cover_GFQ_2_2009_neu_lila.qxp 29.04.2009 14:23 Uhr Seite 1 German Films Quarterly 2 · 2009 ADDRESSING THE ISSUES The German Producers Alliance A TENDANCY FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS Florian Gallenberger CREATING SOMETHING MAGIC Maria von Heland CINEMATIC DIVERSITY Film1 NEW FACETS OF A NICE LAD Kostja Ullmann GFQ_U2_Inh1.qxp 28.04.2009 19:35 Uhr Seite 1 In Competition ANTICHRIST by Lars von Trier German Co-Producer: Zentropa International/Cologne World Sales: TrustNordisk/Hvidovre In Competition INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS by Quentin Tarantino German Co-Producer: Studio Babelsberg/Potsdam World Sales: Universal Pictures International/Los Angeles In Competition THE WHITE RIBBON by Michael Haneke German Producer: X Filme Creative Pool/Berlin World Sales: Les Films du Losange/Paris Un Certain Regard EYES WIDE OPEN by Haim Tabakman German Co-Producer: Riva Film/Hamburg World Sales: Films Distribution/Paris Un Certain Regard FATHER OF MY CHILDREN by Mia Hansen-Løve German Co-Producer: 27 Films Production/Berlin World Sales: Les Films du Losange/Paris Un Certain Regard INDEPENDENCE by Raya Martin German Co-Producer: Razor Film/Berlin World Sales: Memento Films International/Paris Un Certain Regard THE WIND JOURNEYS by Ciro Guerra German Co-Producer: Razor Film/Berlin World Sales: Elle Driver/Paris GERMAN FILMS AND CO-PRODUCTIONS 2009 of the Cannes Film Festival in the official program GFQ_U2_Inh1.qxp 28.04.2009 19:35 Uhr Seite 2 Special Screening JAFFA by Keren Yedaya German Co-Producer: Rohfilm/Berlin & Leipzig World Sales: Rezo Films International/Paris Directors’ Fortnight AJAMI by Scandar Copti & Yaron Shani German Co-Producer: TwentyTwenty Vision/Berlin World Sales: The Match Factory/Cologne Critics’ Week ALTIPLANO by Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth German Co-Producer: Ma.Ja.De Fiction/Leipzig World Sales: Meridiana Films/London Critics’ Week HUACHO by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras German Co-Producer: Pandora Film/Cologne World Sales: Films Distribution/Paris Critics’ Week LOST PERSONS AREA by Caroline Strubbe German Co-Producer: Network Movie/Cologne World Sales: UMEDIA/Paris Critics’ Week TOGETHER by Eicke Bettinga Producer/World Sales: Piggott-Bettinga Filmproduktion/Aurich All photos courtesy of producers and world sales agents. Credits not contractual. Inhaltsverz_GFQ2_2009.qxp 29.04.2009 10:34 Uhr Seite 1 German Films Quarterly 2 · 2009 portrait 6 ADDRESSING THE ISSUES A portrait of the German Producers Alliance directors’ portraits 10 A TENDANCY FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS A portrait of Florian Gallenberger 12 CREATING SOMETHING MAGIC A portrait of Maria von Heland producers’ portrait 14 CINEMATIC DIVERSITY A portrait of Film1 actor’s portrait 16 NEW FACETS OF A NICE LAD A portrait of Kostja Ullmann 18 news in production 22 BOXHAGENER PLATZ Matti Geschonneck 23 FAKTOR 8 Rainer Matsutani 24 FREED PIGS Tomasz Thomson 24 GERHARD RICHTER Corinna Belz 25 GLUECKLICHE FUEGUNG Isabelle Stever 26 DAS HEILIGE LAND TYROL Philipp J. Pamer 27 JANE’S JOURNEY Lorenz Knauer 27 JERRY COTTON Cyrill Boss, Phillip Stennert 28 KENNEDYS HIRN Urs Egger 29 LIEBE MAUER Peter Timm 30 MASSEL! Dirk Regel 31 RENN, WENN DU KANNST Dietrich Brueggemann 32 SASCHA Dennis Todorovic 33 VISION Margarethe von Trotta 34 WENN DER VATER MIT DEN SOEHNEN Wolfgang Ettlich 34 WOMB Benedek Fliegauf Inhaltsverz_GFQ2_2009.qxp 29.04.2009 10:34 Uhr Seite 2 new german films 36 66/67 – EINE FAMILIE IST GENUG 66/67 – ONE FAMILY IS ENOUGH Carsten Ludwig, Jan-Christoph Glaser 37 ALLES FUER MEINEN VATER FOR MY FATHER Dror Zahavi 38 DIE BESTEN BEERDIGUNGEN DER WELT BEST FUNERALS IN THE WORLD Ute Wegmann 39 DIE DREI FRAGEZEICHEN – DAS VERFLUCHTE SCHLOSS THE THREE INVESTIGATORS IN THE SECRET OF TERROR CASTLE Florian Baxmeyer 40 HAT DER MOTOR EINE SEELE? DO ENGINES HAVE A SOUL? Wolfgang Ettlich, Andreas Dirr 41 IM ANHANG: LEBENSLAUF CV ATTACHED Andrea Schorr 42 DIE KOREANISCHE HOCHZEITSTRUHE THE KOREAN WEDDING CHEST Ulrike Ottinger 43 DIE LEIDEN DES HERRN KARPF. DER GEBURTSTAG THE SUFFERING OF MR. KARPF. THE BIRTHDAY Lola Randl 44 PINK Rudolf Thome 45 RABENTAGE RAVEN DAYS Thomas Haaf 46 SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT Detlev Buck 47 WAGAH Supriyo Sen 48 WAS DU NICHT SIEHST Wolfgang Fischer 49 WASSER UND SEIFE SOAP AND WATER Susan Gluth 50 DAS WEISSE BAND – EINE DEUTSCHE KINDERGESCHICHTE THE WHITE RIBBON Michael Haneke 51 DIE WILDEN HUEHNER UND DAS LEBEN WILD CHICKS AND LIFE Vivian Naefe 52 WITHIN THE WHIRLWIND Marleen Gorris 53 DAS ZIMMER IM SPIEGEL THE ROOM IN THE MIRROR Rudi Gaul 56 film exporters 59 foreign representatives · imprint A portrait_Producers Alliance.qxp 29.04.2009 10:35 Uhr Seite 1 PORTRAIT Dr. Christoph E. Palmer, Alexander Thies (photo Richter) © Lorenz Christoph E. Palmer, Dr. The Allianz Deutscher Produzenten – Film & Fernsehen competitive conditions for the production and media market in an e.V. (German Producers Alliance) was founded in March 2008 effective and efficient way. The Producers Alliance is managed by CEO by the members of the Association of German Entertainment Dr. Christoph E. Palmer with three section heads – Prof. Dr. Producers (AGEP), the Bundesverband Deutscher Fernsehpro- Mathias Schwarz (Cinema), Prof. Dr. Johannes Kreile duzenten (Association of German Television Producers) and film20. (Television), and Prof. Dr. Oliver Castendyk (Entertainment). Last summer the Alliance’s membership was further boosted by the NFP’s Alexander Thies is serving as the chairman of the associa- decision of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Neuer Deutscher Spielfilm- tion’s board, with Uli Aselmann and Holger Roost-Macias as produzenten (Association of New Feature Film Producers) to join. deputy chairmen. The central goal of the Producers Alliance is to establish itself within a media environment subjected to constant and rapid changes as an Contact: independent interest group for German producers of film, television Allianz Deutscher Produzenten and other audiovisual works. The Producers Alliance aims to speak up – Film & Fernsehen e.V. on both a national and international level for the interests of pro- Charlottenstrasse 65, 10117 Berlin/Germany ducers vis-a-vis politicians, exploiters, tariff partners, and all cor- phone +49-30-206 70 88 0, fax +49-30-206 70 88 44 porations of the media and cultural economy in order to create fair email: [email protected], www.produzentenallianz.de ADDRESSING THE ISSUES A portrait of the German Producers Alliance A new, strong and united voice championing producers’ interests has Association of German Television Producers and the lobbying group appeared in the German film landscape with the creation of the film20 to establish the Alliance which was formally constituted a year Allianz Deutscher Produzenten – Film & Fernsehen ago in March 2008. e.V. (German Producers Alliance). The Alliance’s membership was further boosted by the decision of the Two years of negotiations preceded the decision by members of the Association of New Feature Film Producers to join last summer, and Association of German Entertainment Producers (AGEP), the the association remains open for further members such as the pro- german films quarterly portrait 2 · 2009 6 A portrait_Producers Alliance.qxp 29.04.2009 10:35 Uhr Seite 2 ducers of animation or documentary films. The central goal of the Producers Alliance is to establish itself within a media environment subjected to constant and rapid changes as an With offices in Berlin and Munich, the Alliance has been managed independent interest group for German producers of film, television since last November by the CEO Dr. Christoph E. Palmer, who and other audiovisual works. The Producers Alliance aims to speak up spent a decade shaping media and arts policy in Baden-Wuerttem- on both a national and international level for the interests of pro- berg’s regional government as well as chairing the European affairs ducers vis-a-vis politicians, exploiters, tariff partners, and all cor- committee in the Bundesrat upper chamber in Berlin. porations of the media and cultural economy in order to create fair competitive conditions for the production and media market in an Moreover, he served for 12 years from 1996 as the supervisory board effective and efficient way. chairman of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Film Academy in Ludwigsburg and saw the establishment of such initiatives as the Institution for “We have replaced the previous fragmentation with a common front Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction and the Franco- to represent the producers’ interests,” Palmer explains. “This has German Master Class. been accepted by our clients, whether it is the four broadcasting groups – ARD, ZDF, ProSiebenSAT.1, or RTL – or the other pro- “Apart from my political background, I am, by profession, a manage- fessional associations for the distributors, video industry, exporters ment consultant,” Palmer explains. “Thus, I am always addressing the and exhibitors. In addition, the creation of the Alliance has been very issues affecting the Alliance’s members from an economic point of well received on a political level.” view. I know how small the margins are in this business and the risks the producers are taking, but it is important to preserve this land- At the Alliance’s first AGM on the eve of this year’s Berlinale, an scape of medium-sized production companies.” action plan of twenty primary goals was unveiled, which the orga- nization intends to work towards during 2009. “We don’t have a film industry per se,” he continues. “There are some big names like Bavaria Film, Studio Hamburg, Ufa or Constantin, They include such activities as raising the profile of the producer’s but the majority of production houses are medium-sized ones who profession in the public eye, developing press and PR activities and a are fighting each day to be able to finance their productions.” modern corporate identity, and organizing events during the Film Industry Summit in June and the Munich Media Days in October. As Palmer notes, there are between 140-150 companies operating in Germany in the field of production who could be potential members “Political lobbying is naturally one of our key activities as a profes- of the Producers Alliance.