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Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH Tuerkenstrasse 93 · D-80799 · phone +49-89-39 00 9 5 · fax +49-89-39 52 2 3 · email: [email protected] KINO 3/2000

German Films at this Summer’s 6 Location: 28 International Festivals German Regional Film Commissions: a Multitude of Services

12 The Subjective View Portrait of Helke Misselwitz

13 The Ethnographer Portrait of Rudolf Thome

15 The Sales Force Beta Film

16 The Stuff Of Fairytales Cine Aktuell

18 Two At The Top Wüste Film 32 German Classics 20 KINO news 32 Der geteilte Himmel THE DIVIDED SKY Konrad Wolf 33 Hitler – 22 In Production ein Film aus Deutschland HITLER – A FILM FROM GERMANY 22 Die Eiserne Stadt Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Fred Kelemen 34 Der Untertan 22 Emil und die Detektive THE KAISER’S LACKEY Franziska Buch Wolfgang Staudte 23 Der Felsen 35 Die wunderbare Lüge Dominik Graf der Nina Petrowna 24 Gott und die Welt THE WONDERFUL LIE OF Thorsten Wettcke NINA PETROWNA 24 Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman Ignatz Schwarz Heinrich Breloer 25 Oder/Odra Helke Misselwitz 26 Der Platz Jürgen Böttcher 26 Der Tunnel Roland Suso Richter 27 Venus Talking Rudolf Thome CONTENTS

52 Kalt ist der Abendhauch AT MONTREAL WORLD GREATS 36 New German Films COLD IS THE EVENING BREEZE Rainer Kaufmann 36 alaska.de AT SAN SEBASTIAN AT V E N I C E IN COMPETITION 53 Der Krieger und die Kaiserin Esther Gronenborn THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR DREAMS AND VISIONS 37 L’Amour, l’Argent, l’Amour AT LO CA R N O 54 Manila AT LO CA R N O IN COMPETITION IN COMPETITION Philip Gröning 38 Anna Wunder 55 Marmor, Stein, Eisen Ulla Wagner LOVE NEVER FAILS 39 Der Boxprinz Hansjörg Thurn THE BOXING PRINCE 56 Models Gerd Kroske Mark von Seydlitz 40 Conamara 57 München – Geheimnisse Eoin Moore AT LO CA R N O einer Stadt CRITICS’ WEEK 41 Crazy AT LO CA R N O PIAZZA GRANDE MUNICH – SECRETS OF A CITY Hans-Christian Schmid Dominik Graf, Michael Althen

42 Desire 58 Die Polizistin AT MONTREAL Colleen Murphy THE POLICEWOMAN IN COMPETITION 43 Eine Hand voll Gras Andreas Dresen A HANDFUL OF GRASS AT MONTREAL IN COMPETITION 59 Tolle Lage AT KARLOVY VARY Roland Suso Richter PERFECT SIGHT ANOTHER VIEW 44 Die Einsamkeit der Krokodile Sören Voigt THE LONELINESS OF 60 Und das ist erst der Anfang THE CROCODILES IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING Jobst Oetzmann 45 England! AT SAN SEBASTIAN 61 Undertaker’s Paradise AT SAN SEBASTIAN NEW DIRECTORS’ COMPETITION NEW DIRECTORS’ COMPETITION Achim von Borries M. X. Oberg 46 Erkan & Stefan 62 Venedig – Als hätten THE BUNNYGUARDS wir geträumt Michael ”Bully“ Herbig VENICE – LIKE A DREAM 47 Falling Rocks AT MONTREAL Wolfgang Ettlich WORLD CINEMA Peter Keglevic 48 Freunde 64 Film-Exporters TRUST ME Martin Eigler 66 Foreign Representatives / Imprint 49 Gripsholm Xavier Koller 50 Im Juli IN JULY Fatih Akin 51 Die Innere Sicherheit THE STATE I AM IN AT V E N I C E Christian Petzold CINEMA OF THE PRESENT German regional film commissions: LOCATION: GERMANY , shot in -Anhalt America Forget ”Fresh“ locations on ”Fresh“

When you think of Germany, the images of fairytale castles, New Locacions In the East Steins of frothy lager beer, enormous Wurst sausages and Fräuleins in dirndls against a picturesque Alpine landscape may Then, with the creation of new funds in former invariably come to mind. such as Filmbüro Mecklenburg Vorpommern, and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and the Filmboard The job of the film commissions and location offices dotted -Brandenburg, producers have had their eyes opened around the country is to persuade filmmakers that Germany to many new ”fresh“ locations with potential as the backdrop amounts to much, much more. for a film production.

Following the North American model of the film commissions, A good example of locations which appear almost exotic to as gathered together in the Association of Film Commis- (West) German eyes are those appearing in young filmmaker sioners International (AFCI), a number of information Vanessa Jopp’s debut film Forget America (Vergiss offices has sprung up throughout Germany since the beginning of Amerika), which won this year’s HypoVereinsbank Young the 1990s, with the Bavarian capital of Munich being the first with Director’s Prize at the Munich Film Festival in June and was shot its Film Information Office. on location in the deepest East in Saxony-Anhalt.

Given the federal structure of Germany and the healthy competi- But, as director Tom Tykwer points out, tion between the Länder, it was not long before a network of ”most of the (German) films are always being set in the same location offices was established, usually under the wing of one of old cities. That naturally has purely technical reasons for the the existing public film funds, such as Filmstiftung NRW, production; it is simply more complicated when nobody lives FilmFörderung and FFF Bayern. in the place where you are shooting. That means that all of the crew have to be brought there and put up in a hotel. In Berlin,

6 a multitude of services.

Contact Addresses Berlin Brandenburg Film Commission Rheinland-Pfalz August-Bebel-Str. 26-53 ArgeM - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Medien D-14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg Fritz-Kahl-Straße 24 · D-57122 Mainz phone: +49-3 31-7 43 87 30 · fax: +49-3 31-7 43 87 99 phone: +49-61 31-328 55 00, F: +49-61 31-328 55 05 e-mail: [email protected] · www.bbfc.de e-mail: [email protected] www.boomtown.de Contact: Daniel Hasler Contact: Rainer Abendrot

Filmbüro Franken Saarländisches Filmbüro Solgerstraße 6 · D-90429 Nürnberg Nauwieser Straße 19 · D-66111 Saarbrücken phone: +49-911-45 48 41/201 99 50 phone: +49-6 81-360 47, F: +49-6 81-37 46 68 e-mail: [email protected] Contact: Jörg Witte Contact: Sami Haidar Regio Augsburg Tourismus GmbH Film Commission NRW Bahnhofstraße 7 · D-86150 Augsburg Kaistraße 14 · D-40221 Düsseldorf phone: +49-8 21-5 02 07 33 · fax: +49-8 21-5 02 07 46 phone: +49-2 11-93 05 00 · fax: +49-2 11-93 05 05 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Contact: Gerda M. Rutsche www.filmstiftung.de Contact: Andrea Baaken Stadt Dortmund Büro für Medien- und Kommunikationswirtschaft FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Friedensplatz 1, Rathaus · D-44122 Dortmund Location Office phone: +49-2 31-5 02 20 20 · fax: +49-2 31-5 02 75 85 Schwanthalerstraße 69 · D-80336 Munich e-mail: [email protected] phone: +49-89-54 46 02 16 · fax: +49-89-54 46 02-23 Contact: Doris Zerber-Menze e-mail: [email protected] www.fff-bayern.de Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf www.location-bayern.com Werbe- und Wirtschaftsförderungsamt Contact: Anja Metzger Mühlenstraße 29 · D-40200 Düsseldorf phone: +49-2 11-8 99 55 01 · fax: +49-2 11-8 92 90 62 Film & Medienbüro Niedersachsen e-mail: [email protected] Lohstraße 45a · D-49074 Osnabrück Contact: Michael Kosiedowski phone: +49-5 41-2 84 26 · fax: +49-5 41-2 95 07, 2 83 27 e-mail: [email protected] FilmFörderung Hamburg GmbH/ www.filmbuero-nds.de Film Commission Contact: Karl Maier, Kerstin Hehmann Friedensallee 14-16 · D-22765 Hamburg phone: +49-40-3 98 37 15 · fax: +49-40-3 98 37 10 Hessische Filmförderung e-mail: [email protected] · www.ffhh.de Am Steinernen Stock 1 · D-60320 am Main Contact: Kerstin Lüthje phone: +49-69-155 45 16, F: +49-69-155 45 14 Contact: Maria Wismeth Stadt Köln Amt des Oberbürgermeisters Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Film Servicebüro Film- und Fernsehproduktion e.V./Landesfilmzentrum Markmannsgasse 7 · D-50667 Cologne Röntgenstraße 22 · D-19055 Schwerin phone: +49-2 21-2 46 61 · fax: +49-2 21-2 64 06 Tel: +49-3 85-55 50 81 · fax: +49-3 85-51 27 71 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] www.stadt-koeln.de www.film-mv.de Contact: Andreas Füser Contact: Ruth Stegemann Stadt Münster MFG, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden- Filmservice Münsterland/Presse- und Informationsamt Württemberg mbH Stadthaus 1, Klemenstraße 10 · D-48143 Münster Huberstraße 4 · D-70174 phone: +49-2 51-4 92 13 80 · fax: +49-2 51-4 92 77 46 phone: +49-7 11-1 22 28 33 · fax: +49-7 11-1 22 28 34 e-mail: [email protected] Contact: Katja Walter www.muenster.de/stadt/filmservice e-mail: [email protected] · www.film.mfg.de Contact: Nicola Ebel

MSH - Gesellschaft zur Förderung audio- Film Commission Region Stuttgart visueller Werke in Schleswig-Holstein mbH im Media Forum Stuttgart Schildstraße 12 · D-23552 Lübeck Rosensteinstraße 22 · D-70191 Stuttgart phone: +49-4 51-1 22 41 09 · fax: +49-4 51-7 19 78 phone: +49-7 11-2 59 44 30 · fax: +49-7 11-25 94 43 33 Contact: Andrea Kunsemüller email: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] www.film.region-stuttgart.de Contact: Marianne Gassner Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH Hainstraße 19 · D-04109 Stadt Wuppertal phone: +49-3 41-2 69 87 23 · fax: +49-3 41-2 69 87 65 Presseamt und Stadtmarketing www.mdm-locationguide.de Rathaus · D-42269 Wuppertal Contact: Manfred Schmidt phone: +49-2 02-5 63 51 25 · fax: +49-2 02-5 63 80 66 e-mail: [email protected] www.wuppertal.de Contact: Ernst-Andreas Ziegler 7 German regional film commissions:

everybody simply just goes home in the evenings, and you save hundreds of thousands of Marks. That’s the real reason why it's done“. Of course, the regularity with which films, TV movies and series are set in locations in Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin also has a lot to do with the fact that the German film and television industry is mainly concentrated in these cities as part of the so-called ”production tri- locked up in a formerlocked East Berlin prison angle“.

NRW On The Location Map Jailbirds

However, with the founding of the Filmstiftung NRW and the gro- wing success of private broadcaster RTL, North Rhine-Westphalia has also claimed its place on the location map and the Cologne Cathedral and Düsseldorf ’s Altstadt have become as often a feature on German screens as the Frauenkirche’s twin onion domes in Munich, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin or the Hamburg harbour waterfront. In fact, there is a chance that more films in NRW will be made in ”out of the way“ places like Wuppertal thanks to the network of 13 towns and districts – ranging from Münsterland in the north to the conurbations of Düsseldorf, Bonn and Dortmund and the historical city of Aachen – which have banded together with the Film Commission NRW to make it

from a Munich window ledge from easier for local and foreign production companies who want to shoot in the area.

But what does a film commission or location office actually do?

To start with, one has to remember that they don’t have any money to give to productions, although their Love ScenesLove On Planet Earth advice can often be worth its weight in gold to a production and save valuable time in the preparation of a project.

”Whenever films are shot in NRW“, Tykwer notes, ”it is mostly in Cologne, so often that you get the fee- ling that the whole of NRW consists only of Cologne – which is not true and was something we wanted to

prove by making a film in Wuppertal“. Tkywer by Tom

The location for this particular film – The Princess and the Warrior (Der Krieger und die Kaiserin) – seems worlds away from the ”metropolis in flux“ of Berlin in his Run Lola Run, but the setting actually has a particular resonance for Tykwer since it also happens to be his birthplace. ”Wuppertal is simply an

interesting, mysterious and seductive and The Warrior The Princess town“, he explains, ”with a geography which invites one to accompany it on a journey, and that, after all, is what it's all about in the cinema“.

8 a multitude of services.

Financial support for film and TV projects is, of course, the Back home, the German film commissioners have been very prerogative of the film funds with whom the film commissioners active over the last few years in producing information booklets work very closely since their information services can often listing the addresses and contact persons of authorities and institutions one should approach for obtaining permits for specific locations.

For example, Anja Metzger of the Location Office at Film- FernsehFonds Bayern (FFF) in Munich produces a regular ”Location News“ which gives details of new locations in and around the Bavarian capital, while the FilmFörderung has a regular mailing on Berlin’s Friedrichstraße at night on Berlin’s Hamburg with updates on the availability of certain locations and changes to the procedures for permits or to the names of the officials responsible for processing the applications. Life Is All You Get Life Is All You Moreover, the Landesfilmzen- trum Mecklenburg- Vorpommern has produced an interactive CD-ROM which is the first of its kind in Germany. LOCATION SCOUT provides extensive informati- on about locations in the region with 960 photographic images, a service mean ”make or break“ as to whether an outside producer index with addresses useful for planning a shoot, and 12 detailed decides to base his or her production in a particular region. maps of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern linked to special video films That decision can have a knock-on benefit for the local infra- that illustrate each area’s particular features. structure through the exchange of knowhow and so help the region score points in the competition with rival production Increasingly, though, the Internet is being used as the repository locations at home and abroad. of the commissioners’ wisdom since it can be regularly updated with details of new interesting locations and revised procedures International Presence for obtaining permits (a list of www. sites is listed in this article with the addresses and contact names of the leading film Consequently, the film commissioners are always present with commissions). their film fund colleagues at such initiatives as Focus Germany in Berlin and Cannes – as well as attending their own location MDM in Leipzig, for example, launched its www.MDM- trade fairs in North America – to answer queries about shooting locationguide.de site last May with information on some conditions in their respective regions. 1,000 locations in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and to all along Hamburg’s waterfront all along Hamburg’s Short Sharp Shock Short

9 German regional film commissions: Nobody Loves Me Nobody Loves windowshopping in Cologne Maria

show the diversity of landscape and architecture in the central Going On Tour German region. And, the Berlin Brandenburg Film Commission has also been very active in establishing a The location offices’ brief also extends as far as taking film comprehensive range of information services to enhance the producers, location managers and production managers on tours attractiveness of the region as a location for film and television of their respective regions: thus, the Filmboard Berlin- production: its HELP (Help for Equipment, Locations, People) Brandenburg hosted a tour of the New Berlin from the deck system allows an Internet surfer to access information on of a pleasure boat on the Spree on the eve of the German Film different kinds of locations, how to go about shooting permits Prize one year, while FilmFörderung Hamburg has worked and an industry database with names and addresses. closely with the Hamburg harbour authority to stage a boat tour Meanwhile, an initiative entitled ”Location Germany“ is pre- of the docks during the Filmfest Hamburg each September.

Similarly, Munich’s Filmfest was the occasion last year for the city’s Location Office to arrange a tour of lesser known spots away from the ”overscreened“ regulars, while with a Hanover skyline Baden-Württemberg’s

23 MFG took 40 producers, writers, cameramen, location and production managers on a voyage of discovery this June into the Rhein-Neckar ”triangle“ with a stop, for example, in Mannheim where Dito Tsindsadze’s Directors’ Fortnight film Lost Killers was made.

While the location offices do not themselves issue the permits, they are often the ”first stop“ on a producer’s itinerary, especially if the producer is from outside sently being coordinated by the Film Office in Mecklenburg- of Germany; and although the film commissions’ services are free, Vorpommern to have one centralised Internet presence which they do not wish to see themselves as standing in competition would offer filmmakers a single dedicated web address in order to with the privately operating location services and production access information about the range of locations and infrastructure service companies who have their own photo databases with throughout the whole of Germany. Whether this initiative will locations and can mediate in the applications for shooting come to fruition is hard to say as regional interests often gain the permits and so on. upper hand in federally structured Germany and could scupper the idea of such a centralised structure. 10 a multitude of services.

Moreover, the film commissioners also operate in the opposite direction as the contact person for the local authorities or private individuals wanting to on a chilly day in Cologne learn more about working with the film industry or offer a location. Thanks to the gentle lobbying by the film commissioners, conditions for shooting Maybe... Maybe Not have greatly improved over the years and the application procedures are much less bureau- cratic than they once were.

Hamburg, for example, is quite unique with its Shooting Pass scheme which was launched at the beginning of this year: ”it has really made things easier“, enthuses Kerstin Lüthje, who recently succeeded Christine Berg in the Cutting Red Tape post as locaton officer at FilmFörderung Hamburg, ”the authorities know what the pass is because it is a bit like an accre- Indeed, most local location managers and production managers dititation and says that the production company is in order“. usually know from experience who the responsible officials are in The Pass doesn’t replace the need for a shooting permit, but the the different public and private institutions of their local town and production should be guaranteed a much smoother and quicker so do not have to call on the services of the location office. But, handling of its application because of the ”seal of approval“. at the same time, it is always reassuring to know that one can call on its services should the red tape become too unwieldy or an All in all, the film commissions are making Germany an increa- unforeseen ”emergency“ occur – and, it’s always nice to have singly attractive place to shoot. When are you coming? someone else in the background monitoring the new locations available for filming. Martin Blaney on the run through Munich on the run through Cascadeur

11 Portrait of Helke Misselwitz

Born in Zwickau (Saxony). At the same time as her school graduation, Helke Misselwitz qualified as a skilled furniture maker. She then studied physiotherapy, and joined the GDR television company as an assistant director, becoming a director there in 1976. This may already seem like a complete career, but at the age of 31, Helke Misselwitz began to study direction at the Academy of Film in Babelsberg. Her documentary film A Life (1980), made during her second year of study, reconstructs the biography of a woman baker, and it won awards at the Leipzig Festival and in Oberhausen.

After completing her studies (1982), her wish to enter the DEFA feature film studio was refused, and so she struggled through by taking on various jobs and made short essayistic documentary films, including: House (1983, banned initially, premiered in 1988), Nude Photography, e.g. Gundula Schulze (1983), Still-Life – A Journey to Objects (1984) and Tango Dream (1985, Bronze Dragon at Cracow 86). When the well-known feature director Heiner Carow accepted her as a master pupil at the GDR Academy of the Arts in 1985, she was able to realise the key documentary film about women in the final years of the GDR, Adieu Winter (1988, Silver Dove and FIPRESCI Prize Leipzig 1988), followed by Who’s Afraid of the Black Man? (1989) about Berlin coal men (European Film Prize from La Sept/Cinéma du réel, Paris 90) and Bulky Refuse (1990) about an east Berlin family which drifts apart after the mother’s marriage to a west Berliner – before the fall of the Wall. In 1989, she was awarded the Konrad Wolf Prize from the GDR Academy of the Arts.

After 1991, Helke Misselwitz made the feature films Heart Leap (1992, nominated for the 93) and Little Angel (1996, special jury prize, San Sebastian 96, nominated for the German Film Award 97, awards in Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Lagow, Seattle, German Critics Prize 98), as well as a documentary film about the Seebach Foundation in Weimar, an old people’s home for stage performers, My Love, Your Love (1995) and the video Living a Dream (1994) about a village stifled by coal. She is at present working on the documentary film Oder/Odra (cf. page 25) and on two screenplays for feature films. She is professor of direction at the Academy of Film in Babelsberg and a member of the Academy of the Arts Berlin/Brandenburg. THE SUBJECTIVE VIEW Helke MisselwitzHelke Helke Misselwitz makes extremely personal films, yet this subjective view is not directed at herself, but at the world. In the GDR, persisting with this personal approach signified an unspectacular, gentle, but firm resistance to the demand for so-called objective, ”generally valid truths“ about life and society constant- ly made by the state representatives. Helke Misselwitz always chose subjects aside from the usual, and discovered fundamental aspects in these. In Tango Dream (Tango Traum, 1985), she herself portrays a woman who is getting dressed, putting on her make-up, is – in a certain sense – preparing herself for a tango evening. However, in the process she makes clear to us that she only knows tango culture indirectly – from photos, films, records, texts which stimulate her imagination and her longings –, but that she will never experience a real tango in Argentina.

This film is quite out of the ordinary – on the one hand it is a sublimated protest against being confined and against provincialism, on the other hand a break with the taboos of the classical documentary film. In her large-scale documentary film Adieu Winter

12 Portrait of Helke Misselwitz

(Winter Ade, 1988), she travels through the GDR and meets a emptiness and frustration, making them easily susceptible to variety of women, seeing the positive and negative phenomena violence and hostile to foreigners. Little Angel (Engelchen, resulting from the emancipation which developed when women 1996) is the love story of a working woman from Berlin, who lives began to go out to work. in a traditional proletarian district, and a Polish cigarette seller; a tale throwing an unprejudiced light on a gloomy sphere of reality. As they clearly formulate their demands on life and outline Helke Misselwitz sees the woman’s longing for love and the their deficits, these women’s strength is impressive. To cite power of her love, although she has been severely damaged by just one example, for the rest of our lives we are unlikely to an asocial childhood, and she conveys the way in which the man forget the hard life of Christine, a working woman who carries blossoms, experiencing the love he receives as a precious gift, out monotonous tasks in a factory producing briquettes; and opening himself up to this love. The love stories of both she suffers bitterly under the disdain she experiences as the movies end tragically. The women are destroyed. mother of a mentally handicapped child, and longs for a loving relationship. Although documentary aspects are also a basis for her feature film work, Helke Misselwitz does not make documentary In a unified Germany, Helke Misselwitz’ special way of features, but creates poetic metaphors, symbols and allegories. experiencing the world has also proved itself forceful and On the other hand, her documentary films – despite their necessary for society’s moral and aesthetic identity. Their filmic exact observation - do not represent a pure reproduction of sensitivity and social clear-sightedness make her feature and reality, but reveal differentiated human relationships, tracking documentary films into unique works within current German down the vague, the uncertain and the coincidental in human cinema. stories. When asked about the sources of her work, she says: ”In simple terms, I can only make films as Helke Misselwitz. Heart Leap (Herzsprung, 1992), the story of a love bet- I have needed half my life to become what I am, and that ween a village girl from Brandenburg and a dark-skinned, roving must suffice“. adventurer, presents a precise and poetic picture of latent racism in the east German provinces. The decline of the old order and Helke Misselwitz spoke to Erika Richter the lack of jobs mean that many people here suffer from a general

Portrait of Rudolf Thome

Rudolf Thome was born in Wallau/Lahn on 14th November 1939. After his school graduation in 1960, he studied German, philosophy and history in Munich and Bonn. After a trip to Paris, he began to write film reviews, working as a critic for ”Filmkritik“, ”Film“ and the ”Süddeutsche Zeitung“ in Munich. He made his first short film in 1964, together with Max Zihlmann and Klaus Lemke. Thome was also a loans clerk at a credit bank, he acted as managing director of the Club of Munich Film Critics, and on occasion he even worked on building sites. His first feature, Detectives was made in 1968, followed by Red Sun (Rote Sonne) in 1969. After a move to Berlin in 1973, at first Thome continued to write film reviews and worked for the Friends of the German Film Archive. He founded his own firm, moanafilm GmbH, in 1977, and in 1980 he experienced his greatest commercial success to date with Berlin Chamissoplatz. Thome has made 19 films in all, including Closed Circuit (System ohne Schatten, 1982/83), The Microscope (1987), The Philosopher (Der Philosoph, 1988; International Film Critics Prize at the Montreal Festival), Seven Women (Sieben Frauen) (1989) and Tigerbaby is Waiting for Tarzan (Tigerstreifenbaby wartet auf Tarzan, 1997). Paradiso (Paradiso – sieben Tage mit sieben Frauen) was presented in competition at the Berlinale 2000 and was awarded a Silver Bear for the achievements of its acting ensemble. He is at present working on his new project Venus Talking (cf. page 27). THE ETHNO- GRAPHER For years he has been referred to as ”the German Rohmer“, and cent of his French colleague. It is also possible that he is so often if you listen carefully, there is a slight undertone here: the fact given the title because his productions radiate a similar lightness, that Rudolf Thome’s films have often been greeted with more he often works with unknown actors, finds his material in every- enthusiasm by French than by German audiences. Perhaps his day life, and tells basically moral stories without even a trace of tendency to produce cycles and variations on a theme is reminis- moralizing.

13 Portrait of Rudolf Thome

seldom perceived in Germany, because it is concealed in the telling of the story.“

Love may not be a battlefield in Thome’s Rudolf Thome work, but it is certainly an area of struggle where duels take place, where cheerful intrigue may sometimes be found, and some- times where love appears as it does in fairy- tales. In Red Sun, the women still kill their lovers; later on there is no more murder, but symbolic deaths take place after Thome has left the enclosed area of the genre for the sometimes drafty field of improvisation. Old wounds are reopened, lost loves return again, couples separate and are reconciled, men find themselves among numerous women (please note the magical number seven!) – all these are the many fragments of a language of love.

The recurring melody of Thome’s films could not be better described than with a sentence from Goethe’s ”Elective Affinities“: ”What pain results from all leanings of the heart to heart!“ It can scarcely be coinci- dence, therefore, that twice in the course of his career he has adapted the ”Elective Affinities“ for the cinema: in Diary (1975) and in Tarot (1985).

Cinema, says Rudolf Thome, ”is an almost mystic concept for me. This feeling developed whilst watching the Nouvelle Vague films (above all Godard), viewing films by Rossellini and Hawks, and during almost 20 years of writing film criticism. ’Cinema‘ is always Utopia, dream, adventure and sometimes a fairy-tale, too. All this can crystallise in a film. Then the Utopian, the dream, the fairy-tale become real. Then what has been imagined, what is artificial comes to life – before the eyes of the vie- wer. But this is a miracle – divine even –, that only happens in less than one percent of all films, and then is an ethnographer, and the foreign people whose habits, Thome only sometimes. You can’t plan the miracle, you could rewrite customs and rituals he has studied for years may be found in your screenplay a hundred times to no avail. It can always happen German everyday life, right in front of our eyes. It was only logical, during filming. And when it happens, I see it and shout out with therefore, when the amateur ethnologists in Study Of An excitement.“ Island (Beschreibung einer Insel,1977/79, together with ) found the problems of community living at Cynthia Beatt Rudolf Thome spoke to Peter Körte, home mirrored in the South Seas. feature editor at the Frankfurter Rundschau At the beginning of his career, Thome already specialized in a specific ritual: ”My theme is relations between people, between men (Detectives, Closed Circuit, Paradiso), but in particular – and in every conceivable experimental setup – between men and women. The stories are constructed like chemical experiments. The more extreme, the more mathe- matical, the more they attract me. For the people in my films come to life because I love the actors who play the roles. Irony is born of this contrast between narrative experimental setup, which always means a certain coldness and distance, and the liveliness of the people filmed. Unfortunately, this irony is

14 Beta Film

Established in 1959 Foreign offices New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Rome, Santiago (Chile), Moscow Managing Director Jan Mojto Head of Sales Jens Richter Additional contact Dirk Schürhoff (Head of Theatrical Sales), Klaus Zimmermann (Marketing) Main fields of activity world-wide distribution of all rights for programs in all formats and genres Regular attendance of the following film markets NATPE, AFM, MIP TV, LA Screenings, MIPCOM, MIFED, MIP Asia Number of titles on offer 40 Percentage of German titles on offer 80% Buyers include Miramax, Columbia-TriStar, Filmauro (Italy), CIPA (France), T&K Telefilm () Most well-known current titles on offer After the Truth (Nichts als die Wahrheit), Sun Alley (Sonnenallee), Three Chinamen With a Double- Bass (Drei Chinesen mit dem Kontrabass), Soccer Rules! (Fußball ist unser Leben) Best-sel- ling titles currently on sale Comedian Harmonists, Pippi Longstocking (Animated Feature), Sophie’s World Address cf. page 64 THE SALES FORCE

Size and experience; two factors to bear in mind when choosing sales. ”On the big budget end of the scale we distributed a sales company and/or co-production partner. And they don’t Comedian Harmonists because, internationally, the storyline come much bigger and more experienced than Beta Film. is very valuable.“ Name a market (MIP-TV, MIPCOM, Cannes, etc.) and the company’s a highly active and visible presence. For producers looking for co-production partners, Beta’s message is – the sooner the better! Beta Film has some 50 employees around the world. Part of the Epsilon Mediagroup (a 50-50 joint venture between ”If it’s finished already, we’d obviously like to look and if it’s suita- Italy’s Mediaset and KirchMedia) Beta distributes all rights for ble, go for it." says Schürhoff ”But the earlier we get involved KirchMedia, Mediaset and Spanish produc- tions from Telecinco, Spain’s leading com- mercial broadcaster.

”To fully understand our approach to film,“ says Jens Richter, Beta’s head of sales, ”you have to go back to our roots in TV.“ Jens Richter and Dirk Schürhoff ”We started in 1959 and now have a library of over 15,000 hours. Our productions cover all genres and formats. Product origin ranges from German, e.g. made for ARD, ZDF, SAT.1, ProSieben, to US programs from major studios, e.g. Paramount, Columbia, to International Event Programming such as the big budget mini series Les Misérables with John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu and Dune starring William Hurt, produced by Beta’s sister company Evision. In addition to TV, we are also active in video distribution and merchandi- sing, and in the last few years we have placed especially strong focus on building our competence and market presence in theatrical distribution.“

If being established and experienced isn’t enough, consider also that Beta Film, as part of Epsilon Mediagroup, has access to significant production monies. Beta might be big, but the company's cer- tainly flexible in what it's looking for.

”We are looking for the right stories and movies: for instance really arthouse or programs with high commercial value,“ says Dirk Schürhoff, head of theatrical

15 Beta Film the better for all concerned. Our international partners are always Sister company Emotion has co-production deals with US com- receptive to the right projects and, long-term, we could maybe panies Spyglass Entertainment and Hyde Park Pictures; titles inclu- even bring in pay-TV like Premiere World. The earlier everybody de The Sixth Sense, Anti-Trust and Outlaws, with star talks, the greater the options.“ names like Bruce Willis and Tim Robbins.

Richter lays great emphasis on the words ”partner“ and ”part- Beta is ramping up its European theatrical co-productions. nership“, freely admitting that without good producers and good Following on the heels of Sophie’s World, based on Jostein productions Beta Film would not be where it is today. And Gaarder’s best-selling novel (over 15 million copies world-wide) from its side the company wants to be as good a partner as comes Gitano, starring the enchanting French beauty Laetitia possible, ”otherwise producers will look elsewhere. And we’re Casta and the celebrated Spanish dancer Joachin Cortes. keen to keep our clients!“ With its plans to become a European major Beta is looking for While Beta might not be the automatic first choice for some the products to push it forward. producers, especially those specialising in auteur and/or arthouse films, Schürhoff points out: ”We are open to anyone and any- ”Whatever the film“ says Schürhoff, ”we want to be involved, body. We want to help people with good ideas and good projects even knowing it might not be a major revenue generator, place it to find the funding they need to realise their project.“ on the market, make it available to an audience, find a distributor, help producers recover all their costs and finance their next pro- ”We do not insist on naked women and air crashes! We help sel- ject, find international partners from the script stage onwards.“ ect the right stories. Producers are artists and artists do not want to be influenced, and probably shouldn't be, but instead have the Says Richter, ”Over forty years of success proves we’re on the opportunity to use our international experience.“ right track.“

Size of budget is not a factor. Simon Kingsley

”Budgetwise it can be very small, huge budgets are not necessary,“ says Richter. ”We are open to as wide a spectrum of projects and budgets as possible.“ And in a business where connections count, Beta is well connected. Cine Aktuell

Established in 1977 Foreign offices Prague Managing Directors Ralf Faust, Axel Schaarschmidt Main fields of activity world sales and the sale of films of all types in the German-speaking territories Regular attendance of the following film markets Berlin Film Festival, MIP-TV, International Children’s Film Festival (Zlin, Czech Republic), Munich Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, MIPCOM Number of titles on offer some 500 features and various cartoons Percentage of German titles on offer 2% Most well-known current titles on offer Firemen’s Ball (Milos Forman), Closely Watched Trains (Jiri Menzel), The Elementary School (Jan Sverak), Accumulator 1 (Jan Sverak), The Beggar’s Opera (Jiri Menzel, script Vaclav Havel) Best-selling titles currently on sale No Room For Wild Animals (Bernhard and Michael Grzimek), Serengeti Shall Not Die (Bernhard and Michael Grzimek), Three Nuts For Cinderella (Vaclav Vorlicek) Address cf. page 64 THE STUFF OF FAIRYTALES

While many sales companies specialise, few more so than Cine Schaarschmidt worked at Exportfilm Bischoff und Co, part of Aktuell. The Munich-based company has carved out a niche in Constantin Film (not to be confused with today’s highly successful films from two countries, formerly one, in particular; the Czech producer-distributor Constantin Film). Republic and Slovakia. This was back in the 1950s. While various secret services swapped ”We’re really a family concern,“ says Axel Schaarschmidt, spies, Faust and Schaarschmidt were buying and selling films son of company founder (together with Ralf Faust) Eugen with “all eastern countries including the Soviet Union,“ says Faust. Schaarschmidt, “and this is sort of a family history.“ At the beginning of the 1970s it was obvious Constantin Film was Ralf Faust takes up the story, explaining how the main business in trouble so Faust and Schaarschmidt decided to set up was always with eastern Europe, how he and Eugen shop together. Since they had sole representation rights for the

16 Axel Schaarschmidt Cine Aktuell found children’s films an easier field inwhichtowork. children’s aneasierfield found films directors repressiveandmany Czech regime wasideologically ”And there wasalsothepoliticalfactor,“ adds year. every broadcasters virtually theThird Program national ARDchannelandmostof German Cinderella ThreeHe citestheChristmasfavourite, NutsFor west.“ inthe anything communist periodandproduced theequalof dates backtobeforethewar. thisduringthe developed They andanimationthat puppetry atraditionof “The Czechshave intheworld. duce thebestfairytales ability towrapstoriesaround andthrough themainone,topro- hadtheimagination, always one.They’ve outof minute film minutes, butittakestomake skill aninety- infifteen a fairytale andhumour,“fantasy says with hadaway always children’s itsown.“TheCzechshave films hadmade canbesaidtospecialise, acountry If Cine Aktuell. body,state film DEFA-Aussenhandel. formed In1977they from theEastGerman films alsoacquiredtime they astockof theircore business. Atthesame make anditsfilms thecountry monopoly,export decidedto Ceskoslovenskythey Filmexport, state withtheCzechoslovakian territories German-speaking (directed by Vaclav Vorlicek) whichairsonthe Axel Schaarschmidt. “You cantell . ”The Faust excellence. qualityand longcontinuetheirtraditionof ensuring Czechfilms CineAktuell For thefuture, (Bernhard andtheOscar-winning Filmfest Michael Grzimek)whichwonaGoldenBearattheBerlin films films markets.other German-speaking Amongthetitlesare thewildlife the for theFederaltions, for Republicandafew mostavailable Aktuell territories, andtheGerman-speaking with Germany from beingtheCzechRepublicandSlovakia’sApart majorpartner like this.“ World War, andracism,issues andtheattacksonJews alot,theSecond film very, subject,whichthey significant very anda themesfromdevelopment tackling thepast;”thecountry’s No RoomFor Wild Animals lohsasalbtsgiiatlbayo DEFA produc- of library also hasasmallbutsignificant and Michael Grzimek). ning Ball) andJiri Menzel tors asMilos Forman access; there are classicsfrom suchdirec- has made after)towhichthecompany madepriorto1989andmany Czech films amongthe1,000plustitles(all films reveals there are more thanjustchildren's A lookattheCineAktuellcatalogue our hands.“ Buyers were almosttearingthemoutof toallmedia. beensoldinGermany have them ayear andalmostallof films to fifty outforty theCzechsturned small country best directors madechildren’s For a films. had thefreedomandall todevelop censorship.”There any washardly They , who notes the industry isalso , whonotestheindustry Faust structures andmethods,“ says narrative roots, their return totheirclassicartfilm success. realisedoughtto ”They they ape theAmericanway. Butwithnoreal meantanattemptto Republic thatfirst theCzech Andfor ments infilmmaking. experi- With therevolution,camenew theindustry.“ Prague isthemotorof and isnowthemajorproduction area. Schaarschmidt. ”It’smore creative thetwo,“ says muchthestrongervery of industry.the film ”TheCzechRepublicis andwiththemsplit Republic andSlovakia, splitintotheCzech Czechoslovakia In 1989cametheVelvet and Revolution areadyaudienceinGermany.find, likeandcontinueto thesefound, films Closely Watched Trains Serengeti ShallNotDie is working towardsis working co-producing, (Bernhard (the (Firemen’s Simon Kingsley Cine Oscar-win- and 17 ). And Wüste Film

Producer and scriptwriter Ralph Schwingel was born in 1955 in Neuenkirchen. He studied psychology and philosophy, graduating 1982. He entered the film industry two years later, as writer and director, and in 1987 began his production career. He was one of the original founders of Wüste Filmproduktion in 1986 (together with Michael Enger). In 1989 the company was reincorporated, this time with Lars Becker and Stefan Schubert. Among his credits as writer/director are the documentaries Fahnenfluch (1986) and the 1993 El Condor No Pasa. He has written, among others, the crime novel Schwarze Post aus Altona (1989) and the screenplay Lemmes (1993). Stefan Schubert, producer, was born in 1955 in Mannheim and grew up in Essen, graduating highschool 1974. He studied law and psychology in Bochum and Hamburg, graduating in psychology in 1982. He entered the film industry in 1984. Two years later he was producing his first film, Böse Mine (script/direction Ralph Schwingel). Since then he has produced more than 20 features and documentaries. Among Schubert and Schwingel’s producer credits are Schattenboxer and Bunte Hunde (both directed by Lars Becker, 1992 and 1995 respectively). The 1997 documentary, Andrei Schwarz’s Auf der Kippe has won numerous awards, including Best Documentary over 60 Minutes at HOT DOCS! Toronto, 1998. Among its plaudits, Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und Schmerzlos, script/direction Fatih Akin) was nominated in the Best Film and Best Direction categories for the 1999 German Film Award. TWO AT THE TOP

When asked how he would best describe the company, Wüste Film’s Stefan Schubert doesn’t even pause to think: ”Kind! Friendly!“ And even though this isn’t necessarily a recipe for suicide in the shark-filled waters of today’s film business he adds, ”We are produ- cers with our hearts in the cinema and an eye on young, fresh talent.“

Since its foundation in 1989, Hamburg-based Wüste Film (Wüste being the German word for desert) has pursued a simple but effective strategy; quality over quantity. Or, as the German has it: Klasse statt Masse.

Among the eight theatrical features to its name are Schattenboxer (1992) and Bunte Hunde (1995) by Lars Becker and Back in Trouble by Andy Bausch (1997).

Fatih Akin’s debut, Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und Schmerzlos, 1998), won the Stefan Schubert, Ralph Schwingel Bronze Leopard at that year’s Locarno Film Festival for the performances by its three stars, and has a refreshingly practical and down to earth approach to the was also nominated in the Best Film and Best Direction categories cinema. of the German Film Award. A year later Akin was awarded the Bavarian Film Prize for best newcomer director. ”For me, cinema is a room with a screen at one end, with lots of seats, where it gets dark before the film starts. You can’t sit there Among Wüste Film’s shorts and documentaries, Andrei with a remote control and zap to another channel.“ Schwartz’s Auf der Kippe won Best Film at the 1998 Amsterdam and Toronto festivals, the Echo Television Award So like all good filmmakers should, although a great many don’t, and the European Union civis 1999 Film/Television Prize. Schubert takes the story as the starting point. ”The film has to have a good story, a very good story, believable characters and, Setting out to make ”only what we think is good, and we put when possible, a good piece of heart and soul. Our films are all our efforts into getting the best quality,“ Schubert also character-driven to a point, but I wouldn’t reduce it to just that.

18 Wüste Film

They have heart and soul, perhaps qualities which are particularly As for co-productions, ”we are very open. And we’ve done a attractive for character-driven films.“ couple. But there must be good reasons which have to do with the project. Maybe such as the partner has a good reputation Not that Wüste Film wishes to typecast itself as a producer of and/or knows their market very well. But both sides should have character-, and what Schubert calls ”Naturalismus“, naturality- sensible and strong reasons.“ driven films. That’s just the way some of the company’s films have turned out. While some of the titles on the current slate, among Schwingel is happy to admit Wüste Film’s small. Because them Thorsten Wettcke’s Jonathan 2001 (working title, along with flexibility comes bravery, ”our willingness to work with cf. page xx), in which God looks for a successor, take a different new people and material. I think we don’t suffer from the pressure stylistic direction. It all comes down to the good story and how some companies have. We’ve always taken great care to remain best to realise it. free. Independent is a great word, and we hope to remain so from third decision-makers, or bankers. That doesn’t make us For a German company, says Schubert, ”we don’t make special, others are in the same position, but it gives us a certain German films, but films in Germany“ and he cites Turkish position in the market.“ writer/director Fatih Akin’s road movie, Im Juli (set for an August release) which makes its way from Hamburg, via Hungary And Wüste Film’s already expanding on its position, having and Romania, to Istanbul. just formed a new company, Wüste Film West. Based in Cologne, it’s a joint venture with the publishing house Hermann- Ralph Schwingel, the other half of Wüste Film, generally Josef Emons Verlag formed to develop film properties from, looks after product and product development (Schubert is more among others, the latter’s locally-based crime novels which responsible for production and contracts), keeping an eye on the are set in the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf. actual filmmakers. One project is already underway, which will be produced by ”We plan to make two films a year and have just achieved this Wüste Film West together with the Hamburg-based parent level of output,“ he says. ”We can give them the attention they company, Wüste Film. need and still feel very close and involved with them. At the moment I find it hard to imagine that would be the case if we From where Schubert and Schwingel sit, the desert’s were to make five films a year.“ blooming. Simon Kingsley

Circle International GmbH

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

2nd Festival of FFF Bayern promotes a new German Cinema in Madrid cinema film by

In collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, the Export-Union In the near future, six new cinema projects are due to enter presented seven new feature film productions, the short film into production with funding from FFF Bavaria. In winter, programme NEXT GENERATION with works by Caroline Link’s new cinema film Nirgendwo in Afrika German film students and the silent classic Der Golem, (prod. MTM Medien), an international project, is to be made wie er in die Welt kam from 30 May - 3 June 2000. in East Africa at the original locations from Stefanie Zweig’s novel of the same name. Volker Schlöndorff and main actress Bibiana Beglau were delighted at having more than 800 cinemagoers and a A large selection of Bavarian productions are due for young broad press response at the opening of the festival with The audiences in particular. Besides the Olga-Film production Legends Of Rita. ”A great success“, concluded Volker Mädchen, Hager Moss will be realising the comedy Schlöndorff, ”a fantastic audience and a very attentive press.“ Mondscheintarif by Ralf Huettner, both with funding from the FFF. Tatfilm is producing ’s The other films in the festival: The Great Bagarozy by cinema debut 100PRO, and together with partners from , Hans Warns – My 20th Century Quebec, Peter Sehr is making the dramatic love story by Gordian Maugg, Oi! Warning by Dominik and Love The Hard Way. There will also be FFF funds for Benjamin Reding, Otomo by Frieder Schlaich, Kiss and Run, the first work by Samderelli Paradiso – Seven Days With Seven Women by and the Munich production company fieber.film. The H5B5 Rudolf Thome, Snow On New Year’s Eve by project Ocean Men, meanwhile, is the first IMAX film Thorsten Schmidt. production to receive funds from the FFF. In the case of two cinema productions, Caroline Link’s Nirgendwo in Afrika and Mädchen by Dennis Gansel, the new Export-Union cooperates Bayerische Bankenfonds (BBF) will also participate in the with FIPA financing. Contacts: FFF Bayern; phone +49-89-5 44 60 20; With immediate effect, the Export-Union of German Cinema e-mail: [email protected] will serve as the central contact for all those German TV producers wanting to participate in the Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels in Biarritz. Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg: The FIPA, founded in Cannes in 1987 and based in Biarritz Who‘s Shooting What? for the last four years, is one of the most important TV festi- vals worldwide. Its goal is to promote high-quality audiovisual From now on, it will be possible to access information programmes on an international level thereby contributing to about shooting activities in the film and television region the understanding and further development of audiovisual Berlin-Brandenburg on the Internet under forms of expression. www.filmboard.de/produktionsspiegel.htm.

Under its Délégué Général Pierre-Henri Those interested can get an overall view of the film location Deleau, the former director of the Berlin-Brandenburg under the sections ”production pre- Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in paration“, ”production“, ”final stages“ and ”projects planned“. Cannes, the FIPA has developed in a ”This is a reaction to great interest in the media location very short space of time into one of Berlin-Brandenburg and to a noticeable increase in enquiries the most respected events of its kind: from production firms“, says the director of the Filmboard This year alone, 1,829 programmes Prof. Klaus Keil, explaining the Board’s appearance on were submitted from 72 countries; the the Internet. In the past, the production echo had only been festival's final selection covered 189 published in the FilmboardNews. programmes from 42 countries and 229 programmes which were presented in Now producers, actors and journalists can access the infor- over 80 viewing cabins of the selective mation service at any time. The Filmboard GmbH as a TV market FIPATEL. funding institution in both federal states is also experiencing the present storm on the capital city region. By comparison to The number of professional visitors increased between 1998 the same period of last year, the number of applications has and 1999 by 50% from 1,000 to 1,500 accredited guests; and risen by 43%, according to the Filmboard director. this year saw around 2,000 accreditations being issued. The 14th Festival International de Programmes Production firms and filmmakers planning projects or in the Audiovisuels will be held from 16 - 21 January process of realising these can send the corresponding infor- 2001. With immediate effect, the official contact mation to Ansgar Vogt, who is responsible for the editing of for all potential participants is the Export- the production echo (phone +49-3 31-7 43 87 15, Union, who will be centrally responsible for the fax +49-3 31-7 43 87 99, email: [email protected]). application and despatch of viewing material and organise the final selection for the FIPA selection committee in Germany. 20 Kino news

Filmstiftung NRW – Staff News Short-Tiger

Complete again: Helga Binder left at the beginning of April ”Short-Tiger“: FFA awards new short film to transfer to the Cologne production firm Tatfilm, but the prize with a total of 200,000 DM production department team at the Filmstiftung NRW is now back to full strength. On the 1st June, Christina For the first time this year, the FFA awarded the short film Bentlage – who previously worked as deputy to the director prize ”Short-Tiger“ for the promotion of creative young of administration at Film Stiftung NRW, Martin generation films to six students at German film academies. Schneider, and concerned herself primarily with training – The ”Short-Tiger“ short film prize – an unusually high sum of moved to the production department. As deputy to 200,000 DM in total – was presented within the context Claudia Droste-Deselaers, together with Anke of a special celebration event at the Munich Film Gadesmann she will be responsible for the supervision of Festival. The main prize, an award of 50,000 DM, was given German and foreign producers and their projects. to the Berlin film student Nathalie Percillier for her short Hartes Brot. 5 promotion prizes of 30,000 DM each The team is already looking forward keenly to the shooting of went to Weites Meer (directed by H Emre Koca), El Tom Tykwer’s new film Heaven in NRW. The filming of Cordobes (directed by Sven Taddicken), Heute this screenplay by the Polish director and author Krzysztof Anders (directed by Andres Linke), Kismet (directed Kieslowski, who died in 1996, is a coproduction by Berlin by Yasemin Samdereli) and Hör Dein Leben (direc- X-Films and the American independent studio Miramax, and ted by Züli Aladag). the Filmstiftung is funding it with three million marks. This new prize, in additi- on to the considerable MFG News automatic short film promotion of more than New Regulations 1 million DM in 2000, is Since June 16th, 2000, MFG has new regulations for film indicative of the FFA’s funding. Downloading directly from the website specific commitment to http://www.film.mfg.de or contact MFG. new talents. During or after their academy trai- Second ”Location-Tour-Baden-Württemberg“ ning, the ”Short-Tiger“ On June 20th to 21st, 2000, MFG has invited producers and offers students an initial film-makers for a trip around the Rhine/Neckar area. There financial impetus with the guests could discover a large variety of contrasting which they can shoot a new short or feature length film. locations for film productions, such as the dock area and the industrial wastelands in Mannheim or romantic medieval FFA President Rolf Bähr: “This pilot project is the starting towns and baroque castles. point for consideration of possible alterations to the automa- tic short film promotion provided by present law, the precon- dition for which is the FBW rating “besonders wertvoll“.

TV Movies Made In Hamburg

From September 25th to October 1st Filmfest Hamburg – one of Germany’s top events for young and independent cinema – will show German premieres of new films from around the world. This year’s programme includes many U.S. independents and films from East and Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe. Filmmaking from Hamburg itself gets a showcase of its own: ”TV Movies Made In Hamburg“. Social highlights over and above the film programme include Young Documentaries the festival’s star-studded opening gala, a reception at A treaty for ”junger Dokumentarfilm“ has been signed on July Hamburg’s Senate for Cultural Affairs, and events hosted by 5th between MFG, SWR and Filmakademie Ludwigsburg. film companies and distributors. On a more educational note, The aim of this agreement is to foster and support young FilmFörderung Hamburg will host a discussion about film-makers and students from Baden-Württemberg who are current changes in authors’ rights as well as a meeting for developing documentaries as well as to discover young talents. representatives of the film and music business to exchange Each year, six of the documentaries produced according to experiences and to discuss ideas for the future. The film this arrangement will be broadcast by SWR. The first commission of FilmFörderung Hamburg will offer a documentary to be broadcast will be Nachttanke by trip of particular interest to film producers, unit and location Samir Nasr on August 15th, 2000, 23:05 h. managers on a steamer tour on the river Elbe, visiting less well-known, picturesque corners of Hamburg’s large harbour. Check this website for further information: http://www.filmfesthamburg.de

21 Iron City. His meeting a woman helps him maintain his grip on humanity and his hope.

Director and scriptwriter Fred Kelemen was born in West Fred Kelemen Fred Berlin, the son of a Hungarian mother and a German father. He first studied painting and music and worked as an assistant director at various theatres. In 1989 he entered the German Film & TV Academy Berlin where he made a number of films and videos as director, also working as director of photography and cameraman. Since 1995 he has been a guest lecturer at the Centre of Cinematographical Studies of Catalania (CECC) in Barcelona.

Kelemen’s previous films, which focus very much on character- driven situations, have won critical acclaim. Verhängnis (Fate, 1994) won Special Mention at the Toronto International Film Festival, the 1995 Audience Award at the Film-Festival Max-Ophüls- Prize, and the 1995 German Film Award (Silver Ribbon). Frost (1997/98) won the Prix FIPRESCI (International Film Critics Award) in Rotterdam (1998) and Best Director Award at the 1998 Taormina International Film Festival. His most recent feature, Abendland (Nightfall, 1998/99), won the Prix FIPRESCI at Thessaloniki and the Best Film at Spain’s Gijón International Film Festival (1999). Emil und die Detektive

Original Title Emil und die Detektive English Title Emil and Die Eiserne the DetectivesType of Project Feature Film Genre Family Entertainment Production Company Bavaria Filmverleih- Stadt und Produktions- GmbH, Lunaris Film GmbH, Munich With backing from Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds Original Title Die Eiserne Stadt English Title Iron City Bayern, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, BKM Producers Peter Type of Project Feature Genre Drama Production Zenk, Uschi Reich Director Franziska Buch Screenplay Company Mediopolis Berlin, Berlin Producer Alexander Ris Franziska Buch from the novel by Erich Kästner Director of Director Fred Kelemen Screenplay Fred Kelemen Photography Hannes Hubach Editor Patricia Rommel Music Director of Photography Jolanta Dylewska Format by Biber Gullatz Principal Cast Tobias Retzlaff, Anja 35mm, colour, 1:1,85 Shooting Language English/German Sommervilla, Jurgen Vogel, Maria Schrader, Kai Wiesinger Shooting in Bulgaria and Canada in 2001 German Format 35mm, colour, 1:1,85 Shooting Language German Distributor Mediopolis Berlin Shooting in Berlin from July to September 2000

PR Contact: Mediopolis Berlin Bülowstr. 66 · D-10783 Berlin World Sales: please contact phone: +49-30-2 35 56 00 · fax: +49-30-23 55 60 66 Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktions GmbH email: [email protected] Bavariafilmplatz 7 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99-28 72/3 Nobody can help seven year old Mario who’s suffering from an fax: +49-89-64 99-31 43 incurable eye disease. Neither in his home town, Sofia, nor in email: [email protected] Germany or even in the United States do the doctors know of any way to save the child’s sight. One day Mario’s father, Gregor, learns about a controversial doctor in Georgia who has apparently had success with his unorthodox methods. Gregor seizes upon this one and last chance. The doctor believes Mario can be healed and demands thousands of dollars. Gregor does everything to raise the money but fails. When he hears there’s a great deal of money to be had working in the Canadian wilderness, at a place known as the Iron City, he sets off. Anja Sommervilla, Tobias Retzlaff Anja Sommervilla, Tobias Believing in the chance of a miracle cure he’s prepared to make great sacrifices. What awaits is a barbaric society. All the workers have a reason for being there but not one has achieved his goal. Among the lawlessness, Gregor tries to defend his ideas of hu- manity and maintain his faith in the miracle cure to heal his son. As the seasons change and time passes his chances of success diminish and he sinks deeper and deeper into the morass of the

22 in production

Erich Kästner’s classic children’s tale of action and adventure is returning to the big screen.

When 11-year-old Emil travels to Berlin his money is stolen by Max Grundeis. While following the thief Emil runs into Pony, the Dominik Graf female leader of a gang of children, who offers to help. Since Emil is supposed to be staying with a local pastor, one of the gang, Gypsi, takes his place. While he’s busy turning the pastor’s house upside down the hunt for Grundeis is on. A rip-roaring adventure follows and when Pony falls into the clutches of the evil Grundeis, and just as everything seems lost, the kids come up with a daring plan. First filmed 1931, the year the novel was published, it was co-written by Kästner and Billy Wilder (THE Billy Wilder) and directed by Gerhard Lamprecht.

Kästner again co-wrote the 1954 version, together with Robert A. Stemmle who directed. Emil’s last outing was in 1964 (director Peter Tewksbury). Director and writer of this latest adaptation is Franziska Buch, whose first film, the short Die Ordnung der Dinge (1987, script and direction) won that year’s European Shortfilm Award in Berlin. Her 1999 television drama, Verschwinde von hier (which again, she wrote and directed) won the Max-Ophüls-Award 2000 and the Producer’s Award for the Best Feature at the Max-Ophüls Festival.

Emil und die Detektive’s producers, Uschi Reich and Peter Zenk, Lunaris Film, are no strangers to the work of 35-year old Katrin’s summer holiday in Corsica goes disastrously Erich Kästner. In 1988 they produced a new version of the wrong when long-time lover Jürgen leaves her to return to his children’s classic Pünktchen und Anton (writer/director pregnant wife. Katrin decides to stay, her unhappiness, confusion Caroline Link).This tale of two children from different social and despair growing. Until, that is, she meets the wild, mysterious backgrounds who become firm friends despite all obstacles, and and much younger Malte. She discovers he’s supposed to be being bring their parents to reflect on their own lives, was enthusiastical- re-integrated into society in a camp for German youth offenders. ly received by critics and audiences alike. Malte attaches himself to her and, despite all her efforts, she cannot shake him off. Quite the opposite; together with Malte’s They are also known for the 1996 production Frau Rettich, eleven-year-old brother, Kai, they head into the rocky interior, die Czerni und ich which was nominated for the German Film followed by the camp leader. Award. Among their upcoming projects is another book by Kästner, Das fliegende Klassenzimmer, while Uschi Reich is As their adventurous escape escalates Katrin reaches her limits, also producing Schule, a film about a group of young people secretly abandoning the brothers and becoming lost in the wil- about to leave school, directed by 25-year-old Marco Petry. derness. When she finally makes her way back to the coastal Sadly, Kästner himself died in 1974. But he would doubtless be town where it all started things have changed dramatically. For the happy to know the stories he wrote so long ago have become worst. Malte, now in hiding, is suspected of having robbed and timeless, set to entertain another generation of audiences, both seriously injured Jürgen, whom everyone had long thought was young and old. back in Germany. When Malte suddenly appears in her hotel room Katrin’s resistance crumbles, and she decides she must help the boy to make a new start in life. But the events which take Der Felsen place on the last night change everything once again... This dramatic tale stars award-winning actress Karoline Original Title Der Felsen (working title) Type of Project Eichhorn (1996 Adolf Grimme Prize for her first major TV role Feature Genre Drama Production Company Medien & in Der Sandmann and the Silver Lion for best newcomer Television München Betriebs GmbH, Munich With backing actress) and Peter Lohmeyer, who played the world-weary from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, FilmFörderung Hamburg detective in Peter Lichtefeld’s 1997 comedy-drama, Trains Producer Gloria Burkert Director Dominik Graf Screen- ’n’ Roses (Zugvögel … einmal nach Inari). play Markus Busch, Dominik Graf Director of Photo- graphy Benedict Neuenfels Editor Hana Mullner Principal Dominik Graf (1988 German Film Prize Gold Award for Die Cast Karoline Eichhorn, Peter Lohmeyer, Antonio Wannek Katze and 1999 German Academy of Performing Arts TV Prize for Shooting Language German Shooting in Corsica, France Sperling und der brennende Arm, to name but two of from August to October 2000 German Distributor Kinowelt his awards) directs from a first-time theatrical feature script by Filmproduktion GmbH, Munich Markus Busch.

World Sales: Production company MTM (Medien & Television München) Bavaria Film International currently has two theatrical features and one TV-movie in pre- Dept. of Bavaria Media production. Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig Among the company’s best known credits are the TV-movie phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 Der Skorpion (winner 1998 Bavarian Television Prize for fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 Direction, to Domink Graf) and the 1995 feature Der Tot- www.bavaria-film-international.de macher (director Romuald Karmakar, German entry for email: [email protected] the OSCAR for best foreign film, 1997), starring Götz George in a chilling portrayal of serial killer .

23 Jonathan comes up with a plan (he’s a god, after all). Come New Year’s Eve, he arranges for Niklas’ sweetheart to be kidnapped by religious fanatics and Niklas to get caught up in a gunbattle bet- ween gangsters. When Niklas appeals to Jonathan for help, guess who appears with a job offer that can’t be resisted? Niklas agrees, Thierry van Werveke, OliverThierry Korritke van Werveke, on condition that Tess be the goddess by his side. Jonathan agrees, but he’s reckoned without Yolanda. And she sees things quite dif- ferently …

Writer-director Thorsten Wettcke has lured a talented and exciting cast to his latest project. Oliver Korrittke (Niklas) starred in Peter Thorwarth’s Bang, Boom, Bang and Ralf Huettner’s Die Musterknaben. Tamara Simunovic (Tess) made a stunning debut in Eoin Moore’s plus-minus null. Thierry van Werveke (Jonathan) played alongside in Thomas Jahn’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door. Andrea Sawatzki’s (Yolanda) credits include Bandits (Katja von Gamier) and Late Show (Helmut Dietl). Also featuring, TV presenters turned actors, Gott und die Welt Heike Makatsch (Katinka Sirena) and Minh-Khai Phan-Thi. Jonathan 2001 is one of the first German films to be be Original Title Gott und die Welt English Title Jonathan digitally post-produced, thanks to the participation of technology 2001 (working title) Type of Project Feature Genre Comedy company VCC Hamburg. Production Company Wüste Filmproduktion, Hamburg, in co-production with NDR, Hamburg, Buena Vista International Film Production, Munich, Wüste Film West, Cologne With backing from FilmFörderung Hamburg, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, Filmförderung des NDR in Niedersachsen, Filmförderungs- Die Manns – Ein anstalt (FFA), Filmbüro NW Producers Ralph Schwingel, Stefan Schubert, Eberhard Scharfenberg Director/Screenplay Jahrhundertroman Thorsten Wettcke Director of Photography Martin Ruhe Editor Britta Paech Principal Cast Oliver Korritke, Tamara Original Title Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman Simunovic, Thierry van Werveke Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Type of Project TV-mini-series, 3x90 minutes Shooting Language German Shooting in Hamburg, Genre Drama Production Company Bavaria Film, Munich Niedersachsen in March/April 2000 German Distributor with WDR, BR, NDR, , ORF With backing from FFF Buena Vista International (Germany), Munich Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW, Media II Producer Katharina Esterer Director Dr. Heinrich Breloer Screenplay Dr. Heinrich World Sales: Breloer, Dr. Horst Königstein Director of Photography Bavaria Film International Editors Monika Bednarz-Rauschenbach, Oliver Dept. of Bavaria Media Strecker Music by Hans P. Ströer Principal Cast Armin Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Mueller-Stahl, Monica Bleibtreu, Jürgen Hentsch, Veronica Ferres, Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig Sophie Rois, Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 Shooting Language German Shooting in Spain, France, fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 Zurich, Lübeck, Baltic Sea, Munich, Cologne www.bavaria-film-international.de email: [email protected] World Sales: Bavaria Media Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 36 66 · fax +49-89-64 99 22 40 A comic fairytale full of weird characters, far out locations, more www.bavaria-film.de twists and turns than a country road, with a romantic centre e-mail: [email protected] forming an island of calm in the whoosh and rush and blast that is a New Year’s Eve firework; that’s Jonathan 2001.

Goddess of the Universe, Yolanda, has her hands full, what with ever-expanding galaxies and all. But her choice of deputies, such as Jonathan (responsibility: Earth), leaves something to be desired. He’s very much looking forward to New Year 2000 and the end of his 1000 years in office. That, and escaping Yolanda’s rules and his android assistent, Orkton, so he can get back to some serious dope-smoking and doing nothing. During the shooting of „Die Manns“ Except in a couple of hours Yolanda will be checking his track record and discover just what a mess he’s made of things. And he’s still to find a successor. Otherwise it’s another one thousand years on duty. With time running out Jonathan selects failed comicbook artist Niklas to replace him. Except Niklas is eternally in love with pizza-delivery girl Tess (blame guardian angel Katinka Sirena for that one) and has no desire to head for heaven.

24 in production

A docudrama of superlatives, Die Manns – Ein Jahrhun- Contact: Helke Misselwitz Film dertroman, tells the story of the Manns, the family of German Albrechtstrasse 22 · D-10117 Berlin writers and authors who experienced, encapsulated and recorded phone/fax: +49-30-28 38 45 78 the last century like no others. World Sales TBA

Katharina Esterer’s epic production, authored by the long- The Oder, or to give it its Polish name, the Odra is the river mar- time partnership of Drs. Heinrich Breloer and Horst king the border between Poland and Germany. Königstein, centres around the two brothers, Thomas and Heinrich Mann, as well as featuring their extraordinary wives, Documentary filmmaker Helke Misselwitz’s latest project is a children, lovers, friends and foes. journey along the river, from Ratzdorf-Kosarzyn to the mouth on the Baltic Sea. Inspired by Buddenbrooks (Thomas Mann’s first novel, which won the 1929 Nobel Prize) the authors have created a far-reaching story of love and hate, ties and separation, the will to survive and the longing for death.

The history of the Manns is also the history of modern Germany, MisselwitzHelke starting in 1923 during the . Then comes the rise of the Nazis, exile, war and the return to Germany. It is also a personal history; fraternal strife, hope, despair and the struggle against internal and external demons.

The miniseries depicts the conflict, persecution, flight and rescue of the various family members in the war against Hitler; a concen- tration camp, an internment camp, escape over the Pyrenees, torpedoed by German U-boats in the Atlantic and safe haven in the United States. And it’s also the story of those who chose to remain; the brother, Victor, the Jewish grandparents, or the ex- brother-in-law, Gustaf Gründgens, and other friends who made their pacts with the devil.

The writers spent two years researching and interviewing in Europe and the United States, capturing on tape and film the memories of those who will soon be no longer able to relate them. As Breloer regretfully says, ”several times we arrived too Filming on both banks, in Poland and Germany, the film features late.“ the border officials, crooks, whores, washerwomen, truck drivers, priests and pensioners, at work, at home, at play. Oder/Odra is The cast reads like a Who’s Who of today’s finest German acting not a travel film in the classic sense. Rather, Misselwitz has structu- talent. Armin Mueller-Stahl plays Thomas Mann, Monica red it very much like a spider’s web, whose threads lead from the Bleibtreu his wife, Katia. Jürgen Hentsch plays Heinrich present, across the river, and into history, as if the Oder was a Mann (Thomas’ brother) while Veronica Ferres plays current carrying archaic ferries from one bank to another. Heinrich’s second wife, Nelly. While Polish and German border police patrol the fields, the And if all this wasn’t enough, Die Manns – Ein Jahrhun- green border, by night and day, silently waiting for come what dertroman features Thomas Mann’s youngest daughter, may, the camera travels by boat down the river. And it accompa- Elisabeth Mann Borgese (born 1918), nicknamed Medi by nies the trucks as they cross from one side to another, from one her father. An author in her own right, a campaigner for country to another, taking whatever freight they’re carrying to democracy, environmental protection and the preservation of the wherever it has to go. seas, she speaks for the first time about her family history. Sometimes Misselwitz pauses in the memories of the people she encounters, looking into their souls and discovering the river’s reflections in their lives and personalities, reflections of a river at the centre of Europe. The people living to the east of the Oder Oder/Odra are mostly settlers from the eastern part of Poland. West of the Oder one meets families whose ancestors came from all over Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland. Until 1945 many of Original Title Oder/Odra (working title) English Title the older people lived on the eastern side. Oder/Odra (working title) Type of Project Feature Genre Documentary Production Company Helke Jewish residents of the region, those who did not emigrate, did Misselwitz Film, Berlin, in co-production with SWR, ARTE, ORB not survive the Holocaust. Yet in Szczecin there is a small commu- With backing from Hessische Kulturelle Filmförderung, nity of Jewish emigrants from eastern Europe. In 1946 thousands Kulturelle Filmförderung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, fled over the green border to the west, from there to emigrate to Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) Producer Helke Misselwitz Palestine. But a couple of hundred remained, either too poor to Director Helke Misselwitz Screenplay Helke Misselwitz, pay to be smuggled out, or simply from homesickness. Adam Tusk Director of Photography Thomas Plenert Editor Gundrun Steinbrück Format 35mm, colour, 1:1,85 To portray life along this border river is to touch a wound which Shooting Language German, Polish Shooting in towns, vil- has healed in a strange fashion, perhaps because it was never allo- lages and countryside along the Oder/Odra river from April to wed to be considered a wound. The result is sad and bitter, but September 2000 German Distributor Salzgeber & Co. also amusing and absurd. Oder/Odra is intended to be a bridge Medien GmbH, Berlin between the sentimentality of childhood reminiscence, youth, war, destruction, flight and persecution and the everyday crossborder reality between Poland and Germany. 25 Der Platz Original title Der Platz Type of Project Feature Böttcher’s film features encounters with people, some planned, Genre Experimental Documentary Production Company others by chance; still pictures, flashbacks to the past, historical Ö-Filmproduktion, Frank Löprich & Katrin Schlösser GmbH, material, original sounds and sound-collages. Der Platz symboli- Berlin, for ZDF, Mainz With backing from BKM, Mitteldeut- ses continuity and change, gain and loss, war and peace. Berlin’s sche Medienförderung Producer Frank Löprich Director famous Schloss, a symbol of the Prussian past, was torn down by Jürgen Böttcher Screenplay Jürgen Böttcher Director of the communists and replaced by the Palast der Republik. What Photography Thomas Plenert Editor Gudrun Steinbrück was the home of the highest political body of the DDR has now Music by Günter ”Baby“ Sommer (Drums), Dietmar Diesner become the Federal Chancellery; the wheel of history continues (Sax ) Format 35mm, colour and b/w, ratio 1:1,66 to turn. This is a political film, an artistic film; a film about the Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin in June commissioning of art, about the creation of art, about art as a 2000 German Distributor Basis-Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin metaphor.

Contact: Böttcher, who is 69, is a member of the Academy of Art. In Ö-Filmproduktion 1992 he was awarded the Filmband in Gold for his work and is the Lychenerstr. 82 · D-10437 Berlin subject of the retrospective at this year’s 43rd International Leipzig phone: +49-30-44 67 26-0 · fax: +49-30-44 67 26 26 Festival for Documentary and Animation. Next year he’s the sub- ject of retrospectives in Bologna and at Harvard while his paintings As its starting point, Der Platz (as in a city square) takes the will be displayed at an international exhibition in Jerusalem. Who creation of the Marx-Engels Monument in the centre of the better to make a film about art, then, than a true artist? former capital of the former DDR, Berlin. Once a symbol, the embodiment even, of the communist state’s ideological roots, the statue has now become a feature of many a tourist’s holiday pictures, no longer an icon but an attraction. In the same way Der Platz has changed from being the beating heart of a now Der Tunnel defunct country to become the new centre of the capital of reunified Germany. Original title Der Tunnel English Title The Tunnel Type of Project Historical Drama 2x90 minutes Genre Action/Drama Production Company teamWorx Produktion für Kino und Fernsehen GmbH, Berlin, for SAT.1, Berlin With backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg Producers Nico Hofmann, Ariane Krampe Director Roland Suso Richter Screenplay Johannes W. Betz Director of Photography Martin Langer Editor Eva Schnare Principal Cast Heino Ferch, Sebastian Koch, Nicolette Krebitz, Mehmet Kurtulus, Felix Eitner, Alexandra Maria Lara, Uwe Kockisch Format Colour, 35 mm, 1:1,85 Shooting Language German Shooting in Berlin and Prague until May 2000 During the shooting of ”Der Platz“ World Sales: Kirchmedia GmbH & Co. KGaA contact Dr. Andreas Richter Robert-Bürkle-Strasse 2 · D-85737 Ismaning phone: +49-89-99 56-27 56 fax: +49-89-99 56-27 72

Today, crossing Berlin is just a journey. Take the bus, train, drive, cycle, walk even. But not so long ago the city was still divided by ideology and physical barriers with people willing to risk their lives to escape across the Wall, fleeing the repressive communist dictatorship for the safety and freedom of democratic West Berlin. Many tried and not a few died, gunned down by East German border guards or the automatic shotguns along the so-called Death Strip. Many, many more were caught and sentenced to long terms in prison.

A true story, Der Tunnel recounts the dramatic escape of twenty-nine people who, quite literally, were dug out from under Jürgen Böttcher’s experimental documentary, taking the the Iron Curtain. monument as its focal point, tells the story of a part of Berlin which has witnessed more history, which carries a greater In 1961, just after the Wall was first erected, Hasso Herschel historical burden than many others in this city; historical, magical made it to West Berlin. Determined to rescue his friends and even, Der Platz is a location from which one can view the here relatives, he began work on what was to become a 135 metre and now as well as the past. long, one metre high and ninety centimetre wide, tunnel.

In 1981 the then East German Ministry of Culture commissioned a On the 14th September, 1962, Herschel and his fellow diggers film to be made about the monument. Some 15,000 metres of broke through into the cellar of 7, Schönholzer Strasse. Among 35mm film was shot, only to vanish into the archives, condemned those who followed him back to West Berlin was his sister. as subversive instead of heroic. Now rediscovered, it’s this price- less footage which forms the core of Böttcher’s film, together Producer Ariane Krampe as just a child when she first heard with added new material. of the daring tunnel escape, and never forgot it. “I knew the story

26 in production

Novelist Venus lives with husband, Max, and children, Sally (14) and Thorsten (16), on a farm outside Berlin and is about to start her new book. The film opens with Venus’ farewell party as she’s moving temporarily to Berlin. Away from the family the 42-year- old author experiences erotic adventures and the pull of the big city. Living in an extravagant penthouse, Venus’ fans can watch her write via a webcam.

Fired by the city, she meets Fabricio and begins an affair. Husband Max and the children are far away and she’s free to follow her desires. Back home, Max continues to teach in the village school and look after the home. Again, thanks to webcam technology, Thorsten falls increasingly in love with Isabelle, the publisher’s daughter. Sally also begins to take an interest in a boy in the next village, confiding her feelings to her diary. While Venus becomes increasingly estranged from Max her children discover first love.

But by chance Thorsten discovers what’s happening. On the inter- net via a second webcam he sees Venus not writing but in bed with the film producer who was at her party. Max immediately sets off for Berlin and confronts her. Not wanting to lose him, she destroys the webcam and begins to write. Meanwhile Thorsten Roland Suso Richter has become a real, no longer a virtual, boyfriend for Isabelle, visiting her in Berlin as virtual worlds becoming increasingly shaped was unique and as a producer I wanted so very much to make it. by the real truths of life. Venus finishes her novel and returns But I just didn’t have the money,“ she says. Until, that is, Berlin- home to be welcomed by Max and the children. Together with fri- based broadcaster SAT.1 greenlit the DM 13m project (its most ends they toast her new novel. For Venus, it’s a new beginning expensive one-off production to date) enabling Krampe and fellow with the man she truly loves. producer Nico Hofmann to do it full justice. Rudolf Thome started his film life as a critic (Bonner General- Shot in a specially constructed tunnel almost as long as the origi- anzeiger, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Berliner Tagesspiegel). He formed his nal, the film takes its cues from the Oscar-winning Das Boot, production company, moanafilm, in 1977. In 1981 his Berlin perfectly capturing, says Krampe, ”the external political pressure Chamissoplatz won a Gilde Award while Der Philosoph and the claustrophobia in the tunnel in a way very similar to won Film Critics’ Best Film Award at the 1989 Montreal film festival. Wolfgang Petersen’s U-boat paranoia“ His most recent feature, Paradiso – sieben Tage mit sie- ben Frauen, garnered a Silver Bear at the 2000 Berlinale. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the crew, and especially camera- man Martin Langer, who filmed from all angles imaginable, that is exactly what director Roland Suso Richter brings to the screen. No easy job for the cast, either, who also spent weeks toiling in the dust, dirt and bitter cold.

With Der Tunnel now in the can, production company team- Rudolf Thome Worx is also hoping to create a version for theatrical release. Venus Talking

Original Title Venus Talking Type of Project Feature Genre Drama Production Company Moana-Film, Berlin Producer Rudolf Thome Director Rudolf Thome Screenplay Rudolf Thome Director of Photography Carsten Thiele Editor Dörte Völz-Mammarella Music Wolfgang Böhmer Principal Cast Sabine Bach, Roger Tebb, Hanns Zischler, Guntram Brattia Format 5mm colour, 1:1,85 Shooting Language German Shooting in Niendorf (Brandenburg), Berlin from August to September 2000

World Sales: Cine International Filmvertrieb GmbH&Co KG Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich phone: +49-89-39 10 25 · fax: +49-89-33 10 89 email: [email protected]

The internet plays a key role in Rudolf Thome’s latest fetaure, Venus Talking. And in a case of art reflecting life (or is it life reflecting art?) he posted his script-in-progress on the web (www.moana.de). Not only could film fans check out where the story was going but also send in comments.

27 at Karlovy Vary in Competition Oskar Roehler Die Unberührbare No Place to Go

World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20

at Karlovy Vary in Competition/Documentaries Stanislaw Mucha Mit Bubi heim ins Reich Back Home to the Reich with ”Bubi“

World Sales Mopsfilm GmbH, Gattendorf phone +49-92 81-47 77 28 · fax +49-92 81-47 77 31

at Karlovy Vary in Competition/Documentaries Eric Black, Frauke Sandig Nach dem Fall After the Fall

World Sales please contact Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek, Berlin phone +49-30-26 95 51 00 · fax +49-30-26 95 51 11

at Karlovy Vary in Competition/Documentaries Samir Nasr Nachttanke Night Service Station

World Sales please contact Liliom Film GmbH, Munich phone +49-89-72 05 97 01 · fax +49-89-72 05 97 02

at Karlovy Vary in Competition/Documentaries Thomas Struck Walk Don’t Walk

World Sales Media Luna, Cologne phone +49-2 21-139 22 22 · fax +49-2 21-139 22 24

at Locarno in Competition/Piazza Grande Philip Gröning L’Amour, l’Argent, l’Amour

World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20 German Films at this Summer's International Film Festivals at Locarno in Competition Romuald Karmakar Manila

World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax 49-89-64 99 37 20

at Locarno / Piazza Grande Hans-Christian Schmid Crazy

World Sales please contact Claussen + Wöbke, Munich phone +49-89-2 31 10 10 · fax 49-89-26 33 85

at Montreal in Competition Roland Suso Richter Eine Hand voll Gras A Handful of Grass

World Sales Bavaria Film International, Geiselgasteig phone +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax +49-89-64 99 37 20

at Montreal in Competition Andreas Dresen Die Polizistin The Policewoman

World Sales german united distributors, Geiselgasteig phone +49-89-64 99 36 66 · fax +49-89-64 99 22 40

at Venice / Dreams and Visions Tom Tykwer Der Krieger und die Kaiserin The Princess and the Warrior

World Sales Le Studio Canal+, Paris phone +33-1-53 64 85 29 · fax +33-1-47 20 29 58

at San Sebastian in Competition Esther Gronenborn alaska.de

World Sales Kinowelt International GmbH, Berlin phone +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax +49-30-30 06 97 11 German Films at this Summer's International Film Festivals German Films at the Sidebars and German-international at Karlovy Vary In Competition Nana Djordjadze 27 Missing Kisses (Germany – France – Great Britain – Denmark) Fridrik Thór Fridriksson Angels of the Universe (Iceland – Norway – Sweden – Germany – Denmark) Pat Murphy Nora (Ireland – Germany – Italy) Another View Ayse Polat Auslandstournee Tour Abroad Hannu Salonen Downhill City Dominik & Benjamin Reding Oi! Warning Sören Voigt Tolle Lage Perfect Sight Veit Helmer Tuvalu Wolfgang Scholz Verlorene Flügel Lost Wings Forum of Independents Jens Jenson Amerika Marc-Andreas Bochert Kleingeld Short Change (short) Christian Ditter Verzaubert Enchanted (short) Horizons Valerij Ogorodnikov Barak (Russia – Germany) Bakhtiar Khudojnazarov Luna Papa (Germany – Austria – – Russia – France) Lou Ye Suzhou (China – Germany) Variety Critics’ Choice Leander Haussmann Sonnenallee Sun Alley The French Woman and Love Patricia Mazuy Saint-Cyr (France – Germany) Student Films Nathalie Percillier Hartes Brot Sticky Dough Tonguc Baykurt Jan Yusuf Marco Giese Kontakt Contact Matthias Daenschel Kunstflug Aerobatics Sabine Michel Kusinchen Little Cousin Bert Gottschalk Lazy Sunday Afternoon Sülbiye Günar Maries Herz Mary’s Heart Anna Klamroth Sportfrei Sports Various Animators (HFF Konrad Wolf) Der goldene Spatz (Festival Jingle) at Locarno Cinema of the Present Werner Schroeter Die Königin – Marianne Hoppe The Queen – Marianne Hoppe Stefan Schwietert El Acordeón del Diablo Video-Competition Harun Farocki Convicts (Germany – France – Austria) Rosa von Praunheim Für mich gab’s nur noch Fassbinder Romuald Karmakar Das Himmler-Projekt Nina Hagen Om Namah Shivay Critics’ Week Michael Althen, Dominik Graf München – Geheimnisse einer Stadt Munich – Secrets of a City Elfi Mikesch Die Markus Family Coproductions at the International Summer Festivals

at Montreal World Greats: Out of Competition Rainer Kaufmann Kalt ist der Abendhauch Cold Is The Evening Breeze Rudolf Thome Paradiso – Sieben Tage mit sieben Frauen Paradiso Volker Schlöndorff Die Stille nach dem Schuss The Legends Of Rita Short Films in Competiton Till Noever Ein ganz normaler Tag Just an Ordinary Day Vuk Jevremovic Tagebuch Diary World Cinema: Reflections of Our Time Nana Djordjadze 27 Missing Kisses (Germany – France – Great Britain – Denmark) Bernd Heiber, Georgi Shengelaya, Jos Stelling Erotic Tales: Gas Station, The Night Nurse, Georgian Grapes (Germany – Georgia – Netherlands) Peter Keglevic Falling Rocks Miguel Alexandre Gran Paradiso Frieder Schlaich Otomo Lenard F. Krawinkel Sumo Bruno Vanessa Jopp Vergiss Amerika Forget America Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss Zurück auf Los Return to Go! Miraz Bezar Freiwild Fair Game (short) Alicia Munoz Max Goodman’s Last Film (short) Philipp Stölz Morituri Te Salutant (short) Andreas Hykade Ring of Fire (short) Susanne Horizon-Fränzel Steinflug Flight of the Stone (short) Cinema of Tomorrow: New Trends Jan Schütte Abschied The Farewell Andreas Dresen Nachtgestalten Night Shapes Oskar Roehler Die Unberührbare No Place to Go Otto Alexander Jahrreiss Zoom at Venice Cinema of the Present Christian Petzold Die Innere Sicherheit The State I Am In at San Sebastian Zabaltegi / New Directors’ Competition Achim von Borries England! M. X. Oberg Undertaker’s Paradise Zabaltegi / Open Zone Dito Tsintsadze Lost Killers

We were unfortunately unable to include details of films which were invited by festivals after KINO went to press.

Information on the world sales companies of these films is available at Export-Union of German Cinema Tuerkenstr. 93 · D-80799 Munich phone: +49-89-39 00 95 · fax: +49-89-39 52 23 www.german-cinema.de/ · email: [email protected] Der geteilte Himmel THE DIVIDED SKY

Following a nervous breakdown, Rita Seidel returns to the village of her childhood. She has been told to get some proper rest. She wants to regain her strength and uses this period of convalescence to mull over her past. She met Manfred Herrfurth, a chemist ten years her senior, and fell irresistibly in love with him precisely because his mind was so utterly unlike her own. He was uncommonly intelligent and a keen observer of both people and things. Rita is a natural, open-minded person, full of expectations for the future. Herrfurth, on the other hand, has become cynical as a result of bitter experience. Rita moves to town to live with her lover, to begin a new life as it were and to become a teacher. Many things are new and thrilling; town life itself as well as her work. But living with Manfred turns out very differently from what she originally dreamt of. He is embittered and after seeing a chemical process which he has developed and whose realisation he has pinned his hopes on rejected, he becomes totally discouraged and leaves for West Berlin. He is convinced that Rita will follow him. But she does not. Being separated from him, taking leave of her great love, triggers a psychological crisis and breakdown. Of course, some wounds will remain, but Rita is a strong woman who will overcome this crisis. Eberhard Esche Eberhard

Genre Feature Director Konrad Wolf Screen- Konrad Wolf was born in Hechingen in 1925 and died in play Christa Wolf, Gerhard Wolf, Konrad Wolf Berlin in 1982. He was a son of Friedrich Wolf, the writer. Director of Photography Werner Bergmann In 1933, the family emigrated and arrived in the Soviet Union in Editor Helga Krause Music by Hans-Dieter 1934. At the age of eighteen, Wolf joined the Red Army and Hosalla Production Company Defa Studio für came to Germany as lieutenant in 1945. He studied directing at Spielfilme, Babelsberg Principal Cast Renate the Moscow Film School in 1949 and worked as assistant director Blume, Eberhard Esche, Hilmar Thate Length to Kurt Maetzig at the DEFA Studios in 1953. After his first feature 110 min., 3.001 m. Format 35 mm, b&w, cs Year film as a director Einmal ist keinmal (1955), he worked at of Production 1964 Original Version the DEFA Feature Film Studios. From 1965, Wolf was president German Subtitled Versions French, Spanish, of the GDR’s Academy of Arts. His major films include: English Sound Technology Mono German Genesung (1956), Lissy (1957), Sonnensucher (1958), Distributor Progress Film-Verleih GmbH, Berlin Sterne (1959), Der geteilte Himmel (1964), Ich war 19 (1968), Der nackte Mann auf dem Sportplatz (1974), Mama, ich lebe (1977) and Busch singt (six part series for GDR Television, 1982).

World Sales: Progress Film-Verleih GmbH · Christel Jansen

GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Burgstr. 27 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-24 00 32 25 · fax: +49-30-24 00 32 22 www.progress-film.de · email: [email protected]

32 Hitler – Ein Film aus Deutschland HITLER – A FILM FROM GERMANY

With Hitler – A Film From Germany, the great arc that began with the feature film Ludwig roughly a century before arrives at its conclusion. We do not see the figures of the Hitler past but actors playing them, as if on our behalf; nor do we see Hitler the person, but a film from Germany that Hitler directed, that was Hitler, the creation of his own fantasy. The structure of the work is a many-layered montage of sound and visual leitmotifs, and of references to history and film in the form of original documentary sound material from the 30s and 40s, of musical quotations and Syberberg’s own new projection technique. It is the most articulate expression to date of his theory of cinema as the music of the future, as inner projection and as the extension of life with other means. Scene from ”Hitler – A Film From Germany“ ”Hitler – A Film From Scene from

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Hans- Hans-Jürgen Syberberg was born on the 8th December, Jürgen Syberberg Director of Photography 1935, in Pomerania, eastern Germany. In 1947 he moved to Editor Jutta Brandstätter Rostock where he came into contact with the theatre, music Music by Gustav Mahler, W. A. Mozart, L. v. and cinema in the form of Sovexport and DEFA. He also came Beethoven Producer Bernd Eichinger Produc- into contact with Benno Besson of Brecht’s Berlin Ensemble tion Company TMS Film, Munich, in co-produc- and through him was invited by Brecht to Berlin where he tion with BBC, London, INA, Paris Principal made his first film, in 8mm. In 1955, he moved from East to Cast Heinz Schubert, Harry Baer, Peter Kern , studying literature and art history in Munich. André Heller Length 445 min., 12.233 m. Between 1963 and 1965 he produced over eighty television Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,33 Year of programmes and two music films about Fritz Kortner. In 1965 Production 1977 Original Version German he became his own producer. Syberberg’s works include, Subtitled Versions French, English Sound among others, Ludwig (1972), (1974), Technology Mono International Festival Winfried Wagner und die Geschichte des Hauses Screenings Cannes 1977, Melbourne 1980, Hong Wahnfried (1975), Hitler (1977), Parsival (1982), Kong 1989 German Distributor TMS Film, Die Nacht (1984/85), Fräulein Else (1986/87), Munich Penthesilea (1987) and Die Marquise von O. (1989).

World Sales: Cine-International Filmvertrieb · Lilli Tyc-Holm GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Leopoldstr. 18 · D-80802 Munich phone: +49-89-39 10 25 · fax: +49-89-33 10 89 www.cine-international.de · email: [email protected]

33 Der Untertan THE KAISER’S LACKEY

Diederich Heßling, a ”sissy“ and mother’s pet, is scared of everything and everyone. But as he grows up, he comes to realize that he has to offer his services to the powers- that-be, if he wants to wield power himself. His life motto now runs: bow to those at the top and tread on those below. In this way, he always succeeds: as a student in a duel- fighting student fraternity and as a business- man in a paper factory. He cajoles the obese district administrative president von Wulkow and wins his favours. He slanders his financial rivals and hatches a plot with the social democrats in the town council. On honeymoon with his rich wife Guste, he finally finds a chance to do his beloved Kaiser a favour. And when a memorial to the Kaiser is unveiled in the town where Diederich lives and works, he delivers the festive address. He stands behind the lectern in pouring rain, saluting ”his“ Kaiser. The crowd has dispersed. Everything is laid in ruins … Werner Peters Werner

Genre Feature Director Wolfgang Staudte Screen- Wolfgang Staudte was born in Saarbrücken on play Wolfgang Staudte, Fritz Staudte, based on a novel 9th October 1906 and appeared on the stage for Max by Heinrich Mann Director of Photography Reinhardt and Erwin Piscator. Working at DEFA after Robert Baberske Editor Johanna Rosinski Music 1945, he became widely known with the very first by Horst Hanns Sieber Producer Willi Teichmann German postwar feature film, The Murderers Production Company DEFA Studio für Spielfilme, Are Among Us (Die Mörder sind unter uns, Babelsberg Principal Cast Werner Peters, Paul 1946) and subsequently continued with Rotation Esser, Carola Braunbock Length 108 min., 2.968 m. (1949), the Heinrich Mann adaption The Kaiser’s Format 35 mm, b&w, 1:1,37 Year of Production Lackey (Der Untertan, 1951), and Die Ge- 1951 Original Version German Subtitled schichte vom kleinen Muck (1953). Staudte’s Version French Sound Technology Mono decision in 1955 to continue his work in the West for- German Distributor Progress Film-Verleih GmbH, ced him to compromise with commercial demands. Berlin In Roses For The State Prosecutor (Rosen für den Staatsanwalt, 1959) and Stag Party (Herrenpartie, 1964), he returned to his critical stance, connecting the fascist past with West Ger- many’s present. He died in Zigarsk (Slovenia) on 19th January 1984.

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

34 Die wunderbare Lüge der Nina Petrowna THE WONDERFUL LIE OF NINA PETROWNA

Nina Petrowna, the mistress of a rich Cossack Colonel, meets a young officer, Michael, at a social event. She gives up her previous life and moves in with him. The Colonel asks her to return to him, otherwise he will destroy Michael’s career. In order to save her lover Nina agrees, but, on return to his apartment the Colonel finds only her dead body. Brigitte Helm

Genre Feature Director Hanns Schwarz Screen- Born Ignatz Schwarz on the 11th February, 1888, play Hans Székely Director of Photography Hanns Schwarz, as he came to be known, studied Carl Hoffmann Music by Willy Schmidt-Gentner at Vienna’s Academy of Art before moving to Producer Arthur Kiekebusch Production Dusseldorf and later Paris to study architecture and Company UFA, Berlin Principal Cast Ekkehard painting. He then furthered his education by travelling Arendt, Harry Hardt, Brigitte Helm, Lya Jan, Franz to England, Egypt and around Europe. His entry into Lederer, Michael von Lewinski, Franz Schafheitlin, the film industry came purely by chance, when the Warwick Ward Length 102 min., 2.872 m. Format Bulgarian government commissioned him to make a cul- 35 mm, b&w, 1:1,33 Year of Production 1929 tural film. In 1925 he contracted to UFA, emigrating Original Version silent with German intertitles from Germany to England in 1933 and then to the Restored Version Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau- United States where, however, he gave up filmmaking. Foundation, Wiesbaden, restored by L’immagine Married to the actress Lissy Arna, he died in November Ritrovata, Bologna, under the direction of Nicola 1945 in Hollywood. A prolific director, Schwarz is Mazzanti and Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin Sound perhaps best known for his Ungarische Rhapsodie Technology Stereo German Distributor Transit (1928), The Wonderful Lie Of Nina Petrowna Film GmbH, Munich (1929), Bomben auf Monte Carlo (1931), Prince Of Arcadia (1933) and Return Of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1938). World Sales: Transit Film GmbH, Munich · Loy Arnold GERMAN CLASSIC MOVIE Dachauer Str. 35 · D-80335 Munich phone: +49-89-5 99 88 50 · fax: +49-89-59 98 85 20 www.transitfilm.de · email: [email protected]

35 alaska.de IN COMPETITION AT SAN SEBASTIAN Sixteen-year-old Sabine, permanently in trouble with her mother’s boyfriend, is sent to live with her father in a suburb of East Berlin. Feeling herself completely lost, the first person she meets is Eddie, a boy of her own age, and his best friend Micha. But Micha, two years older, is unemployed and in constant trouble with the police. His welcome home party turns into a nightmare as he, Eddie and friend Stefan get into a vicious fight with another boy. It’s Eddie who stabs the boy to death. It’s Sabine who walks in to see the bleeding corpse. It’s Micha she sees running away, the knife in his hands. The boys are terrified at what they’ve done. After a threatening phone call to silence Sabine Micha decides to take heavier measures. Things go from worse to … Jana Pallaske, Frank Droese Jana Pallaske,

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Esther Esther Gronenborn, who learnt her trade at the Gronenborn Director of Photography Jan Fehse Academy for Television & Film in Munich (HFF), has Editor Christian Lonk Music by Moser, Meyer, two specialities: documentaries and shorts. Among Döring Producers Eberhard Junkersdorf, Dietmar the latter can be counted the many music videos she Güntsche Production Company Bioskop-Film, has directed for such artists as Schweisser, Munich, in co-production with Shorts Productions, Spektacoolär, La Bouche, Touché and Alisha (for the Berlin, Studio Babelsberg Independents, Potsdam, ORB, Indian market). Her documentaries include Die Potsdam, Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Munich Principal Strasse zum Glück (45 minutes, video) about Cast Jana Pallaske, Frank Droese Length 89 min., China’s special economic zones, and I Wonder In 2.450 m. Format 35 mm, colour, cs Original Pornoland (30 min.). The latter, which she made Version German Subtitled Versions English, in 1990, was screened, among others, at the Max Spanish Sound Technology Dolby SR With Ophuls Festival in Saarbrücken and the Munich backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG Documentary Filmfest before gaining an arthouse Baden-Württemberg International Festival release. Not without a sense of humour, she has also Screenings San Sebastian 2000: In Competition directed a documentary satire, Sie schämen sich German Distributor Arthaus/ Filmverlag der ihrer Tränen nicht. Autoren Filmverleih GmbH, Berlin

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

36 L’Amour, l’Argent, l’Amour Florian Stetter, Sabine Hagenbüchle Florian Stetter,

Genre Feature Director/Producer Philip A road movie, a love story. Gröning Screenplay Philip Gröning, Michael Busch Directors of Photography Sophie When they meet she’s walking the streets, he’s just Maintignieux, Max Jonathan Silberstein, André been fired at the scrapyard. His arm is in a cast. It’s Bonzel Editors Max Jonathan Silberstein, Valdis winter. They love each other. Oskarsdottir Music Velvet Underground, Snow Patrol, Yo La Tengo, Calexico, Supersuckers, They leave. Fred Frith, Residents, Darlene Hofner, Bob Dylan, Mozart Production Companies A film about the coldness of the automatic machines, Philip Gröning Filmproduktion, Düsseldorf, the coldness of prostitution, the coldness of love that Balzli und Fahrer Filmproduktion, Bern, Solera is seeking warmth. Films, Paris, in cooperation with Taunus Film, Wiesbaden, in co-production with WDR, Basically, a fairy tale: How can two children survive Cologne, BR, Munich, arte, Strasbourg, SF DRS, in the winter? Bern, Teleclub AG, Zurich Principal Cast Sabine Hagenbüchle, Florian Stetter, Michael Schech, Dierk Prawdzik, Marquardt Bohm, Born in Düsseldorf in 1959, Philip Gröning studied Gerhard Fries, Kurt (the dog) Length 148 min., medicine and psychology before turning to filmmaking in 1982 4.049 m. Format 35 mm, colour, cs Original when he signed up for studies at the Munich Academy for Version German Subtitled Version English Television and Film (HFF). With his studies, Gröning develo- Sound Technology Dolby SRD With ped a passion for screen-writing and began to work as an backing from Filmstiftung NRW, EURIMA- actor for Peter Keglevic and Nicolas Humbert. His film credits GES, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, BKM, include award winning short films and the critically acclaimed Eidgenössisches Departement des Innern, feature films Summer (main prize at the Bergamo Film Kanton Bern International Festival Meeting) and The Terrorists! (Bronze Leopard at the Screenings Locarno 2000: In Competition Locarno Film Festival in 1992; presentation at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993). His latest film L’amour, l’argent, l’amour will have its world premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival.

IN COMPETITION World Sales: AT LOCARNO Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 37 Anna Wunder

A small German town in the early sixties, a summer full of surprises. 11-year-old Anna, on the threshold of puberty, has anything but a sheltered childhood. She not only has to take care of her whining brother Rolli, but more and more often of her unstable mother Sophie. Anna longs for a father who could take over everything, but there is no sign of him, neither among Sophie’s friends from the pub, nor in the shape of Uncle Franz, who meets with rejection from both Sophie and the children. When Anna finds out that her father, whom she thought dead, is actually alive, it is already too late for Sophie. She dies, and Anna runs away alone to France, in search of her father … Alice Deekeling, Renée Soutendijk Alice Deekeling,

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Ulla Now living in Cologne, Ulla Wagner studied Wagner Director of Photography Jolanta theatre, journalism and German studies at Berlin’s Dylewska Editor Lilo Gerber Music by Thomas Free University. Since 1981 she has worked in Osterhoff Producers Karl Baumgartner, Christoph film and television: as director’s assistant (the Friedel, Raimond Goebel Co-Producer Peter German-French co-production La Passante Reichenbach Production Company Pandora Film Du Sans-Souci), dramaturge, writer and director. Produktion, Cologne, in co-production with C-Films, Her television work includes the children’s series Zurich, in association with WDR, Cologne, arte, Regenbogenprinz (co-author and director), Strasbourg, Schweizer Fernsehen DRS, Zurich while among her short films are Unzeit, Max Principal Cast Alice Deekeling, Renée Soutendijk, Mal Vier and Error (all script and direction). Stephan Dellgrünn, Götz Schubert, Hanspeter Müller, As a writer, Wacholderzauber won her second prize Marlon Kittel, Imogen Kogge, Filip Peeters Length 90 in the Filmstiftung NRW’s treatment competition. min., 2.475 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 Her current film projects are Aus und vorbei Original Version German Subtitled Version and Anna Wunder. English Sound Technology Dolby SR With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, Bundesamt für Kultur des Eidgenössischen Departements des Inneren

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Thorsten Schaumann, Michael Weber Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 38 Der Boxprinz THE BOXING PRINCE

The film tells the life story of Norbert Grupe alias ”Prince Wilhelm of Homburg“. He was a fearsome boxing legend in the sixties and seventies and lived lavishly in the red-light district of Hamburg, borough of St. Pauli, ruining himself completely. ”A big German boxing promise“, that’s what they call him at the beginning. He is called the ”Beatle-Boxer“ because of his long hair. He is given the title of a ”Rowdy Boxer“ when his criminal activities outside the boxing ring intensify. After all, it's an explosive mixture between violence and pop which transformed him into one of the first German pop icons. Another aspect of his life story is his playing with the media, which he never quite under- stood. They limited his provocative manners but also encouraged his escapades in order to exhibit him in front of the audience. That is exactly the well-known mixture of the Germans’ double standard of moral and sensation. Norbert Grupe

Genre Documentary Director/Screenplay Gerd Born in Dessau, eastern Germany, in 1958, Gerd Kroske Director of Photography Susanne Schüle Kroske originally trained in the construction Editor Karin Gerda Schöning Music by Archie industry before moving into cultural work with young Shepp, Charly Parker Producer Gerd Kroske people and studying cultural sciences at Berlin’s Production Company Realistfilm, Berlin, in Humboldt University. He then studied directing at co-production with WDR, Cologne, SWR, Stuttgart, Babelsberg film-school, from 1987 working in the SR, Saarbrücken With Norbert Grupe alias ”Prince of DEFA documentary film studios. Kroske made his Homburg“ Length 100 min., 2.736 m. Format 35 directorial debut in 1989, with Cassiber, which mm, colour and b&w, 1:1,66 Original Version he also scripted. In 1991 he became a freelance German Subtitled Version English writer and director and five years later moved into Sound Technology Dolby SR With backing production. Among his many credits are the 1993/4 from Kulturelle Filmförderung Mecklenburg- Terminus Brest (Bahnhof Brest; Grand Prix du Vorpommern, MFG Baden-Württemberg, Filmbüro Cinéma du réel, Paris 1995), the 1996/7 Sweep It NW, FilmFörderung Hamburg International Up, Swig It Down (Kehrein, Kehraus; Runner- Festival Screenings Nyon 2000 (Prix du Long Up Price, Yamagata International Film Festival) and the Métrage), Vienna 2000 1996/7 Galera (1997 Audience Award, 2. Lobby- Filmfest, Frankfurt). His latest project is The Boxing Prince, which won the Prix du Long Métrage TSR – ex aequo –, Visions du réel 2000, at the Nyon film World Sales: please contact festival in Switzerland. Realistfilm · Gerd Kroske Lepsiusstr. 68 · D-12163 Berlin phone: +49-30-9 27 82 13 · fax: +49-30-9 25 87 01 www.boxprinz.de · email: [email protected]

39 Conamara Conamara is a love story that unfolds against the backdrop of everyday life in the remote landscape of Conamara in the West of Ireland. Maria is a Dutch woman married to Antaine, a local man. They live in Conamara with their nine-year-old daughter José. Their marriage has settled into a bearable rut, but it is shaken up by the arrival of Axel, a German with whom Maria had a brief affair twelve years ago. The affair, which is long over, is still a secret. Axel goes into business with Antaine and Maria. They plan to build an amphibious tour bus which can offer a unique touring opportunity to visitors. Axel and Maria’s affair is rekindled as they work together on the new venture. Her marriage and her relationships with the people most important to her are in jeopardy. Eventually she will have to make a choice. Darragh Kelly, Ellen Ten Damme, Andreas Schmidt Damme, Andreas Ellen Ten Darragh Kelly,

Genre Feature Director Eoin Moore Eoin Moore was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1968. From Screenplay Greg O'Braonain, Eoin Moore 1991, he was a student at the German Film & Television Director of Photography Michael Hammon Academy Berlin (dffb) as well as doing freelance work as Editor Dirk Grau Music by Warner Poland, a soundman and cameraman. He has increasingly concen- Kai-Uwe Kohlschmidt Producer Claus Boje trated his studies on screenwriting and direction. He Production Company Boje Buck Produktion, graduated in 1998 with Break Even (plus-minus Berlin Principal Cast Ellen Ten Damme, null). His other films are: Spiel mir das Lied vom Darragh Kelly, Andreas Schmidt, Rosaleen Linehan toten Trabbi (short, 1991), So oder so (short, 1992), Length 101 min., 2.763 m. Format 35 mm, Children Of Light (documentary, 1992), Digital colour, 1:1,85 Original Version English Video Ballet (short, 1993), Driver (short, 1993), Sound Technology Dolby Stereo German Loops Of Infinity (short, 1994), Der Duft des Distributor Delphi Filmverleih GmbH & Co. Mannes (short, 1994), Storm Rising (short, 1995), KG, Berlin Neuneinhalb Minuten (short, 1996).

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 40 AT LOCARNO Crazy PIAZZA GRANDE Sixteen-year-old Benjamin’s parents send him to boarding school. This is already his fifth school and it’s here he’s supposed to finally graduate and maybe even collect his diploma. But the important lessons take place after class: together with his five friends, Benjamin is looking for ”the meaning of life“. On their secret trips to the village, a strip bar, or a night- time visit to a girls’ dorm, they are all mightily concerned with one question, just what is this thing called life all about? Benjamin, who was born paralysed on one side, is scared about growing up. He feels abandoned by his parents who are wrapped up in their own marital problems. With girls, who for the most part find him strange, he has only bad luck. He dreams of experiencing his first time. Crazy is a story about good friends and first-time sex. About longing, dreams and the loneliness of young people facing the challenges of oncoming adulthood. Scene from ”Crazy“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Hans-Christian Schmid Hans-Christian Schmid was born in Altötting in Screenplay Hans-Christian Schmid, Michael 1965 and studied at the Academy for Television & Gutmann Director of Photography Sonja Film in Munich (HFF). He made his directorial debut Rom Editor Hansjörg Weißbrich Music by in 1989 with the documentary Sekt oder Selters Christoph M. Kaiser Producers Thomas Wöbke, and followed this with the short Das lachende Jakob Claussen Production Company Gewitter, the documentary Die Mechanik des Claussen + Wöbke Filmproduktion, Munich Wunders and the TV film Himmel und Hölle. Principal Cast Robert Stadlober, , His breakthrough came in 1995 with his feature Dagmar Manzel, Burghart Klaußner Length 97 debut It’s A Jungle Out There (Nach fünf im min., 2.653 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Urwald) which was his first script collaboration with Original Version German Subtitled Michael Gutmann. They have since worked together Version English Sound Technology Dolby on the screenplays for Gutmann’s TV film Nur für SR/SRD With backing from FilmFernseh- eine Nacht (1997) and Schmid’s second feature Fonds Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW, BKM, Bayeri- film 23 (1998). Crazy is Schmid’s third feature film. scher Bankenfonds International Festival Screenings Locarno 2000: Piazza German Distributor Constantin Film AG, Munich

World Sales: please contact Claussen + Wöbke Filmproduktion Jakob Claussen, Thomas Wöbke Herzog-Wilhelm-Str. 27 · D-80331 Munich phone: +49-89-2 31 10 10 · fax: +49-89-26 33 85 www.crazy-der-film.de · email: [email protected] 41 Desire

Desire is the story of Francis, a former piano prodigy, now relegated to performing in shabby lounges, seeking solace in drink and loveless sex. His barren existence is transformed when he unexpectedly finds love with an older woman, a lonely elementary school teacher. But their relationship ends in tragedy when she uncovers Francis’ unbearable secret. An emotional journey, Desire peels back layers of psychological skin, exposing the tortured heart of a man searching for his conscience. Miranda Grayson,Riemann, Zachary Katja Bennett

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Colleen Murphy was born in Quebec, Canada, Colleen Murphy Director of Photography and after university studied at the Strasberg Institute in Christophe Bonnière Editor Ron Sanders New York. Her radio drama Pumpkin Eaters won Music by Bill Thompson Producers Eberhard second prize in the 1990 CBC Literary Competition Junkersdorf, Elizabeth Yake, Dietmar Güntsche and the same year her screenplay, Terminal Station, Production Company Bioskop Film, Munich, was nominated for a Genie Best Original Screenplay. As in co-production with Subjective Eye Inc, Toronto, a 1994/95 director resident at the Canadian Film ZDF, Mainz, Telefilm Canada, Toronto Principal Center she completed her second short, The Cast Katja Riemann, Zachary Bennett, Joost Feeler, which won a Golden Sheaf Award at the 1996 Siedhoff, Graham Greene, Miranda Grayson Yorkton Film and Video Festival and was nominated Length 90 min., 2.450 m. Format 35 mm, for a Genie (Best Short) in 1996. She directed the colour, 1:1,85 Original Version English feature, Shoemaker, which won the Audience Dubbed Version German Sound Techno- Choice Award at the Toronto International Film logy Dolby SR German Distributor Festival (1996), shared the Ecumenical Jury Prize Arthaus Filmverleih GmbH, Munich (1997 Mannheim-Heidelberg) and was nominated for three (1998). Playwright-in-Residence at Necessary Angel Theater Company in Toronto, her 1998 play, Beating Heart Cadaver was nominated for a 1999 Chalmers Award. Colleen Murphy is writing two new plays, The Piper and Oxygen, and working on a new screenplay, Skeleton Lake.

World Sales: please contact Bioskop Film GmbH · Eberhard Junkersdorf, Dietmar Güntsche Rosenheimer Str. 143 D · D-81671 Munich phone: +49-89-4 09 09 20 · fax: +49-89-40 90 92 20 email: [email protected]

42 Eine Hand voll Gras A HANDFUL OF GRASS

Kendal (10) lives in very simple circumstances in a small Kurdish village until one day his uncle arrives. The uncle brings him to Germany. He works for Salim, a drug boss who has a special fondness for using children as dealers. They have barely arrived in Hamburg when his uncle is arrested. Hellkamp, the taxi driver, a loner who used to be with the police, picks up Kendal and reluctantly decides to look after him. But since he is not allowed to keep Kendal, the boy ends up in a children’s home. His uncle tracks him down to the home, and from then on, Kendal works as a drug dealer for Salim. He quickly turns into a tough young street child. In the children’s home Kendal is pestered and hassled by the older boys. Finally, his troubles force him to flee to the one person he can trust, the taxi driver Hellkamp. Gradually, a deep friendship now develops between the unresponsive Hellkamp and the lonely boy. In the end, Hellkamp decides to remove Kendal from his criminal milieu and to take up the fight against the drug boss Salim and his men. Arman Kuru

Genre Feature Director Roland Suso Richter Roland Suso Richter, born in 1961, achieved his break- Screenplay Uwe Timm Director of Photo- through with his first feature-length film for the cinema, Kolp graphy Martin Langer Editor Eva Schnare (1983). Following its screening at Cannes, the film was invited Music by Harald Kloser Producers Günter to numerous international film festivals, was nominated for the Rohrbach, Peter Herrmann Associate Producer German Federal Film Prize and the Bavarian Film Prize, and went Ulrich Limmer Production Company MTM on to win the 1986 Youth Video Prize. Sven’s Secret (1994) cineteve, Munich, in co-production with Kinowelt received countless awards including the 1996 Erich Kästner Prize Film, Munich, Bavaria Film, Munich, WDR, Cologne and the Rocky Award at the Banff Television Festival. Richter Principal Cast Oliver Korittke, Arman Kuru, Lisa enjoyed cinema success with Fourteen Days to Life Martinek, Ercan Durmaz, Yasmin Asadi Length (1997). For his outstanding work as director on The Bubi 114 min., 3.119 m. Format 35 mm, colour, cs Scholz Story (1998, TV) he received the Bavarian Television Original Version German Subtitled Version Award. After the Truth (1998) came to cinemas in the fall English Sound Technology Dolby Digital With of 1999. backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Film Förderung Hamburg, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) International Festival Screenings Munich 2000, Montreal 2000: In Competition German IN COMPETITION Distributor Kinowelt Filmverleih GmbH, Munich AT MONTREAL

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 43 Die Einsamkeit der Krokodile THE LONELINESS OF THE CROCODILES

If, as a child, you play the violin in the butcher’s shop of your parents, while your unmoved father cuts up animals for slaughter, then you’re facing a life full of contradictions, a life not easy to lead and certainly not without danger. Günther, an intellectual son of a butcher from East Westphalia, is considered an eccentric in his village, and not only because of his musical talent. He antagonizes his parents because at night he takes out the farmer’s pigs for a walk, in order to show them something other than the butcher’s bench. He strongly irritates his professor because he insists on writing about ”Plato and the Apaches“, and he earns the scorn of his peers because he is not interested in the girls from the village. But is this gentle, shy crankiness truly reason enough to voluntarily leave this life? To Elias, a young journalist from Hamburg, the alleged suicide of a distant cousin seems far too neat an end to a weird loner. So he travels to the village to find out more. When, of all people, he attracts the attentions of his landlady Heike, he has all the local men against him and finds himself in the role of the suspicious outsider. Nor are Günther’s parents pleased that posthumously somebody should show interest in their ”abnormal“ son. But Elias is unflustered and follows the few leads he can find. Via bizarre detours they lead him to Mary, a zestful African American. She tells him the story of their unusual love … Frederik Teschke Frederik

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Jobst Jobst Oetzmann was born in Hanover. He studied film Oetzmann Director of Photography Hanno Lentz and television drama at the Academy for Television & Film in Editor Christl Sukow Music by Dieter Schleip Munich (HFF). His first film, Der Condor opened the Producers Molly von Fürstenberg, Harald Kügler Turino Film Festival in 1988, Only You was shown at the Production Company Olga-Film, Munich Principal Hofer Filmtage in 1992. Since then he has made a name for Cast Thomas Schmauser, Janek Rieke, Rosemarie Fendel, himself primarily as a director of television crime program- Ernst Stötzner, Renate Krößner, Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey, mes. In 1994 he made four episodes of SOKO 5133 for Julia Jäger, Dynelle Rhodes, Frederik Teschke Length 95 ZDF, in 1995 these were followed by the pilot to the series min., 2.600 m. Format 35 mm, colour, cs Original SK-Babies for RTL. A year later he directed Der Neue, Version German Subtitled Version English Sound the pilot for the SWF crime series Kommissare Südwest, for Technology Dolby Digital With backing from which he also staged the episodes Der Verdacht (1997), Filmstiftung NRW, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmboard Tod im Feuer (1998) and Jenny (1998). In 1997, he Berlin-Brandenburg, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, made the Tatort programme Schwarzer Advent for BKM German Distributor Prokino, Munich Bayerische Rundfunk. This was nominated for the 1999 Grimme Prize. Most recently, he produced the television film Duell der Richter for SWF.

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 44 England! NEW DIRECTORS´AT SAN SEBASTIAN COMPETITION

England! is the story of the adventurer Valeri Sikorski from Chernobyl. When the doctors tell him that his days are numbered, Valeri takes off. England is his destination. But first he travels to Berlin to pick up his old friend Victor. He wants to take him along. But Victor has disappeared. And Valeri will look for him. Ivan Shvedoff

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Achim von Achim von Borries was born in Munich in Borries Director of Photography Jutta Pohlmann 1968. From 1989 to 1993 he studied history, politi- Editor Gergana Voigt Music by Daler Nazarov, cal science and philosophy at the Free University of Ingo Frenzel Producers Judy Tossell, Susanne Marian Berlin. Since 1993, he is a student at the German Production Company Tossell Pictures, Berlin, in Film and Television Academy dffb in Berlin. cooperation with ZDF, Mainz, Studio Babelsberg England! is his graduation film. His short film, Independents, Potsdam, dffb, Berlin Principal Cast Halberstadt (1998), won the Special Prize of the Ivan Shvedoff, Merab Ninidze, Anna Geislerovà, Jury and the Student Camera Award at the 1998 Chulpan Hamatova, Denis Burgazliev Length 96 min., International Film School Festival in Munich. He has 2.640 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original also worked on industrial films and commercials. Version German/Russian Subtitled Version In 1996/97, he conceived the TV series Berlin English Sound Technology Dolby Stereo With Boomtown. His other films are: Die letzte backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Sozialistin (1994, short), Mutantenstadl Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, Filmförderungs- (1994, short), Leipzig Express (1995) and anstalt (FFA) International Festival Screenings England! (2000). Munich 2000, San Sebastian 2000: New Directors’ Competition

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 45 Erkan & Stefan THE BUNNYGUARDS

Washington’s scandal of the century is about to be revealed. Through his connections to the underworld and for a huge amount of money, a Hamburg publisher succeeds in getting his hands on a tape with a recording of a secret and intimate conversation between a prominent public figure and an intern. However, just prior to the big press conference, the revealing tape is accidentally exchanged with his daughter’s Japanese lessons tape; she, unknowingly, flies to Munich with the evidence in her handbag. As soon as her father realizes what has happened, he tries to get the best bodyguards money can buy to protect her. However, thanks to the efforts of the German Secret Service and the CIA, both of which are eager to get their hands on the tape, Nina ends up with the two biggest goofs in town: Erkan and Stefan … On the run from German and American agents, Erkan and Stefan unintentionally leave a path of devastation and chaos behind them. Slowly but surely the men at the secret services are convinced that they are dealing with two hardnosed pros … Erkan Maria Moosleitner, Stefan Lust Erkan Maria Moosleitner,

Genre Feature Director Michael ’Bully‘ Herbig Michael ’Bully‘ Herbig was born in Munich on Screenplay Philip Weinges, Günter Knarr 29th April 1968 and trained to be a photographer. Director of Photography Stephan Schuh In 1992, he created the character ”Bully“ in a daily Editor Alex Dittner Music by Ralf Wengen- morning show on Munich’s radio GONG and mayr Set Design Ari Hantke Producers continued the show on Radio Energy from 1994 - Philip Voges, Mischa Hofmann Production 1996. He developed into one of the most prolific Company Hofmann & Voges Film, Munich, comedy writers with credits on such shows as Die in co-production with Constantin, Munich Bayern Cops, Die Männer von Isar 3 and Bully Late Principal Cast Erkan Maria Moosleitner, Stefan Night Show. He has written, directed, co-produced Lust, Manfred Zapatka, Tom Wilde, Alexandra and appeared in three seasons of the ProSieben Neldel Length 85 min., 2.371 m. Format 35 comedy sketch show Die Bullyparade which was mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version German nominated for a Montreux Rose this year. In 1998, Subtitled Version English Sound Herbig set up his own sound studio herbX Ton- Technology Dolby SR With backing from studio and released a CD entitled Bulli – Feines Fressi. Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), FilmFernsehFonds After having completed his first feature Erkan Bayern German Distributor Constantin Film & Stefan, his production company herbX Film AG, Munich GmbH is now working on the project Der Schuh des Manitu.

World Sales: Atlas International Film GmbH Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum Rumfordstr. 29-31 · D-80469 Munich phone: +49-89-2 10 97 50 · fax: +49-89-22 43 32 www.atlasfilm.com · email: [email protected] 46 AT MONTREAL Falling Rocks WORLD CINEMA A chartered DC3 Cargo-Liner flies a group of five friends across the wilderness of South Africa. Their destination, Nowhere; an abandoned airstrip close to the Namibian border. From here on the group starts a hiking trip, back to nature, away from the big city lights. For the first night, they set up camp next to a river. Sitting around the campfire they tell each other stories from past times, drink whisky and enjoy their company. Everyone is in a happy camper mood. Early next morning, they find the body of a dead parachutist by the river. The group examines the corpse and finds a box filled with uncut diamonds, roughly valued at $6 million. What to do? Inform the police? Turn back? But how? They can only move for- ward, there's no way back! No mobile phones, nor any other means of communication! Only at the end of their trip will they be able to inform the authorities. But do they really want to do that? Subtle discords begin to grumble and growl inside their heads, conflicts break out in the open. It’s not a good start for a trip back to nature. On the second day one of the group is killed, on the third day another. The circumstances are mysterious. Are they being followed? The deaths continue day by day until only two members of the group remain. A man and a woman. The trek through the wilderness has turned into a struggle of life and death. Chiara Schoras, Koen de Bouw Koen Chiara Schoras,

Genre Feature Director Peter Keglevic Screenplay Peter Keglevic was born in 1950 in Salzburg, Ron Peer, Ed Gardiner Directors of Photography Austria. After graduating highschool he worked for Hans-Günther Bücking, Alexander Fischerkoesen Editor four years as a bookseller. Since 1968 he has Moune Barius Music by Jürgen Ecke Producers Tom been extremely prolific, writing and directing nume- Zickler, Daniel C. Witte, Herbert Gehr Production rous radio plays, shortstories, theatrical pieces and Company TTD Checkpoint Berlin Filmproductions, in co- screenplays. He studied directing at the Mozarteum production with Seven Pictures, Munich Principal Cast Highschool for Music and the Performing Arts. During Claudia Michelsen, Koen de Bouw, Christoph Waltz, Anica his 1974 residency at Bochum’s Schauspielhaus he Dobra, Chiara Schoras Length 96 min., 2.620 m. played George Harrison in The Beatles. His first Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version television film was Im Zossener Bad (1976), a German Subtitled Version English Sound ZDF/ORF co-production. Since then, he has directed Technology Dolby Digital With backing from more than thirty films, among them Der Bulle und Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg International Festival das Mädchen (1985), Magic Sticks (1986), The Screenings Munich 2000, Montreal 2000 Skipper (1989), Die Roy-Black-Story (1996), Vicky’s Nightmare (1997) and Falling Rocks (1999). World Sales: Kinowelt International GmbH · Bettina Kunde Neue Schönhauserstr. 20 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 www.kinowelt.de · email: [email protected]

47 Freunde TRUST ME

Nils, Caro and Tayfun: the best of friends during their youth in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. But the friendship ended when Caro was unable to choose between the two boys. Six years later Nils and Tayfun meet again. Nils is now a police officer and takes part in a raid on a cafe, a hang-out for drug dealers. The cafe’s owner is Tayfun. To help him out Nils allows a packet of heroin, which had been stored there, to disappear. Nils is busted for his labor of love. The police put the heat on him and force him to collect evidence against Tayfun as undercover agent. But things really begin to fall apart when the police force Nils to go undercover against Tayfun. Officially, he’s been suspended from duty. Tayfun feels it’s his fault and welcomes his friend back with open arms. Benno Fürmann,Yildiz Erdal

Genre Feature Director Martin Eigler Born in 1964 in Cologne, Martin Eigler studied Screenplay Sönke Lars Neuwöhner, Martin German, theatre studies and philosophy in Berlin Eigler Director of Photography Michael graduating with a Master’s Degree in Theatre in 1991. Mieke Editor Dirk Grau Music by Johannes For the next year he worked as a freelance television Kobilke, Tom Reiss, Moe Jaksch Producers journalist before entering the German Film & Tele- Sigrid Hoerner, Anne Leppin, Martin Walz vision Academy in Berlin (dffb). Among his credits are Production Company monepenny filmpro- Gute Nacht Christine (short, 1993), Willis duktion, Berlin, in co-production with ZDF, Mainz, Requiem (short, 1994), Oktay Urkal (documen- dffb, Berlin Principal Cast Benno Fürmann, tary, 1994) and Saduj (short, 1996). His 1997 short, Christiane Paul, Erdal Yildiz, Erhan Emre, Irene 5 Minutes Ikarus won him second prize in the Kugler, , Matthias Schweighöfer German competition of the Munich International Length 106 min., 2.915 m. Format 35 mm, Festival of Filmschools 1998. Trust Me (Freunde, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version German 2000) is his graduation film. Subtitled Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR With backing from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film International Festival Screenings Munich 2000

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 48 Gripsholm Gripsholm plunges us into the pleasure-craving, decadent world of Berlin cabaret at the beginning of the 1930s. That was the time when the last taboos were torn down and fig leaves quickly became a thing of the past. Kurt is a pugnacious publisher and ironic author and, thanks to his risqué chanson lyrics, a celebrated star of many a revue. In a seemingly endless summer he travels to the castle of Gripsholm together with his girlfriend Lydia. Two of their friends, the seductive vaudeville singer Billie and the passionate flyboy Karlchen join the lovers in Sweden for a while to spend their vacation – thus causing further erotic turbulences. Even during his vacation Kurt is pursued by legal action initiated by the army of the German Reich. In one of his articles he had made the statement that "all soldiers are murderers"– a statement that is still highly controversial. Kurt sees the brownshirts looming on the horizon and decides not to return to Germany. Tucholsky once wrote: "You often think that love is stronger than time, but time is always stron- ger than love." This is what the four summer guests Kurt, Lydia, Karlchen, and Billie have to admit to themselves at the end of their sensual and boisterous, melancholic and bitter journey to the North. It is the summer of 1932, and soon nothing in Europe will ever be the same again. Scene from ”Gripsholm“ Scene from

Genre Feature Director Xavier Koller, based on the novel Academy Award-winning director Xavier Koller was ”Schloß Gripsholm“ by Kurt Tucholsky Screenplay Stefan born in the German-speaking canton of Schwyz in Kolditz Director of Photography Pio Corradi Editor Switzerland in 1944. After graduating acting school in Patricia Rommel Music by Kol Simcha Producer Thomas Zurich he found occasional work in film and television befo- Wilkening Co-Producers Ulrich Limmer, Rainer Kölmel, Alfi re making his directorial debut with the experimental film Sinniger, Danny Krausz, Kurt Stocker Production Com- Fano Hill (1969). Equally unconventional, his 1973 film, pany Thomas Wilkening Filmgesellschaft, Babelsberg, in co- Hannibal, received critical acclaim in Cannes. He then production with Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Munich, Catpics AG, directed a number of films for Swiss television, among Zurich, Dor Film, Vienna, in cooperation with ZDF, Studio them Galgensteiger. But it is his two films, the comedy Babelsberg Independents, SRG/SF DRS, Teleclub Principal Das gefrorene Herz and the educational Der Cast , Heike Makatsch, , schwarze Tanner (both based on the works of Swiss Marcus Thomas, Inger Nilsson, Leif Liljeroth Length dialect poet Meinrad Inglin), which earned him his reputati- 102 min., 2.791 m Format 35 mm, cs, colour Original on as a ”connoisseur of the sturdy and rugged“ (Tages- Version German Subtitled Version English Sound Anzeiger). Reise der Hoffnung, the story of the tragic Technology Dolby Digital With backing from Filmboard attempt by a Kurdish family to reach Switzerland won him Berlin-Brandenburg, EURIMAGES, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), the 1991 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, distributed in the States FilmFörderung Hamburg, the Federal Representative for by Miramax as Journey Of Hope. Koller then moved to Culture and Media, the Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Bern, California. For Disney he shot Squanto: A Warrior’s the Austrian Film Institute, European Script Fund, Media II, Tale while his rodeo drama, Hearts And Bones opens Succès Cinéma, ORF (Film-Fernsehabkommen) German this autumn. Gripsholm is the first European production Distributor Kinowelt, Munich he has directed since 1991.

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

His pupils play him up, he cannot get served in any of the hip bars he goes to, and even his permanently spaced out neighbor has a better social life: how square can you get? Daniel, a young physics teacher wouldn’t see happiness if it hit him in the face! But his drab life as a teacher is about to change ... he falls head over heals in love with a beautiful girl called Melek, and spontaneously decides to follow her to Istanbul. Daniel sets out for the long trip from Hamburg to Istanbul together with his crazy friend Juli, who sells jewelry and has always secretly worshipped Daniel. On this wild odyssey through south-eastern Europe he will discover a new self. He is beat up, seduced, robbed, for the first time on drugs and busted by Turkish border guards, yet Daniel learns to fight for his happiness. And after this long journey he finds out that love had always been with him … Christiane Paul, Moritz Bleibtreu Christiane Paul,

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Fatih Fatih Akin was born in Hamburg in 1973 of Akin Director of Photography Pierre Aim Turkish parentage. He began studying Visual Editor Andrew Bird Music by Ulrich Kodjo Communications at Hamburg’s College of Fine Wendt Producers Ralph Schwingel, Stefan Arts in 1994 and his collaboration with Wüste Film- Schubert Production Company Wüste produktion also dates from this time. In 1995, he Filmproduktion, Hamburg Principal Cast wrote and directed his first short feature, Sensin – Moritz Bleibtreu, Christiane Paul, Mehmet You’re The One! (Sensin – Du bist es!), Kurtulus, Idil Üner, Branka Katic Length 100 which received the Audience Award at the Hamburg min., 2.750 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 International Short Film Festival. His second short Original Version German Subtitled film, Weed (Getürkt, 1996), has received several Version English Sound Technology Dolby national and international festival prizes. His first full Digital With backing from FilmFörderung length feature film, Short Sharp Shock (Kurz Hamburg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, und schmerzlos, 1998) won the Bronze Leopard at Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) German the Locarno Film Festival in 1998, the Bavarian Film Distributor Senator Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin Award (best young director) in 1998 and was nominated for the German Film Award in 1999. In July is Akin’s second feature film.

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 50 Die Innere Sicherheit THE STATE I AM IN

For 15 years now, the parents have been leading an underground existence, hiding among the anonymous tourists on the beaches of Portugal. They have broken a taboo: they have conceived a daughter. A girl who has never swapped clothes with her friends, never skipped classes in school, camped out at lakes, got drunk and broken off with her boyfriend in ice-cream parlours. A girl who is alone. The parents are just about to establish some sort of legal identity for themselves in Brazil, when a slight negligence causes everything to fall apart around them. And again they are on the run, which brings them back to Germany. Meanwhile, their daughter has fallen in love. A love which will lead to a tragedy and destroy the family. Julia Hummer, Barbara Auer, Richy Müller Barbara Auer, Julia Hummer,

Genre Feature Director Christian Petzold Christian Petzold was born in Hilden in 1960, Screenplay Christian Petzold, Harun Farocki and studied German and theatre studies at the Free Director of Photography Hans Fromm Editor University in Berlin from 1982-89. He also attended Bettina Böhler Music by Stefan Will Producer the German Film & Television Academy (dffb) from Florian Koerner von Gustorf Production 1988-94, graduating with the film Pilotinnen Company Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, Berlin, (1994). His films include: Mission (short, 1987), in co-production with HR, Frankfurt, arte, Strasbourg Weiber (short, 1989), Süden (documentary Principal Cast Julia Hummer, Barbara Auer, short, 1990), Ostwärts (documentary short, Richy Müller, Bilge Bingül Length 100 min., 2.736 m. 1991), Das warme Geld (short, 1992/93), Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,66 Original Version Abzüge (1994), Cuba Libre (feature, 1995), German Subtitled Version English Sound Die Beischlafdiebin (feature, 1998) and Technology Dolby SR With backing from The State I Am In (Die Innere Sicherheit, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFörderung 2000). Petzold is currently working on his next Hamburg, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), BKM feature film, Toter Mann. International Festival Screenings Venice 2000 German Distributor TiMe, Munich

AT V E N I C E

CINEMA OF THE PRESENT World Sales: please contact Schramm-Film Koerner & Weber · Florian Koerner von Gustorf Bülowstr. 90 · D-10783 Berlin phone: +49-30-2 61 51 40 · mobile: +49-1 71-2 77 79 65 · fax: +49-30-2 61 51 39 email: [email protected]

51 Kalt ist der Abendhauch COLD IS THE EVENING BREEZE

”Perhaps it needs an entire life to be able to be happy for five minutes“ – Charlotte. For almost her whole life Charlotte has been waiting for the man whom she knows is the right one for her, Hugo, her sister’s husband. She lives her own life, survives war, husband and lover, has three children and, quite literally, a body in the cellar. At the end of her days, now aged over eighty, she meets her great love again. The fulfilment of this passion lies in its confirmation: Hugo has also realised, too late, that there was only one true love in his life. Fritzi Haberlandt, August Diehl

Genre Feature Director Rainer Kaufmann Rainer Kaufmann graduated from the Academy Screenplay Kathrin Richter, Ralf Hertwig, based for Television & Film in Munich (HFF) in 1990. He on the novel by Ingrid Noll Director of made several award-winning shorts, including The Photography Klaus Eichhammer Editor Ueli Most Beautiful Breasts In The World (Der Christen Music by , Andrej Hermlin schönste Busen der Welt, 1990). His first fea- Production Company Senator Film ture-length TV film, Dann eben mit Gewalt Produktion, Berlin Principal Cast Heinz (1992), won three major awards. His other films for Bennent, Gisela Trowe, August Diehl, Fritzi TV are One Of My Oldest Friends (Einer Haberlandt Length 124 min., 3.406 m. Format meiner ältesten Freunde, 1993), Unschulds- 35 mm, colour, cs Original Version German engel (1994), Talk Of The Town (Stadt- Subtitled Version English Sound gespräch, 1995), which was seen by over 1,7 million Technology Dolby Digital With backing cinema-goers on its German theatrical release, and from Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Greenhorn (1995). The Pharmacist (Die Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Mitteldeutsche Apothekerin, 1997) was his first film for the Medienförderung, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM cinema – followed in summer 1998 by Long Hello International Festival Screenings And Short Goodbye and in 2000 with Cold Is Montreal 2000: World Greats German The Evening Breeze (Kalt ist der Distributor Senator Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin Abendhauch).

World Sales: AT MONTREAL Amberlon Pictures · Norbert Maass WORLD GREATS 77 Oxford Street · GB-London W1D 2ES phone: +44-2 07-6 59 20 69 · fax: +44-2 07-6 59 21 00 email: [email protected]

52 Der Krieger AT V E N I C E und die Kaiserin DREAMS AND VISIONS THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR

Sissi, who has spent her life as a nurse in the seclusion of a psychiatric hospital, wants to find that mysterious man again who saved her life after a car accident and disappeared without a trace. By the time she finally tracks him down, she experiences how difficult it is to convince him of her love. She has to break out of her world and surpass herself in order to win over that wild and angry man. Tom Tykwer (photo © Jim Rakete) Tykwer Tom

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Tom Tom Tykwer was born in Wuppertal in 1965. He Tykwer Director of Photography Frank Griebe worked on various productions as production assi- Editor Music by Tom Tykwer, stant, script reader and assistant director. In 1994, his Johnny Klimek, Producers Stefan feature (Die tödliche Maria, Arndt, Maria Köpf Production Company X Filme 1993) was named the Best Film by the German Film Creative Pool, Berlin, in co-production with WDR, Critics’ Association, and Tykwer won the Eastman Cologne Principal Cast , Benno Support Award at the Hof Film Days and the Bavarian Fürmann, Joachim Król Length 129 min., 3.529 m. Film Prize for Best Newcomer Direction. He was also Format 35 mm, colour, cs Original Version co-author on Wolfgang Becker’s 1997 Berlinale com- German Subtitled Version English, Italian petition entry Life Is All You Get (Das Leben Sound Technology Dolby Digital ist eine Baustelle). In 1998 Tykwer was awarded With backing from Filmstiftung NRW, Filmboard a German Film Award in Silver in the ’Best film‘ category Berlin-Brandenburg, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, for Wintersleepers (Winterschläfer, 1997). Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), BKM International Run Lola Run (Lola rennt, 1998) was submitted Festival Screenings Venice 2000: Dreams and as the German entry for the 1999 Foreign Language Visions German Distributor X-Verleih AG, Berlin OSCAR. Tykwer is currently working on his next fea- ture film, Heaven.

World Sales: Le Studio Canal + · Daniel Marquet 17, Rue Dumont d’Urville · F-75116 Paris phone: +33-1-53 64 85 29 · fax: +33-1-47 20 29 58 email: [email protected]

53 Manila IN COMPETITION AT LOCARNO

Manila, International Airport. The flight to Germany is delayed. The passengers, enlivended by their travel experiences, begin exchanging stories. But everything they have encountered far from home is nothing compared to what their stories unleash. During the course of the night, the restaurant becomes a theatre, in the bathroom secrets are revealed and the waiting-area transforms into an opera hall featuring ”The Choir of the Captives of Manila“. Michael Degen, Chin-Chin Gutierrez

Genre Feature Director/Producer Romuald Romuald Karmakar was born in Wies- Karmakar Screenplay Bodo Kirchhoff, Romuald baden in 1965 and has been working as Karmakar Director of Photography Fred Schuler, an independent filmmaker since 1985. He A.S.C. Editor Music by Depth founded his own production company Pantera Charge, Kannabis The Edit Assassin, Ric Manrique Jr., Film GmbH in 1994. His 1995 feature The G. Verdi a. o. Production Design Rolf Zehetbauer won the Coppa Volpi at Venice Co-producers Renate Seefeldt, Gerd Huber, Hanno Film Festival and also received German Film Huth Production Company Pantera Film, Munich, in Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best co-production with Cobra Film, Munich, Senator Film, Actor. His films include: Eine Freundschaft Berlin Principal Cast Eddi Arent, Ana Capri, Margit in Deutschland (super 8, 1985), Coup Carstensen, Michael Degen, Herbert Feuerstein, Chin- de Boule (documentary short, 1987), Chin Gutierrez, Nina Heimlich, Sky du Mont, Ces Gallodrome (documentary short, 1988), Quesada, Peter Rühring, Martin Semmelrogge, Jürgen Hunde aus Samt und Stahl (documentary, Vogel, Manfred Zapatka and Elizabeth McGovern 1989), Demontage IX, Unternehmen Length 111 min., 3.037m. Format 35 mm, colour, Stahlglocke (documentary short, 1991), 1:1,85 Original Version German Subtitled Warheads (documentary, 1989-1992), The Version English Sound Technology Dolby SRD Tyrant Of Turino (Der Tyrann von International Festival Screenings Locarno 2000: Turin, documentary short, 1994), Infight In Competition With backing from FilmFörderung (documentary, 1994), The Deathmaker Hamburg, BKM, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) German (Der Totmacher, 1995), Frankfurt Distributor Senator Film Verleih GmbH, Berlin Millennium (Das Frankfurter Kreuz, TV, 1997), and Manila (2000).

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber,Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 54 Marmor, Stein, Eisen LOVE NEVER FAILS

She is the star of the show. Live, and week after week on TV. When Jennifer puts on her legendary smile, millions of viewers are overwhelmed. And one of them more than any- one else: Twenty-six year old Nicki Feldmaus. Nicki is madly in love with Jennifer. He has a crazy plan in mind; to kidnap Jennifer and to marry her in a little village at a far-eastern corner of the Baltic sea. He finds help in the shape of his best friend Koko, but they don’t have much time; Nicki is on a 48 hours parole from prison. TV star kidnapped by brutal criminals! Wolf Bullwitzer, the cynical producer of Jennifer’s show, senses huge ratings. Instead of calling the police he orders his camera team to go after them. The chase has begun. Jennifer gradually begins to like her companions, their against-all-odds life-style, and especially Koko. Towards the end of their journey she decides to marry both kidnappers. But first they have to get rid of the producer and talk a less than enthusiastic priest into blessing their unholy menage à trois. Frank Giering, Soraya Gomaa

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Hansjörg Author and director Hansjörg Thurn was born in Thurn Director of Photography Christof Wahl Hagen, Germany, in 1960. From 1980 to 1984 he studied Editor Horst Reiter Music by Guido Eickelmann film at the Filmhochschule in Dortmund, majoring in script- Producers Michael Helfrich, Tom Zickler writing and directing. Among his teachers were Adolf Production Company TTD Checkpoint Berlin Winkelmann, Krystof Zanussi and Frank Daniels. Since then, Filmproduction, Berlin Principal Cast Frank Giering, Thurn has created and directed a number of short films, Soraya Gomaa, Stephan Kampwirt, Ralph Herforth, documentaries and social features for television while his Koen de Bouw Length 92 min., 2.510 m. Format journalistic assignments include time spent in Japan, South 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version German Africa and Yugoslavia. Among his scripting credits are two Subtitled Version English Sound Technology episodes of Germany’s best-known TV-cop series, Dolby SR With backing from Filmboard Berlin- Schimanski, while his The Harpist (1996, writer and Brandenburg International Festival Screenings director) was selected by the Geneva Film Festival (1997) Ghent 2000, Munich 2000 with male lead Christian Anholt being nominated for his role as Best European Actor. Today, Thurn lives and works in Cologne. World Sales: Kinowelt International GmbH · Bettina Kunde Neue Schönhauserstr. 20 · D-10178 Berlin phone: +49-30-3 00 69 70 · fax: +49-30-30 06 97 79 www.kinowelt.de · email: [email protected]

55 Models

Joy is 24 years old and has been a covergirl fifteen times. But her career is in a slump. Her agent won’t even recommend her for the preliminaries of the Divine Contest. Joy’s old look doesn’t have a chance, she says. So Joy tries to get in on her own, meaning she needs new pictures. She goes out with star photographer Tom, but he wants services in return. She tries his assistant Christian. Joy’s girlfriend Andrea, who has just lost her job and her apartment, is also at the shoot. Just for fun, Joy makes her up and Christian takes some pictures of her, too. Andrea secretly submits them to the Divine Contest. Slowly but surely, it becomes clear that Andrea is not as innocent as she seems; only using Joy to get into modelling. And now she‘s having an affair with Tom, who is a member of the jury … Annett Renneberg, Marie Zielcke

Genre Feature Director Mark von Seydlitz Mark von Seydlitz was born in Dusseldorf Screenplay Dörthe Becker, Anni van der Linden, in 1961. At first, he worked as a free-lance unit Silke Neumayer Director of Photography Peter manager for commercials and as a copywriter. von Haller Editor Klaus Handorf Music by Martin He then studied business administration and Todsharow Producer Uschi Reich Production founded the D.O.S. Advertising Agency. Mark von Company Bavaria Filmverleih & Produktions GmbH, Seydlitz was the co-founder of the New York Geiselgasteig, in co-production with BR, Munich Communications Advertising Agency. In 1991, he Principal Cast Annett Renneberg, Marie Zielcke, founded M.I.M., Made in Munich Filmproduktion. In Markus Knüfken, Rolf Hoppe, Ralf Bauer Length 1998, he founded MPB, a film fund that finances 95 min., 2.600 m. Format s16 mm, colour, 16:9 international feature films. Since 1993, he has been Original Version German Sound Technology working as a producer and director. Seydlitz has Dolby International Festival Screenings directed over 150 commercials. His films are: Die Munich 2000 Todesfahrt der Ms Seastar (TV, 1998), www.killer.de (TV, 1999) and Models (2000).

World Sales: Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktions GmbH · Uschi Reich Bavariafilmplatz 7 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 28 73 · fax: +49-89-64 99 31 43 email: [email protected]

56 München – Geheimnisse einer Stadt MUNICH – SECRETS OF A CITY

What do women ticket inspectors dream about? What happens when two men realise they have loved the same woman? What do two boys who want a star’s autograph find out? And what does the solar eclipse have to do with it all? This is a film about Munich. Primarily, however, this is not a film about Munich. This is the fictive portrait of a city. Or the portrait of a fictive city. The city which everyone dreams of. And the dream which is every city. It is all about the way each individual’s biography is involved in the story of a city – and how the thousands of stories of a city also amount to something resembling a biography of that city. And the question asked is: What do you see when you take a magnifying glass to the city? And what pattern emerges when you follow the urban bustle? So the film begins with a child’s view of the distant, immense and shapeless unknown, composed of so many names and forms, concealing strange promises. And it ends with the dead eyes of a blind man, to whom nothing but memories remain. Munich – Secrets Of A City is an essay about life in cities, a mosaic made up of stories, longings and dreams, and a declaration of love to Munich – and to all other cities. Scene from ”Munich – Secrets Of ”Munich – Secrets Scene from A City“

Genre Feature/Essay Directors/Screen- Dominik Graf has won numerous prizes for his cinema films Treffer, play Michael Althen, Dominik Graf Director Die Katze, Tiger, Löwe, Panther, Spieler and Die Sieger, of Photography Martin Farkas Editor Rolf and for his television films Der Skorpion, Sperling und der Wilhelm Music by Dominik Graf, Helmut brennende Arm and Deine besten Jahre, and he is considered Spanner Producer Roland Mesmer one of the most distinguished directors in Germany. Production Company rome film, Munich, in co-production with BR, Munich Principal Michael Althen is film editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung; and has writ- Cast Jeanette Hain, Tim Bergmann, Annette ten three books about Rock Hudson, Robert Mitchum and Dean Martin. von Klier, Corinna Grözinger, Sandra Hediard Length 121 min., 3.327 m. Format 35 mm, Together, the two directors made Das Wispern im Berg der Dinge, colour and b&w, 1:1,66 Original Version a portrait of the actor Robert Graf – a film which was shown at the German Dubbed Version English Sound Panorama of the Berlinale and at the Cologne Conference, and which won Technology Dolby With backing from an Adolf-Grimme Prize in 1999. Munich – Secrets Of A City is their FilmFernsehFonds Bayern International second cooperation. Festival Screenings Locarno 2000: Critics`Week AT LOCARNO World Sales: CRITICS´ WEEK Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 57 Die Polizistin IN COMPETITION AT MONTREAL THE POLICEWOMAN

Concrete blocks, high-rise flats, grey voids of streets and monstrous shopping centres. The atmosphere in this problem district of Rostock is gloomy, even when the sun is shining. And it is here of all places that Anne arrives after completing her police training in Berlin. The 27-year-old, ordinary but by no means unattractive policewoman has no ties, and privately she is hoping for a new start, too. But everyday police work is dominated by slow-moving bureaucracy and the daily, more or less meaningful struggle with crime of every kind. Dealing with people whose reality is shaped by social poverty proves difficult for Anne; she is not always able to avoid getting involved. And her relationship to her colleague Mike is also ambivalent; on the one hand she is attracted to him, but as she is all too aware, he is married and has two small children. But when Anne meets up with ten-year-old Benny, who has no stability in his family and has been pilfering in supermarkets, she decides to look after him – and so meets Benny’s father Jegor, a small time Russian crook, to whom she feels strangely attracted. But Jegor cannot satisfy Anne’s longings, either … Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Axel Prahl Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Axel

Genre Feature Director Andreas Dresen Andreas Dresen was born in Gera in 1963. He was Screenplay Laila Stieler Director of an intern at the DEFA Feature Fim Studio from 1985- Photography Michael Hammon Editor 1986 and studied at the Academy for Film & Television Monika Schindler Producers Norbert Sauer, (HFF ”Konrad Wolf“) in Babelsberg from 1986-1992. Christian Granderath Production Company His first feature Stilles Land was awarded the Hesse Westdeutsche Universum-Film, Cologne Film Prize and the German Critics’ Award in 1992. He Principal Cast Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Axel directed ”Goethes Urfaust“ at the Staatstheater in Prahl, Jevgenij Sitochin, Paul Grubba, Katrin Saß, Cottbus in 1996 and made his second feature Night Horst Krause, Martin Seifert Length 97 min., Shapes (Nachtgestalten) in early spring 1998. 2.654 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Night Shapes won the German Film Award in Silver in Original Version German Subtitled 1999 and the Pilar Miró Award for the Best New Version English Sound Technology Dolby SR Director at the Valladolid Film Festival in 1999. His International Festival Screenings other films are: Der kleine Clown (short, 1985), Munich 2000, Montreal 2000: In Competition Schritte des anderen (short, 1986/87), Jenseits von Klein-Wanzleben (documentary, 1989), Zug in die Ferne (short, 1989/90), Stilles Land (1992), Mein unbekannter Ehemann (1995) and Raus aus der Haut (TV, 1997). World Sales: Bavaria Media GmbH – a corporate member of german united distributors · Rosemarie Dermühl Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 36 66 · fax: +49-89-64 99 22 40 email: [email protected] 58 Tolle Lage PERFECT SIGHT

The Vietnamese handyman Pit Sun, his girl-friend Anita, an insignificant bank clerk, who has just robbed his branch and – while at it – obviously enjoyed torturing his superior, his wife Natascha, who is disgusted both by this and his way of feeding the fish, and finally the boss Ralf, all play a part in the goings on at ”Perfect Sight“, a camping site in the former GDR. On this extraordinary day, the anniversary of the Sparwasser goal against the FRG will be celebrated, deserving regulars will be banned from the camp, and nothing will ever be the same again. The former pop star Michi Fanselow, to whom the girls of the GDR once threw their slips on stage, is going to give a big concert, and emotions will be released in a gathering storm. This debut film by director Sören Voigt grants us an eccentric, exhilarating and always sympathetic view of a series of supposedly grotesque figures on the edge of a reunited German society. Michi Fanselow

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Sören Voigt Sören Voigt, who made his feature debut with Director of Photography Hanno Lentz Tolle Lage (1999, which he also scripted), started Editor Gergana Voigt Music by Rainer Kirchmann his directorial career in the theatre, assisting at Producers Alexander Ris, Arthur Hofer, Lucas Cologne’s Schauspielhaus. He then attended film- Schmidt Production Company Mediopolis, Berlin, school in Lodz and Berlin, studying direction and scre- in co-production with Studio Babelsberg Independents, enwriting under such luminaries as Burkhart Driest, Potsdam, dffb, Berlin, ZDF, Mainz Principal Cast Ill- Rosa von Praunheim, Krassimir Krumov and Wolfgang Young Kim, Henriette Heinze, Paul Faßnacht, Astrid Becker. Among his writing and directorial credits are Meyerfeldt, Fritz Roth, Julia Hummer, Samuel Fintzi, the shorts Himmelfahrt (1994), Südstern Michi Fanselow Length 82 min., 2.255 m. Format (1995), Boomtown Berlin, Part 2 (1996), 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original Version German Abendbrot (1997), Bread An’ Butter (1997, Subtitled Version English Sound Technology TV documentary) and Streetcorner (1998, produ- Dolby SR With backing from Investitionsbank des ced and directed). Landes Brandenburg International Festival Screenings Saarbrücken 2000, Karlovy Vary 2000: Another View AT KARLOVY VARY ANOTHER VIEW World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. Of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 59 Und das ist erst der Anfang IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING

”This is the story of a pair of kindred spirits and the magic moments people experience. These are the stories that touch me and make me want to recount them; moments full of power and poetry“ – Pierre Franckh The attractive Anna, eager to live life to the full, has a boyfriend, the career-obsessed Thorsten, who continually gets on her nerves. After an argument, she gets to know a shy actor, Michael, completely by accident after dialling a wrong number. They stay on the phone, talking with each other for hours, and end up falling in love. Unfortunately, their connection gets interrupted before they have the chance to make a date. A seemingly hopeless search through the jungle of the city ensues. Actor Pierre Franckh’s directing debut is a game of time, chance, and luck, full of erotic turbulence. Julia Richter

Genre Feature Director/Screenplay Pierre Pierre Franckh started his acting career at the age Franckh Director of Photography Fred Schuler of six. He continued to act, even while at school, Editor Dagmar Lichius Music by Schallbau notching up performances in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Producers Christoph Meyer-Wiel, Michaela Merten and Goethe’s Faust at the prestigious Bayerisches Production Companies Talking Stick Filmproduc- Staatsschauspiel theatre. He made his first film appea- tions, Bonn, Schlemmer Film, Cologne, Senator Film, rance in 1958 and since then has continued to work Berlin, in cooperation with Sat.1, Berlin Principal on the stage (with residencies in Munich, Berlin’s Cast Julia Richter, René Hofschneider, Dieter Landuris, Renaissance Theater, Stuttgart and Frankfurt), before Clelia Sarto, Martin Armknecht Length 89 min., the film cameras and has featured in over two hun- 2.500 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 Original dred television productions. Among his credits in the Version German Subtitled Version English last two years are the German Film Award-winning Sound Technology Dolby Digital With backing Deathmaker (Der Totmacher, 1995, director from Filmstiftung NRW, Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf Romuald Karmakar, starring Götz George) and German Distributor Senator Film Verleih Frankfurt Millennium (Frankfurter Kreuz, GmbH, Berlin 1997, director Romuald Karmakar). It’s Just The Beginning is Franckh’s directing debut.

World Sales: please contact Schlemmer Film GmbH · Silvia Itscherenska Hansaring 80 · D-50670 Cologne phone: +49-2 21-9 12 75 10 · fax: +49-2 21-9 12 75 12 www.senatorfilm.de/anfang · email: [email protected]

60 Undertaker’s Paradise

A very English looking film about a young German undertaker who opens up shop in a pensioners’ paradise on the coast of Wales. But Hugo can’t seem to get his hand on a stiff. As far as his funeral parlor is concerned, business is dead. His competition has seen to that. Hugo receives unexpected support in the form of a former jazz musican from the States who has his own special way of providing him with his first dearly departed. Thomas Schmauser, Ben Gazzara Thomas Schmauser,

Genre Feature Director M. X. Oberg M.X. Oberg was born in Hamburg. He made Screenplay Tim Dabringhaus, M. X. Oberg the shorts Dreaming Is A Private Thing Director of Photography Martin Kukula (1986), based on a novella by Isaac Asimov, and Editors Barbara Gies, Mona Bräuer Music by Ein herrlicher Tag für Bananenfisch Niki Reiser Producers Jakob Claussen, (1994), adapted from a novella by J.D. Salinger, Thomas Wöbke Production Company before shooting his first feature-length film Claussen + Wöbke Filmproduktion, Munich Unter der Milchstrasse (1994) which was Principal Cast Thomas Schmauser, Ben shown at several international film festivals and Gazzara, Emma Catherwood Length 93 min., was awarded the Max Ophüls Prize in 1995. In 2.500 m. Format 35 mm, colour, 1:1,85 1998, he shot his first film in English language – Original Version English Dubbed Version Undertaker’s Paradise – on location in German Sound Technology Dolby SRD Wales. With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW, Filmboard Berlin- Brandenburg, Filmbüro NW, Media Programme of the European Union, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), BKM International Festival NEW DIRECTORS´AT SAN SEBASTIAN COMPETITION Screenings San Sebastian: New Directors’ Competition German Distributor Buena Vista International (Germany) GmbH, Munich

World Sales: Bavaria Film International · Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH Michael Weber, Thorsten Schaumann Bavariafilmplatz 8 · D-82031 Geiselgasteig phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 · fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 www.bavaria-film-international.de · email: [email protected] 61 Venedig – Als hätten wir geträumt VENICE – LIKE A DREAM

It’s seven o’clock in the morning, Venice is getting ready for the day. The camera glides over the dark waters in which the golden light of sunrise is broken by the ripples. A cargo boat ferries the camera between the Giudecca and the Zattere into the still undisturbed city. On its early morning journey the camera leads us through the Dorsoduro district. Here students, workers and small businessmen live: the Venetians. As if out for a walk, the camera catches people’s everyday lives, far removed from the hordes of tourists. These are the day’s most beautiful hours, in which Venice belongs to the Venetians: the street-sweeper, the cheese seller, the cobbler, the old woman who sells wine, the porter, the bar owner … The camera captures without pause, which is to say with few edits, the everyday face of Venice: casually and yet still coloured by the things which have always typified life here in the city. The film is a gentle glide over bridges, past canals and through alleys which open out onto squares, only to dive back into the narrow passageways and the city’s labyrinth. On this visually exciting journey the camera, in the style of cinéma direct, constantly encounters the people living in Venice, giving us a personal insight into their lives. Scene from ”Venice – Like A Dream“ – Like ”Venice Scene from

Genre Documentary Director Wolfgang Ettlich Wolfgang Ettlich was born in Berlin. He studied political Screenplay Wolfgang Ettlich, based on texts by Cees science and mass communications in Munich. In 1978, he Noteboom Director of Photography Hans Albrecht started working free lance in the documentary division of Lusznat Editor Henry Hauck Producer Wolfgang Ettlich Bavarian Broadcasting. He formed his own production com- Production Company MGS Filmproduktion, Munich pany in 1985 and since then has made over thirty documen- Length 113 min., 3.091 m. Format 35 mm, colour, taries of varying length. His films include: Banana Of All 1:1,85 and Digibeta, 16:9 Original Version German Things (Ausgerechnet Bananen, 1991), Get Your Sound Technology Stereo Digital With backing Finger Out (Irgendwie Power machen, 1994; 1995 from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM International Grimme Award), New Orleans – City Of Jazz (1995), Festival Screenings Munich 2000 German Yesterday Is Today (Gestern ist heute, 1996), Distributor MGS Filmproduktion, Munich Sönke Wortmann (1996), Capitalism Is Fun (Kapitalismus macht Spaß, 1996) and We’ll Be Keeping On (Wir machen weiter, 1999, nomination World Sales: please contact for the German Film Award in 1999). MGS Filmproduktion · Wolfgang Ettlich Georgenstr. 121 · D-80797 Munich phone: +49-89-1 23 64 65 · fax: +49-89-1 23 64 99 email: [email protected]

62

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ARRI Media Worldsales Cine-International Filmvertrieb please contact Antonio Exacoustos jun. GmbH & Co. KG Türkenstr. 95 please contact Lilli Tyc-Holm, Susanne Groh D-80799 Munich Leopoldstr. 18 phone: +49-89-38 09 12 88 D-80802 Munich fax: +49-89-38 09 14 33 phone: +49-89-39 10 25 fax: +49-89-33 10 89 www.cine-international.de Atlas International Film GmbH email: [email protected] please contact Dieter Menz, Stefan Menz, Christl Blum Rumfordstr. 29-31 Cinepool D-80469 Munich please contact phone: +49-89-21 09 75-0 Wolfram Skowronnek fax: +49-89-22 43 32 Sonnenstr. 21 www.atlasfilm.com D-80331 Munich email: [email protected] phone: +49-89-55 87 60 fax: +49-89-55 87 61 88 email: [email protected] Bavaria Film International Dept. of Bavaria Media GmbH please contact Michael Weber, DWF Thorsten Schaumann Dieter Wahl Film Bavariafilmplatz 8 please contact Dieter Wahl D-82031 Geiselgasteig Sörgelstr. 15b phone: +49-89-64 99 26 86 D-81477 Munich fax: +49-89-64 99 37 20 phone: +49-89-53 27 21 www.bavaria-film-international.de fax: +49-89-53 12 97 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

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64 EXPORTERS

german united distributors Road Sales GmbH Programmvertrieb GmbH Mediadistribution please contact Silke Spahr please contact Ulrich Felsberg, Valentina Lori Richartzstr. 6-8a Clausewitzstr. 4 D-50667 Cologne D-10629 Berlin phone: +49-2 21-92 06 90 phone: +49-30-8 80 48 60 fax: +49-2 21-9 20 69 69 and fax: +49-30-88 04 86 11 email: [email protected] www.das-werk.de and email: [email protected] Bavaria Media TV Vertrieb please contact Rosemarie Dermühl Roxy-Film GmbH & Co. KG Bavariafilmplatz 8 please contact Michael Waldleitner D-82031 Geiselgasteig Schützenstr. 1 phone: +49-89-64 99 36 66 D-80335 Munich fax: +49-89-64 99 22 40 phone: +49-89-55 53 41 email: [email protected] fax: +49-89-59 45 10 email: [email protected]

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65 Kino imprint

published by:

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

ISSN 0948-2547

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

© Export-Union des Deutschen Films

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

Editors Susanne Reinker, Julia Basler

Production Reports Simon Kingsley

Contributors for this issue Martin Blaney, Peter Körte, Erika Richter

Translations Simon Kingsley, Lucinda Rennison

Design Group Werner Schauer Agentur für Design und Kommunikation

Art Direction Werner Schauer

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66 Export-Union of German Cinema Shareholders and Supporters

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

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

Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH Hainstr. 19, D-04109 Leipzig phone: +49-3 41-26 98 70, fax: +49-3 41-26 98 76 5 www.mdm-foerderung.de email: [email protected] Visit our website for our current festival and market line-up www.bavaria-film-international.de