph Krauss CAST Cate Malevich, André Breton, Sturtevant, Sol Le- by artists many years ago, MANIFESTO Blanchett PRODUCER Julian Rosefeldt PRO- Witt, Jim Jarmusch, and other influential questions whether the words and sentiments DUCTION COMPANY Julian Rosefeldt RUN- voices through his lens, Rosefeldt has edited have withstood the passage of time. Can they TIME 95 min LANGUAGE English FESTIVALS and reassembled thirteen collages of artists’ be applied universally? And how have the dy- Sundance 2017, Rotterdam 2017, Göteborg manifestos. namics between politics, art and life shifted? 2017, Istanbul 2017

Performing these ‘new manifestos’ as a JULIAN ROSEFELDT was born in 1965. SALES contemporary call to action, while inhabiting He studied Architecture in Munich and The Match Factory thirteen different personas – among them a Barcelona. Since 2011, he has been a profes- [email protected] school teacher, a puppeteer, a newsreader, a sor for Digital and Time-based Media at the www.the-match-factory.com factory worker and a homeless man – Aca- Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. His works demy Award®- winner Cate Blanchett imbues have been exhibited in museums around the

35 NEW FEATURES GFQ 1-2017

ROCKET PERELMAN

ow do we want to live together? OLIVER ALALUUKAS initially trained as a GENRE Comedy, Drama YEAR OF PRO- Ten people in the middle of cinematog rapher, then studied Directing at DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Oliver Alaluukas nowhere in Brandenburg attempt the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD SCREENPLAY Johannes Rothe CINEMATOG - to answer this question, living WOLF. His films include: the shorts HERREN- RAPHY Valentin Selmke CAST Liv Lisa Fries, Hamidst greenery, techno and theater. In the TAG (2012), INDIAN SUMMER (2012), DER Tobias Lehmann, Gordon Kämmerer, Anne artist colony Rocket Perelman they live out POSTBOTE (2013), STATION 34 – ONCOLOGY Haug, Oliver Bröcker, Lars Rudolph, Ilyes their version of freedom and independence – (doc, 2014), PRÄSENZLÜCKE (2015), and his Moutaoukkil, Milton Welsh, Franziska Jünger each to their own and all for the collective. feature debut ROCKET PERELMAN (2017). PRODUCER Anna Wendt PRODUCTION COM- Jen is new to the Rocket. In her mid-20s, PANY Anna Wendt Filmproduktion, in co-pro- she’s gotten out of the city, out of the rat-race duction with Filmuniversität Babelsberg and is delving into a new life. But the Rocket KONRAD WOLF RUNTIME 108 min LANGUAGE needs money and the solution lies – where German FESTIVALS Filmfestival Max Ophüls else? – in art or, more specifically, a play. Jen Preis Saarbrücken 2017 (In Competition) finds herself taking up the lead role in a play that gradually overtakes reality and tests the SALES idealism of the entire community to its limits. Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF [email protected] www.filmuniversitaet.de

36 GFQ 1-2017 NEW FEATURES

group of German construction VALESKA GRISEBACH was born in Bremen in GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 workers moves to a construction 1968. After studying Philosophy and German DIRECTOR Valeska Grisebach SCREENPLAY site in the border region between Studies in Berlin, Munich and Vienna, she Valeska Grisebach CINEMATOGRAPHY Bern- Bulgaria and Greece. When the worked on various film and television pro - hard Keller CAST Meinhard Neumann, Amen realize there is a village nearby, they are ductions. From 1993-2001, she studied at the Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Letifov, Veneta confronted with their prejudice and mistrust. Vienna Film Academy, during which time Fragnova, Vyara Borisova, Aliosman Deliev Two of the men turn the village into a stage she also spent a year (1996/1997) at the PRODUCERS Janine Jackowski, Jonas on which they compete for the recognition German Film & Television Academy in Berlin. Dornbach, Maren Ade, Valeska Grisebach CO- and favor of the villagers. A selection of her films includes: SPRECHEN PRODUCERS Boris Chouchkov, Bruno UND NICHTSPRECHEN (short, 1995), IN DER Wagner, Antonin Svoboda PRODUCTION WÜSTE GOBI (doc, 1997), BERLINO (short, COMPANY Komplizen Film, in co-production 1999), MEIN STERN (2001), SEHNSUCHT with Chouchkov Brothers, coop99, ZDF Das (2006), NARBEN (doc, 2007), and WESTERN kleine Fernsehspiel RUNTIME 100 min (WT, 2017). LANGUAGE German, Bulgarian

SALES Films Boutique [email protected] www.filmsboutique.com

37 NEW DOCUMENTARIES GFQ 1-2017

or the first time, fashion designer Dries Van Noten allows a filmmaker to accompany him in his creative process and rich home life. For an Fentire year, Reiner Holzemer documented the precise steps that Dries takes to conceive four collections, the rich fabrics, embroidery and prints exclusive to his designs, as well as the emblematic fashion shows that bring his collections to the world and have become cult “must sees” at the Paris Fashion week. This film offers an insight into the life, mind and creative heart of a master fashion designer who, for more than 25 years, has remained independent in a landscape of fashion con - solidation and globalization.

REINER HOLZEMER is a filmmaker and GENRE Art YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 SALES founder of the Reiner Holzemer Film Pro - DIRECTOR Reiner Holzemer CINEMATOG - Dogwoof duction which was established in 1983. His RAPHY Reiner Holzemer PRODUCER Reiner [email protected] production company has developed and pro- Holzemer CO-PRODUCER Aminata Sambe www.dogwoof.com duced more than 30 documentary films and PRODUCTION COMPANY Reiner Holzemer artist portraits. His work often focuses on Film RUNTIME 89 min LANGUAGE English, inter nationally renowned artists and has French, Flemish screened at museums worldwide.

ow does a life change when nothing is as it seems, when some - one’s own history and identity is forcibly taken away? How great is Hthe inner shock when someone has been de- ceived by the very people in whose custody they felt safe and well cared for? What hap- pens if they have to fight for their legal rights against the supremacy of the state and the Catholic Church? This is an unimaginable scenario, but one in which many thousands of Spaniards have found themselves in recent years. The children, now all adults, are called “Niños Robados” – “Stolen Children”.

INGA BREMER studied Drama in Cologne and FRANCO’S LEGACY – SPAIN’S STOLEN Soilfilms, in co-production with BR, ARTE Directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Würt- CHILDREN (2016). RUNTIME 70 min LANGUAGE Spanish temberg and the EICTV in Cuba. A co-founder of the production company Soilfilms, her GENRE Politics, Society YEAR OF PRODUC- SALES films as a director include: the documenta- TION 2016 DIRECTOR Inga Bremer CINEMA- Autentic Distribution ries GOODBYE KUTTI (2008), TRÄUMEND TOGRAPHY Kirstin Schmitt PRODUCER [email protected] (2010), PERFECT GIRLS (2011), and Silvana Santamaria PRODUCTION COMPANY www.autentic-distribution.com

38 GFQ 1-2017 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

saw him and my heart stood still.” 18-year-old Freya Deichmann meets “ Helmuth James von Moltke. He is the love of her life. It is a love which must prove it- Iself under the Third Reich. The story builds to a dramatic climax, wavering between hope and a final separation, when Helmuth is im - prisoned. Every day could be their last. Their greatest happiness are their daily letters which are smuggled by the prison chaplain. It is a love in a time of resistance which does not even end with the execution of the loved one. The letters bear unique witness to an era, heart-piercing glimpses into an extraordinary existential situation of life and death. The lovers’ story is combined with previously un- disclosed conversations with the then 90- year-old Freya in her house in Vermont: “material of astonishing beauty, poetry and passion.” © Antje Starost Filmproduktion GESCHICHTE EINER LIEBE – FREYA LOVE IN THE TIME OF RESISTANCE – FREYA WITH Freya von Moltke, Helmuth Caspar von Moltke, Vivi Vassileva VOICES Nina Hoss, ANTJE STAROST &HANS HELMUT GROTJAHN’s STÉPHANE HESSEL (2008), and 7 OR WHY I Ulrich Matthes PRO DUCTION COMPANY Antje other films include: MARIKA AND CATERINA EXIST (2010). Starost Film Produktion RUNTIME 87 min (1981), SCHUHMANN (1985), WURLITZER OR LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Hof 2016, INVENTING PRESENT TIME (1985), FACES GENRE Biopic, History, Literature, Love Story Biberach 2016 (1988), CHAUPI MUNDI – THE HEART OF THE YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 DIRECTORS WORLD (1992), THE DIPLOMAT (1995), ELENA Antje Starost, Hans Helmut Grotjahn SALES Starost Film Verleih & Vertrieb UND PANCHA (2000), MUMMY'S BOY (2003), CINEMATOGRAPHY Hans Helmut Grotjahn [email protected] · www.starostfilm.de

fter filming political footage, Myan mar filmmaker Tin Win Naing must flee his home. The nation’s brutal dictatorship has Abegun arresting anyone suspected of criticiz- ing the government, and Naing is certain to be targeted. Unsure whether he will ever see his family again, he crosses the border il - legally to Thailand. Upon his arrival, he is astonished to see how many of his fellow countrymen have escaped the disastrous situation in Myanmar, only to find themselves trapped on the other side of the border, working under conditions tantamount to slave labor. Tin Win Naing portrays three Myanmar migrant workers in their struggle for survival. The filmmaker – a refugee amongst refugees – observes his compatriots in close and em- pathetic detail. IN EXILE takes us on a deeply felt journey into the hearts and minds of a © Lokanat Productions/Perennial Lens

IM EXIL IN EXILE people who have been tormented by Myan- was the DoP for the award-winning films IN RAPHY Tin Win Naing, Aung Ko Ko PRO - mar’s system for decades and who are now THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN, INTO THE DUCER Yasmin C. Rams PRODUCTION mistreated in a new foreign home. In spite of RING, NARGIS – WHEN TIME STOPPED COMPANY Perennial Lens RUNTIME 72 min this, however, they have emerged as fighters BREATHING, and numerous other documen- LANGUAGE Burmese FESTIVALS Toronto – fighters against despair. taries. IN EXILE is his directorial debut. 2016, Busan 2016, DOK Leipzig 2016

TIN WIN NAING was born in Myanmar and GENRE Society, Politics YEAR OF PRO - SALES Syndicado began his career as a filmmaker in 1995. DUCTION 2016 DIRECTOR Tin Win Naing [email protected] After studies at the Yangon Film School, he SCREENPLAY Tin Win Naing CINEMATOG- www.syndicado.com

39 NEW DOCUMENTARIES GFQ 1-2017

ntil recently Myanmar (also known as Burma) was shut off from the rest of the world by a military dictatorship. Ever since a demo- Ucratization process started, the country opened up, not only politically but also econo- mically. Investors and multinational companies view Myanmar today as the “last frontier” of globalization: 53 million new customers may be waiting eagerly to avail themselves of their products! MYANMARKET explores how the Burmese navigate through a time of change, new opportunities and traditional values.

EVA KNOPF studied at the Filmakademie (2011), MAJUB‘S JOURNEY (2013) and MYAN - AMA FILM, in co-production with SWR RUN- Baden-Wuĥrttemberg, UCLA Berkeley, Georg- MARKET (2017). TIME 75 min LANGUAGE Burmese, German August University in Göttingen, and the Uni- versity of Amsterdam. She worked as a GENRE Society YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2017 SALES projectionist and teaches in the Visual Media DIRECTOR Eva Knopf CINEMATOGRAPHY AMA FILM & Anthropology Dept. of the Free University Stefan Sick PRODUCERS Ulla Lehmann, [email protected] Berlin. Her films include: the documentaries Andrea Roggon CO-PRODUCER Gudrun www.amafilm.de JUJU MOVIE – GET RICH OR DIE TRYING Hanke-El Ghomri PRODUCTION COMPANY

n Bangladesh, in Benin, in the DR Congo, yet also in Germany: violence against women is ever present. The film delves into the lives of women who have been Isubjected to horrific violence, yet managed to fight their way free. They talk about the violence that has been inflicted upon them, their struggle for survival, their hopes and their current attempts to build a new life. And the men? Many of them describe violence against women as a normal part of their everyday lives. If a woman has been hit, she deserved it. If she defends herself, he threatens to take away her children. Claudia Schmid spent intense moments with the pro- tagonists. She captured images of their pain- ful memories and dreams. It is only the strength of these women that allows them to break out of a multi-generational cycle of violence. © Bildersturm Filmproduktion

UNTER ALLER AUGEN FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE

CLAUDIA SCHMID was born in Cologne in GENRE Human Rights, Women, Society YEAR SALES 1956. A freelance director since 1991, her OF PRODUCTION 2016 DIRECTOR Claudia NEW DOCS other films include: a portrait about the Schmid CINEMATOGRAPHY Claudia Schmid [email protected] artist Gottfried Helnwein THE SILENCE OF PRODUCER Birgit Schulz PRODUCTION COM- www.newdocs.de INNOCENCE (2009), the documentary about PANY Bildersturm Filmproduktion, in co- Heinz Emigholz THE REDRAWN WORLD production with WDR, NDR RUNTIME 90 min (2009), RICHARD DEACON – IN BE TWEEN LANGUAGE Bengali, Fon, Mashi, English, (2013), and VOICES OF VIOLENCE (2015). French

40 GFQ 1-2017 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

L VIAJE is a vibrant journey through Chile and its musical tradition, the “Nueva Canción Chilena.” The “Nueva Canción Chilena” became theE soundtrack of a generation which took to the streets to protest for their rights and greatly influenced musicians all over the world. One of those musicians is Rodrigo Gonzalez, who emigrated to Germany from Chile in 1974 in the wake of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship. Today Rod is the bassist of Germany’s most popular punk rock band, DIE ÄRZTE. Rod returns to his homeland, and perhaps more significantly, to his musical roots. His aim is to learn from, to play and record with some of the most important Chilean protest musicians from the 60s and 70s, including a younger generation of musicians influenced by the “Nueva Canción Chilena” tradition. © mindjazz pictures EIN MUSIKFILM MIT RODRIGO GONZALEZ EL VIAJE A ROAD TRIP INTO CHILE’S MUSICAL HERITAGE NAHUEL LOPEZ was born in 1978 in Ham- GENRE Music, Educational YEAR OF PRO- Montero PRO DUCER Florian Hartung PRO- burg. He studied Advertising and Political DUCTION 2016 DIRECTOR Nahuel Lopez DUCTION COMPANIES Februar Film, 3sat Science and completed a traineeship at the TV SCREENPLAY Nahuel Lopez, Oliver Keidel RUNTIME 93 min LANGUAGE Spanish, Ger- production company Cinecentrum. He then CINEMATOG RAPHY Florian Kirchler WITH man FESTIVALS IN-EDIT Music Docs & Films worked as a freelance journalist and commis- Rodrigo Gonzalez, Aldo “Macha” Asenjo, 2016 (In Competition) sioning editor. Also active as a writer, pro- Camila Moreno, Mauricio “Chinoy” Castillo, ducer and instructor, EL VIAJE is his Alonso Nuñez, Eduardo Carasco, Eduardo SALES mindjazz pictures international directorial debut. Yañez, Gaston Avila, Claudio “Pajarito 666” [email protected] Araya, Luis Alberto “JM” Gomez, Yelcon www.mindjazz-international.com

hey were young, looking forward to the future and felt at home in Bres- lau, the city with the third largest Jewish community in Germany. TThen Hitler came to power. From that moment on, the fate of the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany is what connected these children: some fled, some survived Auschwitz. Ultimately robbed of their home, they escaped in all directions and built up new lives, in the USA, England, France and in Ger- many. Many were even significantly involved in the founding and development of Israel. 14 contemporary witnesses are at the center of this film. They remind us not only of previous Jewish life in Breslau, their experiences form an impressive and diverse portrait of a generation. Some returned to their old home, today’s Wroclaw, and met up with a German- Polish youth group. In times of grown anti- © Karin Kaper Film WIR SIND JUDEN AUS BRESLAU WE ARE JEWS FROM BRESLAU 99/II (2004), PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS (2005), CINEMATOGRAPHY Dirk Szuszies PRODUCER UNKNOWN ELEMENTS FROM THE ORBIT Karin Kaper PRODUCTION COMPANY Karin Semitism, the film builds an emotional bridge (2007), ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY (2009), BUT Kaper Film RUNTIME 108 min LANGUAGE between the past and the future: a future LIFE GOES ON (2010), BERLIN EAST SIDE German, English, Polish FESTIVALS Cottbus which is our responsibility to shape. GALLERY (2015), and WE ARE JEWS FROM 2016 BRESLAU (2016). KARIN KAPER and DIRK SZUSZIES‘ films in- SALES Karin Kaper Film clude: DIE LETZTE MAHADEVI (2000), RESIST! GENRE History YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 [email protected] (2003), LITTLE MYSTERIES (2003), DIALOGE DIRECTORS Karin Kaper, Dirk Szuszies www.judenausbreslaufilm.de

41 NEW SHORTS GFQ 1-2017 HOMEWORK

young father (27), his twelve-year- GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 old daughter, one night club, two DIRECTOR Annika Pinske SCREENPLAY secrets and a lie that will solve Annika Pinske CINEMATOGRAPHY Ben everything. Bernhard CAST Tim Kalkhof, Emma Frieda A Brüggler PRODUCER Annika Pinske PRO- ANNIKA PINSKE was born in 1982. She DUCTION COMPANY Pennybooth Production, studied Philosophy and Literature before in co-production with Deutsche Film- und taking up studies in Directing at the German Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB) RUNTIME 7 Film and Television Academy (DFFB) in min LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Dresden Berlin. She has worked as a director’s assi- 2016, Leeds 2016, Austin Gay & Lesbian IFF stant in the theater (Volksbühne Berlin) and 2016, exground Wiesbaden 2016, Biberacher for the cinema (Komplizen Film, serving as Filmfestspiele 2016, Filmschool Fest Munich Maren Ade’s assistant on TONI ERDMANN). 2016, oderkurz filmspektakel 2016, Clermont- Her films include: the Internet sitcom Ferrand 2017, Trieste 2017, Side by Side LGBT TORSTRASSE-INTIM (2008), and the shorts FF St. Petersburg 2017 AWARDS German ANYWAYS (2015), CHANGE (2016), and Short Film Award 2016 (Gold), Student HOMEWORK (2016). Camera Award Munich 2016, Radi Award Short Film Corner Cannes 2016

SALES DFFB [email protected] www.dffb.de

KALTES TAL

scillating between aesthetic and FLORIAN FISCHER was born in 1981. He documentary forms, KALTES TAL studied Communication Design and Pictorial describes the daily business of a Sciences. His films include: STILL LIFE (2014) strip mine harvesting lime. The and KALTES TAL (2016). materialO removed is processed and returned to nature through forest liming. This measure GENRE Environment, Experimental Docu- attempts to counteract acid rain that troubles mentary YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2016 the forest floor. A cycle like a Mobius strip – DIRECTORS Johannes Krell, Florian Fischer an irreversible consequence due to the min - SCREENPLAY Johannes Krell, Florian ing materials in order to restore the fragile Fischer CINEMATOGRAPHY Johannes Krell, natural balance. Lime dust delicately dusts Florian Fischer PRODUCERS Stephan Helmut the forest floor. A white, spherical alternative Beier, Ray Peter Maletzki PRODUCTION COM- world opens, questioning our ambivalent PANY Rosenpictures RUNTIME 12 min relation ship to nature. LANGUAGE no dialogue FESTIVALS Rotter- dam 2017, Clermont-Ferrand 2017 AWARDS JOHANNES KRELL was born in 1982. After MDM Pitching Prize Newcomer Competition studying Cinematography and Audiovisual 2014, German Short Film Award 2016 Media he worked as a freelance camera man, editor and sound designer. Since 2014, he is SALES a post-graduate student at the Academy of Rosenpictures Media Arts in Cologne. His films include: the [email protected] shorts ROOM ONE (2009), STATION (2010), A www.rosenpictures.com CLOUD OF UNKNOWING (2011), STILL LIFE www.kaltes-tal-film.de (2014), and KALTES TAL (2016).

42 GFQ 1-2017 NEW SHORTS TIMECODE

e are able to work on our GENRE Art, Experimental YEAR OF PRO - “ speeches and our rhetoric DUCTION 2016 DIRECTOR Petra Lottje skills. But to control what SCREENPLAY Petra Lottje CINEMATOG - our body is doing in the RAPHY Andreas Gockel CAST Corinna Kirch- meantimeW is much more difficult. Gestures hoff, Matthias Neukirch PRODUCER Petra and moves are much stronger than words – Lottje RUNTIME 18 min according to academic researchers, the human facial expression alone offers about SALES 10,000 details. TIMECODE operates without Petra Lottje any words.” [email protected] www.lottje.de TIMECODE is a multi-piece installation with a 2 channel video work in its center.

PETRA LOTTJE studied Social Work and Fine Arts in Braunschweig. Active as a freelance filmmaker and artist, a selection of her shorts include: JEDES ZIMMER HINTER EINER TÜR (2006/2007), LOOPE (2008), FREIZEIT (2009), EL MOMENTO (2010), VIELLEICHT ZU LANGE (2011), ALSO GUT (2012), MESSAGE (2012), MIR FEHLT NICHTS (2014), THANKS (2016), and TIMECODE (2016).

EINE UNIVERSELLE LIEBESGESCHICHTE A UNIVERSAL LOVE STORY

UNIVERSAL LOVE STORY is a (2016), LOLA WANTS TO SEE THE SEA (short, short fantasy drama about the 2016), and A UNIVERSAL LOVE STORY (short, possibility of finding love in an im- 2017). personal world in the distant future,A where everyone is so focused on him- GENRE Fantasy, Love Story YEAR OF PRO- self that it seems almost impossible to con- DUCTION 2017 DIRECTOR Natalie MacMahon nect to another person. All that’s left is the SCREENPLAY Natalie MacMahon CINEMA - memory of love and the hope to experience it TOG RAPHY Amber Palmer CAST Francisco one more time. It seems that sometimes it Montero, Tomoko Inoue, Alastair Graham, takes a miracle from a different universe to Annegret Steioff, Natalie MacMahon, start a revolution. Orazio Manzella, Brett Ortgiesen, Christina Siemoneit, Asel Lobanchenko, Christoph A UNIVERSAL LOVE STORY is one of the few Fortmann PRODUCER Natalie MacMahon films shot in Esperanto. PRODUCTION COMPANY Natalie MacMahon Films RUNTIME 9 min LANGUAGE English, NATALIE MACMAHON began her career as an Esperanto actress and became more interested in writing and directing her own films. Her films, SALES which have screened at numerous inter - Natalie MacMahon Films national festivals, include: THE MAN WHO [email protected] COULDN'T CRY (short, 2015), LIKE A SUM- www.nataliemacmahonfilms.com www.universallovestory.com MER SONATA (short, 2016), the web series © Natalie Christoph, Amber Palmer THE SECRET OF BERLIN (2015) and SENSES

43 UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 1-2017

AUS DEM NICHTS

atja sees her life suddenly implode GENRE Thriller CATEGORY Feature DIREC- when her husband and son are killed TOR Fatih Akin SCREENPLAY Fatih Akin CAST Kin a bomb attack. Her friends and Diane Kruger, Denis Moschitto, Ulrich Tukur, fam ily are unable to give her the support she Samia Chancrin, Numan Acar, Hanna needs, but Katja somehow manages to keep Hilsdorf, Ulrich Brandhoff, Johannes going through the funeral and formalities as Krisch, Karin Neuhäuser, Uwe Rohde, Rafael well as the search for the perpetrators and Santana PRODUCER Nurhan Sekerci-Porst reasons for the assassination. She initially CO-PRODUCERS Fatih Akin, Mélita Toscan du contemplates suicide, but when the trial be- Plantier, Marie-Jeanne Pascal PRODUCTION gins against the two suspects from the neo- COMPANY bombero international, in co-pro- Nazi scene, the court proceedings keep her duction with Macassar Productions, Warner alive despite the harrowing evidence of her Bros. Film Productions Germany, corazón loved ones’ deaths. However, matters become international LANGUAGE German complicated when more details about her husband’s criminal past emerge and the po- SALES lice find Katja under the influence of drugs... The Match Factory

he island where Conni and Co enjoyed GENRE Family Entertainment CATEGORY many happy summers is for sale to a Feature DIRECTOR Til Schweiger SCREEN- Thotel company! But when her dog finds PLAY Vanessa Walder CAST Emma Tiger a gigantic dinosaur bone, the kids hope to Schweiger, Iris Berben, Lisa Bitter, Ken persuade Neustadt’s Mayor Möller otherwise. Duken, Heino Ferch, Matthias Habich, Mimi But Möller has his own plans and the bone Fiedler, Samuel Finzi, Oskar Keymer, Tamer disappears. Complicating matters is that Trasoglu, Paula Paul PRODUCERS Christian Conni’s father is the engineer responsible for Popp, Sigi Kamml CO-PRODUCERS Til the new hotel and Paul’s parents’ bookshop is Schweiger, Tom Zickler PRODUCTION COM- in financial trouble: they have to leave Neu- PANY Producers at Work Film, in co-produc- stadt but the new hotel would offer them a tion with Barefoot Films, Warner Bros. Film future. The children set out on a secret Productions Germany LANGUAGE German search for fossils, then the site must be pre- served. It’s a race against time and the mayor. SALES At the last minute the kids find an entire T- Beta Cinema Rex skeleton. The island is now saved and [email protected] soon Neustadt has a dinosaur museum that www.betacinema.com © Nik Konietzny brings many tourists to the town. CREDO

thriller set in the world of GENRE Drama, Thriller CATEGORY Mini- high finance, director Christian Series DIRECTOR Christian Schwochow A Schwochow’s first TV series CREDO SCREENPLAY Oliver Kienle, Jana Burbach, centers on a highly talented young investment Jan Galli CAST Paula Beer, Desirée banker, Jana Liekam (played by the award- Nosbusch, Barry Atsma, Mai Duong Kieu, winning newcomer actress Paula Beer), who Albrecht Abraham Schuch, Tobias Moretti, is embroiled in an intrigue forcing her to Marc Limpach, Jörg Schüttauf PRODUCER cause damage to her own bank and triggering Lisa Blumenberg CO-PRODUCER Nicolas a major crisis in the global financial economy. Steil PRODUCTION COMPANY Letterbox Running to six 45-minute episodes, CREDO is Filmproduktion, in co-production with Iris an adrenaline-driven game of power and Productions LANGUAGE German manipulation, economic interests and political common sense, and of personal ambitions SALES and shifting loyalties. Jana moves through the Federation Entertainment world of investment banking like a fish in [email protected] water. But is she in fact more of a shark? www.fedent.com

44 GFQ 1-2017 UPCOMING FILMS

CULPA – NIEMAND IST OHNE SCHULD

tipe Erceg heads up an impressive cast GENRE Crime Drama CATEGORY Series DI- for CULPA, the first foray into in-house RECTOR Jano Ben Chaabane SCREENPLAY Sfiction production by 13th Street, the Jano Ben Chaabane, Alexander Lindh, Bernd crime channel of NBC Universal International Heiber, Matthias Praxenthaler CAST Stipe Networks, shooting on location in Berlin last Erceg, Ludwig Trepte, Mehmet Kurtulus, November. The four self-contained episodes Barbara Philipp, Dirk Martens, Maxim Meh- turns the crime format on its head as an un- met, Alina Levshin, Detlef Bothe PRODUCER conventional priest is told imminent crimes Laura Bull PRODUCTION COMPANY Ready during the confessional. However, the priest Made Films LANGUAGE German is bound by his vows not to divulge the confessional secrets about the planned crimes, CONTACT and it is only through the power of his words NBC Universal International Networks and arguments that he is able to keep pre - [email protected] venting the very worst from happening... www.nbcuniversal.com

DARK

aran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, who GENRE Thriller CATEGORY Series DIRECTOR both graduated from Munich’s Uni- Baran bo Odar SCREENPLAY Baran bo Odar, Bversity of Television & Film and pre- Jantje Friese CAST Louis Hofmann, Oliver viously collaborated on Odar’s feature films Masucci, Jördis Triebel, Sebastian Rudolph, THE SILENCE and WHO AM I – NO SYSTEM IS Anatole Taubman, Mark Waschke, Karoline SAFE, have now joined forces as co-creators Eichhorn, Stephan Kampwirth, Anne Ratte- and co-showrunners for DARK, the first Polle, Andreas Pietschmann, Lisa Vicari, German Netflix original series, to debut ex- Angela Winkler, Michael Mendl PRODUCERS clusively on the leading Internet TV network Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Justyna Müsch, in late 2017. The 10-part mystery family saga Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese PRODUCTION is set in a German town in the present day COMPANIES Wiedemann & Berg Television, where the disappearance of two young chil- Dark Series LANGUAGE German dren exposes the double lives and fractured relationships among four families – with a CONTACT surprising twist with its origins in the same Wiedemann & Berg Television town back in 1986. [email protected]

HIGH SOCIETY

nabel von Schlacht is the neglected GENRE Comedy CATEGORY Feature DIREC- party-daughter of a stinking rich in- TOR Anika Decker SCREENPLAY Anika Adustrialist family. At least that is what Decker CAST Emilia Schüle, Jannis Nie- everybody thought until a scandal at the clinic wöhner, Caro Cult, Katja Riemann, Iris in which she was born reveals various babies Berben, Marc Benjamin PRODUCERS Lothar were swapped, and Anabel’s actual origins. Hellinger, Christopher Doll CO-PRODUCERS Her real mother lives with her two other chil- Anika Decker, Jan Decker PRODUCTION COM- dren as an illegal subtenant on a working PANY Hellinger/Doll Filmproduktion, in co- class housing estate. When Anabel enters her production with Decker Bros. Entertainment, new home she tangles immediately with the Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany good looking cop Yann. Her new journey be- LANGUAGE German comes plastered with bizarre encounters, fam ily conflicts and falling head over heels in CONTACT love. But it all leads her to the really impor- Hellinger/Doll Filmproduktion tant questions in life and, as well, the search [email protected] for her true identity, her first real job and the www.hellingerdoll.com

45 UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 1-2017

HIMMEL UND HÖLLE

ive hundred years ago a revolutionary GENRE History CATEGORY TV Movie DIREC- priest changed the face of Christen- TOR Uwe Janson SCREENPLAY Stefan Fdom and the path of European civiliza- Dähnert, Marianna Wendt CAST Maximilian tion forever. Risking his life and academic Brückner, Jan Krauter, Johannes Klaussner, reputation, facing damnation and purgatory, Aylin Tezel, Frida-Lovisa Hamann, Joachim in 1517 he nailed his inflammatory Ninety- Król, Armin Rohde, Christoph Maria Herbst, Five Theses, disputing the claim that freedom Rüdiger Vogler, Fabian Hinrichs, Anna Schudt, from God’s punishment for sin could be pur- Peter Lerchbaumer, Johanna Gastdorf, Arnd chased with money, to the door of the Castle Klawitter PRODUCERS Benjamin Benedict, Church in Wittenberg. The Catholic church Joachim Kosack CO-PRODUCER Michal and the Western world would never be the Pokorny PRODUCTION COMPANY UFA same again. His name was Martin Luther. Fiction, in co-production with MIA FILM LANGUAGE German

SALES FremantleMedia International

ICEMAN (WT)

he final days of the world-famous GENRE Action, Adventure, Drama CATEGORY mummy Ötzi – a.k.a. Kelab – are now Feature DIRECTOR Felix Randau SCREEN- Ttold for the first time by director Felix PLAY Felix Randau CAST Jürgen Vogel, André Randau. Over 5,000 years ago, Kelab (played M. Hennicke, Sabin Tambrea, Martin Augustin by Jürgen Vogel) leaves his family to go hunt- Schneider, Susanne Wuest, Violetta Schuraw- ing in the Ötztal Alps. On his return, he finds low, Anna F, Axel Stein, Franco Nero PRO - his village burned to the ground and his DUCER Jan Krüger PRODUCTION COMPANY tribe’s sacred talisman stolen. Spurred on by Port-au-Prince Film & Kultur Produktion, in the love for his family, Kelab sets out in co-production with Echo Film, Lucky Bird search of the perpetrators. The beauty of Pictures, Amour Fou Filmproduktion, in co- nature holds many dangers and other people operation with ZDF, ARTE, Sky Deutschland, are, by turns, friend or foe. When he finally ORF LANGUAGE Extinct Raetic comes face to face with the perpetrators, Kelab attempts to satisfy his thirst for venge- SALES ance. But things don’t quite work out as he Beta Cinema had planned… [email protected]

IN MY ROOM

lrich Köhler’s fourth feature film after GENRE Drama CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR BUNGALOW, WINDOWS ON MONDAY Ulrich Köhler SCREENPLAY Ulrich Köhler Uand SLEEPING SICKNESS focuses on CAST Hans Löw, Elena Radonicich, and others the 40-something Armin, who is a freelancer PRODUCERS Christoph Friedel, Claudia with lots of time and little money. He’s not Steffen, Katrin Schlösser PRODUCTION really happy, but can’t picture living a different COMPANY Pandora Film Produktion, in co- life. However, one morning, the world looks production with Echo Film, WDR, ARTE the same as always, but mankind has dis- LANGUAGE German, English appeared. Described as a philosophical science fiction film, the co-production by CONTACT Pandora Film Produktion with Bolzano-based Pandora Film Produktion Echo Film completed its first phase of shoot- [email protected] ing last September, with the second half at www.pandorafilm.com locations in North Rhine-Westphalia’s Vlotho, Berlin and South Tyrol following between February and March 2017.

46 GFQ 1-2017 UPCOMING FILMS

JIM KNOPF UND LUKAS DER LOKOMOTIVFÜHRER

ased on Michael Ende’s best-selling GENRE Children & Youth, Family Entertain- novel, this epic fantasy adventure ment, Fantasy, Literature CATEGORY Feature Bfollows a young orphan boy Jim DIRECTOR Dennis Gansel SCREENPLAY Dirk Button, his best friend Luke and a magical Ahner, Andrew Birkin, Sebastian Niemann steam engine called Emma as they travel CAST Solomon Gordon, Henning Baum, from their home on the tiny island of Morrow- Annette Frier, Christoph Maria Herbst, Uwe land throughout the world in search of the Ochsenknecht, Milan Peschel, Rick Kavanian, truth about Jim’s origins. Luke and Jim begin Volker Michalowski PRODUCER Christian the greatest adventure of their lives, pro - Becker PRODUCTION COMPANY Rat Pack mising the Emperor of Mandala that they will Filmproduktion, in co-production with Warner rescue his daughter, Princess Li Si, who was Bros. Entertainment, Malao Film, Studio kidnapped by pirates and dragged across the Babels berg Motion Pictures, Constantin Film terrifying Valley of Shadows to the deadly Produktion, Bavaria Film LANGUAGE German Dragon City. The further they get, the more their suspicion grows that there is a con- SALES nection between Jim’s unknown origins and Timeless Films

DER KLEINE RABE SOCKE – SUCHE NACH DEM VERLORENEN SCHATZ

irector Verena Fels is embarking on GENRE Animation, Family Entertainment her animation feature debut with a CATEGORY Feature DIRECTORS Verena Fels, Dbrand-new adventure of RAVEN THE Sandor Jesse SCREENPLAY Katja Grübel LITTLE RASCAL. Together with longtime PRODUCER Dirk Beinhold CO-PRODUCER Raven collaborators, co-director Sandor Florian Schmidt-Prange VOICES Jan Delay, Jesse and screenwriter Katja Grübel, she is Anna Thalbach, Nellie Thalbach, Ulrich sending the cheeky little hero on an exciting Smandek, Jens Andresen, Tim Kreuer, Ranja new journey. Raven can’t believe his eyes Bonalana, Monty Arnold, Jannik Endemann, when he makes a stunning discovery in Mrs. Constantin von Jascheroff PRODUCTION Badger’s attic: a real treasure map drawn by COMPANY Akkord Film, in co-production with none other than Grandpa Badger, who myste- Tatami Films, NDR, SWR, HR LANGUAGE riously disappeared many years ago. Accord- German, English ing to an ancient legend, whoever manages to find the treasure will become king of the SALES forest, something that Raven simply can’t Beta Cinema resist. Together with his best friend Eddi Bear [email protected] and eager Little Badger, he sets off on a www.betacinema.com © Akkord Film thrilling quest to find the treasure… LASS DEN SOMMER NIE WIEDER KOMMEN

young Georgian man leaves his GENRE Art, Experimental, Drama, Love Story village for the city to audition for a CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR Alexandre Adance ensemble. He participates in Koberidze SCREENPLAY Alexandre Koberidze illegal boxing matches to earn money. He CAST Mate Kevlishvili, Giorgi Bochorishvili sleeps with men, also to earn money. He falls PRODUCERS Alexandre Koberidze, Nutsa in love with one of his clients. He starts Tsikaridze, Keti Kipiani PRODUCTION COM- dancing in an ensemble. His lover, an army PANY Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie officer, goes to war. The young man returns Berlin (DFFB) LANGUAGE Georgian to his village. CONTACT DFFB [email protected] www.dffb.de

47 UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 1-2017

MARINA, MABUSE UND MORITURI

n 1946, aged 28, Artur Brauner started GENRE Biopic CATEGORY Documentary producing films in the completely de- DIRECTOR Kathrin Anderson WITH Dieter Istroyed Berlin. He wanted to narrate the Kosslick, Mario Adorf, Armin Mueller-Stahl, suffering that the Nazi regime had wrought Klaus Maria Brandauer PRODUCER Alice on Europe’s Jews and became Germany’s Brauner PRODUCTION COMPANY CCC-Film- most successful producer. His company, CCC kunst LANGUAGE German Filmkunst, brought both big screen entertainment and socially critical chamber pieces to CONTACT the screen. Brauner also brought America’s CCC-Filmkunst most renowned directors back to Germany; [email protected] Robert Siodmak, William Dieterle, Fritz Lang www.ccc-film.de and Gerd Oswald, all of whom had been forced to emigrate. He filmed Mabuse, Karl May and Edgar Wallace crime stories. He also constantly returned to the theme of his life, the Holocaust. Here, outstanding personali-

n 1916, the dancer Mata Hari meets the GENRE History CATEGORY Feature DIREC- German agent Elisabeth Schragmüller TOR Kai Christiansen SCREENPLAY Kai I(known as “Mademoiselle Docteur”) who Christiansen, Heike Brückner von Grumbkow, trains her to become a spy behind enemy Jochen von Grumbkow CAST Natalia Wörner, lines in France during the First World War. Nora von Waldstätten, Francis Fulton-Smith, The two women couldn’t be more different Michael Brandner, Vladimir Burlakov, Robert from one another: Mata Hari was the erotic, Schupp, Patrick Joswig PRODUCERS enigmatic seductress, while Mademoiselle Matthias Martens, Sandra Maischberger Docteur was an analytical political scientist PRODUCTION COMPANY Vincent TV and one of the first women in Germany to LANGUAGE German receive a doctorate. The legendary double agent, who was executed in France in 1917 at SALES the age of 41 on charges of double espionage Studio Hamburg Enterprises and high treason, is played by Natalia [email protected] Wörner in this feature film directed by Kai www.studio-hamburg-enterprises.de Christiansen for public broadcaster ARD.

NUR GOTT KANN MICH RICHTEN

ollowing his award-winning feature GENRE Drama, Melodrama CATEGORY Fea- debut CHIKO, writer-director Özgür ture DIRECTOR Özgür Yildirim SCREENPLAY FYildirim returns to the world of petty Özgür Yildirim CAST Moritz Bleibtreu, Kida gangsters – this time on the mean streets of Khodr Ramadan, Edin Hasanovic, Birgit Frankfurt. Moritz Bleibtreu – who also dons Minichmayr, Franziska Wulff, Peter Simo- the producer’s hat for the first time – stars as nischek PRODUCERS Christian Becker, Ricky, a small-time gangster about to be re- Moritz Bleibtreu CO-PRODUCER Özgür leased from prison after doing time for a heist Yildirim PRODUCTION COMPANIES Rat Pack which was botched by his brother Rafael and Filmproduktion, Paloma Entertainment, in partner-in-crime Latif. Shortly after his re- co-production with Constantin Film Produk- lease, Latif makes him an offer that seems tion LANGUAGE German too good to be true and ultimately too good to refuse. However, the surefire plan is jeopar- CONTACT dized by the sudden emergence of Diana, a Rat Pack Filmproduktion police officer with a hidden agenda, triggering [email protected] a nerve-wracking game of cat and mouse… www.ratpack-film.de

48 GFQ 1-2017 UPCOMING FILMS

OSTWIND – AUFBRUCH NACH ORA

ika has become a reputed ‘horse GENRE Family Entertainment CATEGORY whisperer’. She and her beloved Feature DIRECTOR Katja von Garnier Mblack stallion Windstorm one day SCREEN PLAY Lea Schmidbauer CAST Hanna depart for Andalusia, which is Windstorm’s Binke, Lea van Acken, Amber Bongard, place of origin. There they discover a magical Marvin Linke, Jannis Niewöhner, Nicolette oasis where a herd of wild horses comes Krebitz, Thomas Sarbacher, Cornelia to drink. But to ensure the future of the Froboess, Tilo Prückner, Martin Feifel hacienda where she is staying, its owner is PRODUCERS Ewa Karlström, Andreas forced to sell the land and a large company Ulmke-Smeaton CO-PRODUCER Martin has its eye on the oasis with its pristine spring Moszkowicz PRODUCTION COMPANY Sam- water. To save the oasis, the source of the wild Film, in co-production with Constantin Film horses’ life, Mika and her friends plan to re- Produktion LANGUAGE German vive an ancient tradition: a wild horse race. If the event becomes a success the oasis will SALES gain heritage status and governmental pro- Attraction Distribution tection. What Mika and Windstorm do not yet [email protected]

ans and girlfriend, nicknamed Heinz, GENRE Comedy, Love Story, Romantic Co- are a couple. Lacking all drama, ro- medy CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR Laura Hmance and lust, as pragmatists they Lackmann SCREENPLAY Laura Lackmann decide to try again and live the big screen CAST Laura Tonke, Marc Hosemann, David romance. But constant change and new Bredin, Katrin Wichmann, Christine Schorn, obstacles put their love to the real test. A Hans Longo, Josefine Voss, David Ruland, romantic trip with their friends into the past, Felix Goeser, Rolf Becker, Marie Meinzenbach, to the day they met, turns into a total flop be- Arnd Klawitter, Vilmar Bieri, Elena Gruschka, cause their individual memories of the event Frank Casali, Stefanie Winner, Tilda Jenkins, are very different. Their relationship becomes Romina Maria Ostermann, Ronny Miersch, increasingly shaky, they grow more and more Monica Kaufmann, Julia Schmitt, Enno Ka- estranged. But when Hans’ father dies the ex- lisch PRODUCER Milena Maitz PRODUCTION periment is put on ice. Life and death are a COMPANY Studio.TV.Film, in co-production serious business and they realize there is with WDR, SWR LANGUAGE German more to life than living as in a film. Finally, they find in their love in what for us, as CONTACT Studio.TV.Film viewers, was film-worthy from the outset: the [email protected] © Wolfgang Ennenbach beauty of the everyday. www.studio-tv-film.de SO WAS VON DA

amburg, the hip St. Pauli district, New GENRE Literature, Music CATEGORY Feature Year’s Eve. Oskar runs a music club DIRECTOR Jakob Lass SCREENPLAY Jakob Hin an old hospital at the end of the fa- Lass, Hannah Schopf CAST Niklas Bruhn, mous and notorious Reeperbahn. His life was David Schütter, Mathias Bloech, Martina one big party. But now it looks like the end Schöne-Radunski, Bela B. Felsenheimer, has come, because whilst the streets echo to Corinna Harfouch PRODUCER Benjamin the sound of firecrackers, preparations are Seikel CO-PRODUCERS Florian Schmidt- underway for the big demolition party – the Prange, Marc Schmidheiny, Christoph Daniel, club has to close. Oskar has debts but no idea Wiebke Andresen PRODUCTION COMPANY what is to become of him. Fortunately, he has C-FILMS (Germany), in co-production with no time to think about it: a desperate ex-pimp DCM Pictures, Tatami Films LANGUAGE Ger- is storming his apartment, his best friend man Rocky is collapsing under the stress of fame, fun-loving Nina is painting everything black, CONTACT the club is bursting at the seams and then C-FILMS (Deutschland) there’s the dead Elvis, the city’s Senator for [email protected]

49 UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 1-2017

DER UNSICHTBARE FILM

he famous director Sandro makes GENRE Comedy, Music CATEGORY Feature invisible films out of conviction in the DIRECTOR Anton Gonopolski SCREENPLAY Tpurity of his works. But when he acts Anton Gonopolski CAST David Bennent, in haste and promises the lead role in his new Sandro Koberidze, Gio Korkashvili, Julian film to the love of his life, he is forced to face Radlmaier, Marina Weiss, Vera Streicher, reality: there is simply nothing to see in his Johannes Lehmann, Odine Johne, Wolfram films. von Stauffenberg, Adolfo Assor PRODUCER Karoline Güldemann PRODUCTION COM- PANY Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB) LANGUAGE German

CONTACT DFFB [email protected] www.dffb.de

URSULA MAYER GEGEN DEN REST DER WELT

est Germany in the 1980s: the GENRE Family Entertainment, Tragicomedy ideals of the ‘68s have now CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR Petra Wreached the provinces too, bring - Lüschow SCREENPLAY Petra Lüschow CAST ing the desire for change and freedom. That Florian Stetter, Christina Große, Thorsten goes too for the smart 17-year-old Ursula, Merten, Hermann Beyer, Britta Hammelstein, who lives with her conservative family in a Leon Ullrich, Barbara Philipp, Heide Acker- small village. Ursula’s lonely life is upended mann, Zoe Moore, Oskar Bökelmann PRO- when the left-wing-alternative teacher Sieg- DUCERS Alexandra Kordes, Meike Kordes fried Grimm appears. He and his friends or- PRODUCTION COMPANY Kordes & Kordes ganize self-liberation courses and peaceful Film LANGUAGE German protests against nuclear energy and weap- ons. Ursula becomes politically active and, of CONTACT course, falls in love with the charismatic Kordes & Kordes Film Grimm. Unfortunately it is not only she alone [email protected] who experiences a ‘Summer of Love’. As www.kordesfilm.de Grimm seduces all the local women and his sermons reveal themselves to be just empty © Christina Verena Bauer words, Ursula plans her revenge. WAS UNS NICHT UMBRINGT

s if Maximilian didn’t have enough GENRE Drama, Tragicomedy CATEGORY problems being a divorced father of Feature DIRECTOR Sandra Nettelbeck Atwo teenage daughters, having a SCREENPLAY Sandra Nettelbeck CAST stormy ex-wife, and being a popular psycho- August Zirner, Johanna ter Steege, Barbara therapist who increasingly finds himself less Auer, Bjarne Mädel, Christian Berkel, Oliver able to help his patients, his world then falls Broumis, Jenny Schily, Victoria Mayer, Mark apart when Sophie, a foley artist with a Waschke, Deborah Kaufmann, Peter Loh- gambling problem and an abusive boyfriend, meyer, Lauren Lee Smith PRODUCERS turns up late for her appointment at his Jochen Laube, Fabian Maubach PRODUC- office. WHAT DOESN’T KILL US deals in a TION COMPANY Sommerhaus Filmpro- melancholic, cheerful way with the identity duktion, in co-production with ZDF, cine plus crisis and affairs of the heart arising in mid- Filmproduktion, Ruhrsound LANGUAGE life. It shows the highs and the lows that can German both save and haunt us when we realize that the second half of life has already begun. We CONTACT Sommerhaus Filmproduktion have long come around, it’s true, but it’s never [email protected]

50 r or o th t

oth ot o julia saskia lilith sandra liv lisa Paula B s B sB a jentsch rosendahl STANGENBERG Hüller fries Beer hia hi h t at a y ry r Mat M o t s/ cto ms/ ms l i Fa F Fil Fi F m n am an a eam e r m Dr D erm G he © G ©G TheTh T GERMAN FILMS: A PROFILE GFQ 1-2017 GERMAN FILMS SERVICE + MARKETING

is the national infor mation and advisory .SUPERVISORY BOARD center for the promotion of German films worldwide. It was established in 1954 under Peter Herrmann Chairman the name Export-Union of German Cinema as Jana Cernik the umbrella association for the Association Katharina Cramer-Hadjidimos of German Feature Film Producers, the Peter Dinges Association of New German Feature Film Antonio Exacoustos Producers and the Association of German Prof. Dr. Klaus Schaefer Film Exporters, and operates today in the legal form of a limited company. In 2004, the TEAM company was reorganized and now operates under the name: German Films Service + Mariette Rissenbeek Managing Director Marketing GmbH. Christine Harrasser Distribution Support, Television, Business Affairs Angela Hawkins Communications & Marketing SHAREHOLDERS are the German Pro - Nicole Kaufmann Regional Coordinator: USA, UK & Northern Europe ducers Association, the German Pro ducers Birgit Koch Press & PR Alliance, the Association of German Film Ex- Verena Köstler Accounts porters, the German Federal Film Board Dennis Ruh Festival Relations (FFA), the Deutsche Kinemathek, the German Fides Schäffer Regional Coordinator: Asia & Australia Documentary Association, FilmFernsehFonds Maike Schantz Regional Coordinator: Southern Europe & Latin America Bayern, Film- und Medien stiftung NRW, Martin Scheuring Project Coordinator & Short Film Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and the Sabrina Schrödl Assistant to the Managing Director German Short Film Association. Bernhard Simek Regional Coordinator: Eastern Europe, Documentary Film

German Films’ budget of presently €4.72 RANGE OF ACTIVITIES million comes from film export levies, the office of the Federal Government Com - Close cooperation with major interna - Publication of informational literature missioner for Culture and the Media, and the tional film festivals, in cluding Berlin, Cannes, about current German films and the German FFA. The seven main regional film funds Venice, San Sebastian, Locarno, Rome, film industry, as well as international market (FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderung Karlovy Vary, Montreal, Toronto, New York, analy ses and special festival brochures Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Film- und Shanghai, Warsaw, Moscow, and Busan Medien stiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin- A website (www.german-films.de) offer - Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg, Organization of umbrella stands for ing informa tion about new German films, a Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, and Nord- German sales companies and producers at film archive, information and links to German media) make a financial contribution – international television and film markets and international film festivals and institu- currently amounting to €334,000 – towards (Berlin, Cannes, AFM Los Angeles, Shanghai, tions the work of German Films. Toronto, Clermont-Ferrand, Annecy) Organization of the selection procedure German Films is a founding member of the Staging of Festivals of German Films in for the German entry for the Oscar® for Best European Film Promotion, a network of selected inter national territories in coopera- Foreign Language Film European film organizations with similar tion with the Goethe-Institut responsibilities to those of German Films. Collaboration with Deutsche Welle’s The organiza tion, with its headquarters in Staging of industry screenings in key DW-TV KINO program which features the Hamburg, aims to develop and realize joint international territories latest German film releases and inter national projects for the pre sentation of European productions in Germany films on an inter national level. Providing advice and information for rep - resentatives of the international press and Organization of the German Films Pre- In association and cooperation with its share- buyers from the fields of cinema, home views geared toward arthouse distributors holders, German Films works to promote fea- entertain ment, and television and buyers of German films ture, documentary, television and short films. Providing advice and information for Selective financial Distribution Support In addition, German Films has foreign rep - German filmmakers and press on inter- for the foreign releases of German films resentatives for Eastern Europe, China/ national festivals, conditions of participation, Southe ast Asia, and the USA/Canada. and German films being shown Organization with UniFrance of the annual German-French film meeting Organization of the annual Next Genera- tion Short Tiger short film program, which presents a selection of shorts and is inter - nationally premiered in Cannes

52 GFQ 1-2017 SHAREHOLDERS & SUPPORTERS

Allianz Deutscher Produzenten – Film & Fernsehen e.V. German Producers Alliance Kronenstr. 3 | 10117 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-2 06 70 88 0 | fax +49-30-2 06 70 88 44 | [email protected] | www.produzentenallianz.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dokumentarfilm e.V. German Documentary Association Schweizer Str. 6 | 60594 Frankfurt am Main/Germany phone +49-69-62 37 00 | fax +49-61 42-96 64 24 | [email protected] | www.agdok.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kurzfilm e.V. German Short Film Association Förstereistr. 36 | 01099 Dresden/Germany phone +49-3 51-4 04 55 75 | fax +49-3 51-4 04 55 76 | [email protected] | www.ag-kurzfilm.de

Deutsche Kinemathek Museum für Film und Fernsehen Potsdamer Str. 2 | 10785 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-30 09 03-0 | fax +49-30-30 09 03-13 | [email protected] | www.deutsche-kinemathek.de

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern GmbH Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Medien in Bayern Sonnenstr. 21 | 80331 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-54 46 02-0 | fax +49-89-54 46 02 21 | [email protected] | www.fff-bayern.de

Filmförderungsanstalt German Federal Film Board Große Präsidentenstr. 9 | 10178 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-27 57 70 | fax +49-30-27 57 71 11 | [email protected] | www.ffa.de

Film- und Medienstiftung NRW GmbH Kaistr. 14 | 40221 Düsseldorf/Germany phone +49-2 11-93 05 00 | fax +49-2 11-93 05 05 | [email protected] | www.filmstiftung.de

Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH August-Bebel-Str. 26-53 | 14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg/Germany phone +49-3 31-74 38 70 | fax +49-3 31-7 43 87 99 | [email protected] | www.medienboard.de

Verband Deutscher Filmproduzenten e.V. German Producers Association Bavariafilmplatz 7 | 82031 Grünwald/Germany phone +49-89-64 95 64 18 | fax +49-89-64 95 64 40 [email protected] | www.filmproduzentenverband.de

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien Federal Government Commissioner for Culture & the Media Köthener Str. 2 | 10963 Berlin/Germany | phone +49-30-18 68 10 fax +49-30-1 86 81 54 43 51 | [email protected] | www.kulturstaatsminister.de

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein GmbH Friedensallee 14–16 | 22765 Hamburg/Germany phone +49-40-398 37-0 | fax +49-40-398 37-10 | [email protected] | www.ffhsh.de

Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH Hainstr. 17-19 | 04109 Leipzig/Germany phone +49-3 41-26 98 70 | fax +49-3 41-2 69 87 65 | [email protected] | www.mdm-online.de

nordmedia – Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen mbH Expo Plaza 1 | 30539 Hanover/Germany phone +49-5 11-1 23 45 60 | fax +49-5 11-12 34 56 29 | [email protected] | www.nordmedia.de

53 ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN FILM EXPORTERS GFQ 1-2017 ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN FILM EXPORTERS

Verband deutscher Filmexporteure e.V. (VDFE) Robert-Koch-Str. 1 80538 Munich/Germany Berlin office: phone +49-89-570 877 53 Winterfeldtstr. 56 fax +49-89-570 877 60 10781 Berlin/Germany [email protected] phone +49-30-8 61 23 93 www.vdfe.de

ARRI Media International Films Boutique GmbH Picture Tree International GmbH Türkenstr. 89 Köpenicker Str. 184 Husemannstr. 7 80799 Munich/Germany 10997 Berlin/Germany 10435 Berlin/Germany phone +49-89-38 09 12 88 phone +49-30-69 53 78 50 phone +49-30-420 824 80 fax +49-89-38 09 16 19 fax +49 30-69 53 78 51 fax +49-30-420 824 812 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.arrimedia.de/international www.filmsboutique.com www.picturetree-international.com

Beta Cinema GmbH Global Screen GmbH SOLA Media GmbH Grünwalder Weg 28d Sonnenstr. 21 Rotebühlplatz 29 82041 Oberhaching/Germany 80331 Munich/Germany 70178 Stuttgart/Germany phone +49-89-6 73 46 98 28 phone +49-89-24 41 29 55 00 phone +49-7 11-96 89 44 40 [email protected] fax +49-89-24 41 29 55 20 fax +49-7 11-96 89 44 51 www.betacinema.com [email protected] [email protected] www.globalscreen.de www.sola-media.com

Constantin Film Verleih GmbH Media Luna New Films UG Feilitzschstr. 6 Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 38, 6th Floor 80802 Munich/Germany 50672 Cologne/Germany phone +49-89-44 44 60 0 phone +49-2 21-51 09 18 91 fax +49-89-44 44 60 666 fax +49-2 21-51 09 18 99 [email protected] [email protected] www.constantin-film.de www.medialuna.biz

54 GFQ 1-2017 IMPRINT & FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES

German Films Quarterly is published by: Editor FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES Angela Hawkins German Films Service + Marketing GmbH Eastern Europe Herzog-Wilhelm-Str. 16 Contributors Simone Baumann 80331 Munich/Germany Geoff Andrew, Martin Blaney, Saxonia Entertainment phone +49-89-5 99 78 70 Patrick Heidmann, Simon Kingsley Altenburger Str. 9 fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 04275 Leipzig/Germany [email protected] Translations phone +49-3 41-35 00 45 36 www.german-films.de Lucinda Rennison fax +49-3 41-35 00 77 45 36 [email protected] Cover Louis Hofmann (© Alex Gonzalez) USA & Canada Oliver Mahrdt Design & Art Direction Hanns Wolters International Inc. Werner Schauer www.triptychon.biz 599 Eleventh Ave., 3rd Floor New York, NY 10036/USA ISSN 1614-6387 Printing Office phone +1-212-714 0100 www.esta-druck.de [email protected] Credits are not contractual for any of German Films supports the use of paper from sustainable forestry. China the films mentioned in this publication. The pages of this magazine are made of PEFC certificated cellulose. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Anke Redl schemes) is the largest independent organization worldwide for © German Films Service + Marketing GmbH securing and continuously improving a sustainable forest manage- China Media Management Inc. ment and it guarantees ecological, social and economic standards. Galaxy SOHO, Tower D-50931 Currently there are 258 million hectares of PEFC certificated forest All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or worldwide. No. 7 Xiaopaifang Hutong transmission of this publication may be made Dongcheng without written permission. Beijing 100010/China phone +86-10-65 20 64 30 fax +86-10-65 20 64 50 [email protected] GmbH worldwide transport solutions Int. Medienspedition FILMTRANSPORTS . FIRST CLASS SERVICE ! AIRFREIGHT WORLDWIDE: EXPORT . IMPORT . WAREHOUSE INTERNATIONAL COURIERSERVICE: WORLDWIDE „DOOR TO DOOR“ TRUCKING SERVICE . OVERNIGHT FESTIVALS . FILMPRODUCTION-HANDLING

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55 ...... PARIS ...... SYDNEY ...... NEW YORK BUSAN TORONTO BERLIN CANNES KARLOVY VARY KARLOVY SÃO PAULO SÃO ISTANBUL MADRID WARSAW SAN SEBASTIÁN SHANGHAI VENICE ROME ...... TOKYO LOCARNO MOSCOW ...... LOS ANGELES LONDON ...... TURIN ...... OPENING ......

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European Film Market 2017 · Martin-Gropius-Bau · Stand 17 · Niederkirchnerstr. 7 · 10963 Berlin · phone +49-30-206 033 415