State repression in the old GDR (Communist East Germany, known to Germans as the DDR) seems likely to provide potent dramatic material to Germany's film and TV writers and directors for years to come.
Having first found a mass audience with the likable yet somewhat gentle satire of Good Bye Lenin!, the topic went deadly serious with last year's Oscar-winning The Lives of Others and continues in this vein with this festival's gripping Border of Despair, written by Annette Hess and directed by Miguel Alexandre
Made as a two-part TV mini-series screening in Germany as Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie (literally The Woman from Checkpoint Charlie), this true-life story screens in the festival as a double feature program, with a short break between the two parts. Over its three hours running time the filmmakers compellingly recreate the epic struggle of a woman named Sara Bender (Veronica Ferres) to escape the respressive GDR with her two chldren.
The first part charts her attempt to leave the country by intially travelling to Romania with the children under a false passport - an ultimately unsuccessful attempt depicted with great suspense.
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Saturday, April 26. 2008
Border of Despair offers another powerful insight into repression in the old GDR
German Film Awards 2008 announced
Edge of Heaven turned out to be the big winner at this year's Lolas, winning best film, best screenplay, best director and best editor. Fatih Akin was congratulated for his fine filmmaking achievements by the German Film Academy that offers the most prestigious prizes of any world film awards: 3 million Euros in total.
Cherry Blossoms won best actor (Elmar Wepper) and best costume design.
The Wave won best supporting actor (Frederick Lau).
Best actress went to Nina Hoss for Yella while best supporting actress went to Christine Schorn (Frei Nach Plan/According to the Plan)
Best sound went to Trade
The Silver Bronze for best film went to Cherry Blossoms, while the Bronze Award went to The Wave
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to notable German filmmaker: Alexander Kluge who I had the pleasure of meeting while I was in Germany at the Munich Film Festival last year.
Peter Krausz
Cherry Blossoms won best actor (Elmar Wepper) and best costume design.
The Wave won best supporting actor (Frederick Lau).
Best actress went to Nina Hoss for Yella while best supporting actress went to Christine Schorn (Frei Nach Plan/According to the Plan)
Best sound went to Trade
The Silver Bronze for best film went to Cherry Blossoms, while the Bronze Award went to The Wave
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to notable German filmmaker: Alexander Kluge who I had the pleasure of meeting while I was in Germany at the Munich Film Festival last year.
Peter Krausz
Thursday, April 24. 2008
Book in advance - many sessions continuing to sell out
Book in advance: that's the message from this year's swollen audiences and sell-out sessions.
Festival organiser Klaus Krischok found it hard to disguise his elation when I rang him in Brisbane today for feedback on box office results so far.
I suggested that, judging from the crowds at Sydney's Chauvel, where I've been seeing the films, audiences seem to be much bigger than last year.
"You wouldn't believe it," said Krischok, director of Goethe-Institut Sydney, adding that around the country ticket sales are up by at least 30% and "by early Monday in Melbourne we'd already exceeded sales (in that city) for last year."
He said that with a large number of sessions selling out, filmgoers should book in advance rather than turning up at the cinema and hoping for the best. While some members of the public have asked for repeat screenings - two have been arranged in Sydney on Monday - the festival is unfortunately restricted in what it can do because the film prints are on a tight international touring schedule and must leave the country before next Tuesday.
Krischok puts the 2008 festival's popularity down to three things - the program selection (a mixture of crowd-pleasers and more challenging titles); better marketing in which individual titles have been brought to the public's attention; and greater audience familiarity with the venues, which last year were nearly all new to the event.
Most excitable audiences? The Brisbane schools program screenings of Max Minsky and Me and Runaway Horse. For some reason these children's screenings have been much stronger in the Queensland capital than other states since their introduction.
Festival organiser Klaus Krischok found it hard to disguise his elation when I rang him in Brisbane today for feedback on box office results so far.
I suggested that, judging from the crowds at Sydney's Chauvel, where I've been seeing the films, audiences seem to be much bigger than last year.
"You wouldn't believe it," said Krischok, director of Goethe-Institut Sydney, adding that around the country ticket sales are up by at least 30% and "by early Monday in Melbourne we'd already exceeded sales (in that city) for last year."
He said that with a large number of sessions selling out, filmgoers should book in advance rather than turning up at the cinema and hoping for the best. While some members of the public have asked for repeat screenings - two have been arranged in Sydney on Monday - the festival is unfortunately restricted in what it can do because the film prints are on a tight international touring schedule and must leave the country before next Tuesday.
Krischok puts the 2008 festival's popularity down to three things - the program selection (a mixture of crowd-pleasers and more challenging titles); better marketing in which individual titles have been brought to the public's attention; and greater audience familiarity with the venues, which last year were nearly all new to the event.
Most excitable audiences? The Brisbane schools program screenings of Max Minsky and Me and Runaway Horse. For some reason these children's screenings have been much stronger in the Queensland capital than other states since their introduction.
Wednesday, April 23. 2008
And Along Come Tourists - a new approach to the Holocaust that looks at its complex effects on the present
With a subject as overwhelmingly powerful as the Holocaust there is always new cinematic ground to break. While that means we have to witness such offensive sentimentalism as Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful, fortunately more sensitive filmmakers are continuing to search for new ways of approaching the inexpressible.
Some filmmakers are now looking at the subject by sidestepping direct examinations and looking at the way such dark history affects contemporary life. A notable example is British documentary filmmaker Rex Bloomfield’s quietly powerful 2005 film KZ, which examined the effect of the former Austrian death camp of Mauthausen on the local townsfolk, the tourists and the guides who daily take them around the site. (The same year another UK filmmaker, Jes Benstock, made a similarly themed 10 minute short, The Holocaust Tourist.)
Screening as part of the festival is And Along Come Tourists (Am Ende kommen Touristen), a subtle and thoughtful fictional film from German writer-director Robert Thalheim and his script collaborators Bernd Lange and Hans-Christian Schmid, inspired by Thalheim’s experiences working as a tourist guide at the former death camp at Auschwitz.
Lynden Barber (continues next page)
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Some filmmakers are now looking at the subject by sidestepping direct examinations and looking at the way such dark history affects contemporary life. A notable example is British documentary filmmaker Rex Bloomfield’s quietly powerful 2005 film KZ, which examined the effect of the former Austrian death camp of Mauthausen on the local townsfolk, the tourists and the guides who daily take them around the site. (The same year another UK filmmaker, Jes Benstock, made a similarly themed 10 minute short, The Holocaust Tourist.)
Screening as part of the festival is And Along Come Tourists (Am Ende kommen Touristen), a subtle and thoughtful fictional film from German writer-director Robert Thalheim and his script collaborators Bernd Lange and Hans-Christian Schmid, inspired by Thalheim’s experiences working as a tourist guide at the former death camp at Auschwitz.
Lynden Barber (continues next page)
Continue reading "And Along Come Tourists - a ... »
German Films find distributors in Australia
It is very pleasing to be able to report that four films have definitely been picked up for Australian distribution, with two others still in discussion:
Edge of Heaven, The Wave, The Counterfeiters and Rabbit Without Ears have achieved distribution deals, while And Along Came Tourists and Cherry Blossoms are close to achieving a distribution deal. This is certainly the best result we have had since the Festival of German Films began in Australia.
Edge of Heaven, The Wave, The Counterfeiters and Rabbit Without Ears have achieved distribution deals, while And Along Came Tourists and Cherry Blossoms are close to achieving a distribution deal. This is certainly the best result we have had since the Festival of German Films began in Australia.
Tuesday, April 22. 2008
Discussion after And Along Came Tourists
After a packed screening of Am Ende Kommen Touristen/And Along Came Tourists last Friday evening in Melbourne, we had a very interesting discussion with Gideon Reuveni, from the University of Melbourne and myself about the themes explored in this excellent film. In particular we looked at the notions of reconciliation, remembrance and moving forward, and whether the subtle Jewish theme about the Holocaust and contemporary impact in the Polish town adjacent to Auschwitz was explored adequately in the film. The audience was very responsive and keen to contribute to the discussion, providing a range of comments that meant the discussion ran for almost one hour.
The consensus seemed to indicate that it was good to see filmmakers like Robert Thalheim explore difficult historical issues through a contemporary filter, and like other German filmmakers, willing to challenge the audience without rejecting or denying what happened. The notion of guilt and coping with that past, including the Stasi era as well, is an important part of the process of moving forward and ensuring that it never happens again in Germany. I was very pleased to see how interested the audience is in discussion around some of the films in the festival, and provides a value-added approach to screening a range of films.
Peter Krausz
The consensus seemed to indicate that it was good to see filmmakers like Robert Thalheim explore difficult historical issues through a contemporary filter, and like other German filmmakers, willing to challenge the audience without rejecting or denying what happened. The notion of guilt and coping with that past, including the Stasi era as well, is an important part of the process of moving forward and ensuring that it never happens again in Germany. I was very pleased to see how interested the audience is in discussion around some of the films in the festival, and provides a value-added approach to screening a range of films.
Peter Krausz
Sunday, April 20. 2008
The Edge of Heaven
It was terrific to see Sydney’s Chauvel cinema packed out on Saturday evening for The Edge of Heaven , the latest feature from writer-director Fatih Akin, whose powerful Head-On (Gegen die Wand), announced to the world that German cinema was again on the creative upspring when it won the Berlinale’s Golden Bear in 2004.
This new feature is a gripping, briskly paced, compellingly acted and strikingly unpredictable film, marked by an impressively bold script that won Akin the best script prize at Cannes in 2007.
This is not a conventional, linear story, rather a multi-strand narrative consisting of three inter-linked stories played out serially in three sections and linked by a complex time scheme. Though obviously very different in genre and tone, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction would appear to be an influence on its narrative structure.
Continue reading "The Edge of Heaven " »
This new feature is a gripping, briskly paced, compellingly acted and strikingly unpredictable film, marked by an impressively bold script that won Akin the best script prize at Cannes in 2007.
This is not a conventional, linear story, rather a multi-strand narrative consisting of three inter-linked stories played out serially in three sections and linked by a complex time scheme. Though obviously very different in genre and tone, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction would appear to be an influence on its narrative structure.
Continue reading "The Edge of Heaven " »
Saturday, April 19. 2008
Opening Night in Melbourne
Around 450 people crowded the Como Cinema in Melbourne on Thursday night as the Festival of German Films was launched on two screens by Klaus Krischok, who is jetting around the country: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane in his tireless quest to promote the festival. The opening night film served as a good contrast from last year's intense drama Vier Minuten/Four Minutes which is now out on DVD in Australia. Kirschbluten/Cherry Blossoms-Hanami is a gentle film from veteran filmmaker Doris Dorrie, about life, love and death, and the way families and culture can influence these events. The audience responded strongly to this emotional, but not sentimental film, and the excellent use of locations in Bavaria, Berlin and especially Tokyo. The contrast between the hustle and bustle of city life, and the urbane country life is well represented through the depiction of Butoh dancing, a central part of the film's narrative. Discussing the film with many party-goers afterwards (many had to wipe away tears) indicated a strong, positive response to the film, and its effectiveness as an opening night choice. What also is quite clear, is that there is a strong audience response to the film festival overall, with some sessions already selling out. This clearly indicates that German Cinema has been revitalized and is finding not just a local German audience, but a good international audience. The next 10 days will be particularly exciting as panel discussions, q & as and meeting Jurgen Vogel and Martin Gypkens take centre stage.
Peter Krausz
Peter Krausz
Thursday, April 17. 2008
Reclaim Your Brain - Hans Weingartner and Katharina Held follow up The Edukators
Writer-director Hans Weingartner and his co-writing partner Katharina Held made an international reputation with 2004’s impressive The Edukators, in which radicals broke into bourgeois homes just to mess with the owners’ minds. Weingartner is still intrigued by counter-cultural rebellion, though his approach on his latest film, Reclaim Your Brain (also known in English as Free Rainer), could hardly be more different in tone.
The film stars Moritz Bleibtreu – always good value and especially mesmerising here - as a self-hating reality TV producer who has a coke-fuelled breakdown and decides to subvert the ratings system that he blames for turning the German public into idiots. Somewhere around the half-way point he manages to get together a band of unemployed losers to successfully hack into the ratings network and rig the results. Imagine, in other words, a film comprised roughly equal parts Network, Falling Down and The Full Monty.
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The film stars Moritz Bleibtreu – always good value and especially mesmerising here - as a self-hating reality TV producer who has a coke-fuelled breakdown and decides to subvert the ratings system that he blames for turning the German public into idiots. Somewhere around the half-way point he manages to get together a band of unemployed losers to successfully hack into the ratings network and rig the results. Imagine, in other words, a film comprised roughly equal parts Network, Falling Down and The Full Monty.
Continue reading "Reclaim Your Brain - Hans ... »
Tuesday, April 15. 2008
Klaus Krischok, director of Goethe-Institut Sydney, talks about the festival line-up and a great year for German cinema at the domestic box office
With only a few hours to go before the festival kicks off I managed to grab Klaus Krischok, director of Goethe-Institut Sydney, to ask for his overview on this year's festival and the remarkable popularity of German cinema at the German box office this year.
LB: Firstly congratulations on what looks like a terrific line-up of films Klaus .
KK: Thanks - We are very happy about the line-up!
LB: German films have performed very strongly at the German box office this year, particularly Rabbit Without Ears. The film, which you've secured for this year's program, has been on Germany's Top Ten film chart for four months now.
KK:The surge of interest in local films has helped to boost total admissions for films by a third during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same time last year - with an impressive 24% of the total being for German films. This is pretty amazing.
LB: So what lies behind this increased popularity for German films at home? Is it just the fluke of one particularly successful film - ie. Rabbit - or do you think this represents a wider trend?
KK: The Rabbit-factor, hmmm?! In a globalised society people are increasingly appreciative of specific and authentic stories and more and more critical of "one-size-fits-all" answers. Germany like any other country has a continuing love affair with Hollywood, but these days German audiences are keen to supplement their film diet with stories from their own background and with topics that relate to their own experiences.
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LB: Firstly congratulations on what looks like a terrific line-up of films Klaus .
KK: Thanks - We are very happy about the line-up!
LB: German films have performed very strongly at the German box office this year, particularly Rabbit Without Ears. The film, which you've secured for this year's program, has been on Germany's Top Ten film chart for four months now.
KK:The surge of interest in local films has helped to boost total admissions for films by a third during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same time last year - with an impressive 24% of the total being for German films. This is pretty amazing.
LB: So what lies behind this increased popularity for German films at home? Is it just the fluke of one particularly successful film - ie. Rabbit - or do you think this represents a wider trend?
KK: The Rabbit-factor, hmmm?! In a globalised society people are increasingly appreciative of specific and authentic stories and more and more critical of "one-size-fits-all" answers. Germany like any other country has a continuing love affair with Hollywood, but these days German audiences are keen to supplement their film diet with stories from their own background and with topics that relate to their own experiences.
Continue reading "Klaus Krischok, director of ... »
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