One of the highlights of this year’s
20th anniversary Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival for us at the Goethe-Institut is that
two of the seven German co-productions chosen out of thousands of submissions
were produced in collaboration with our colleagues around the world.
Dr. Stephan Wackwitz, who runs the
Goethe-Institut Georgia, describes the roundabout way THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR --our co-presentation with Hot Docs this year-- came into being:
“Like most artistic achievements, THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR is a misunderstanding that came to something...
The Goethe-Institut Tbilissi had asked filmmaker Tinatin Gurchiani to create a short about the self-image of young Georgians as part of a regional project on “Identities“. That short film never materialized. Instead, Tina surprised us with this brilliant and internationally successful film. And we are more than happy to be able to say that we contributed to its development. Which goes to show you that authentic art is often not plannable. But always surprising.”
THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR is Gurchiani’s first film. It went straight on to win the
Sundance Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Here’s a clip from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Award Ceremony with a short jury statement –Canada, please note our very own ex-Hot Docs director Sean Farnel on the left proudly sporting the maple leaf—and Gurchiani’s acceptance. And
here, TG talks a bit more about her film, its concept and curious title.
Tinatin Gurchiani was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, studied painting, dance, and psychology before moving to Germany and Austria for her postgraduate studies. She went on to study directing at the renowned University of Film and Television Konrad Wolf in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany, where she graduated with honours. During her stay, Gurchiani won the German Academic Exchange Service
DAAD Award for artistic and social engagement in film. The Potsdamer Neuste Nachrichten quotes her on her Georgian-German life:
“I wanted to define my roots far away from Georgia. I wanted to take a step back from my identity in order to be able to better observe it.“ In an Indiewire interview, she expanded on that notion: “I went to Germany when I was 18, alone. During this time it was very chaotic in Georgia. I tried to find myself somewhere else. Since then I have studied painting, choreography, photography, graduated university with a degree in psychology, and later got my PhD.
These experiences have been an important part of my life, but all of them are really steps on the path to my goal of making films.”
The other film produced with the help of the Goethe-Institut is Uli Gaulke's AS TIME GOES BY IN SHANGHAI about Shanghai's literally oldest jazz band --with an average age of 76, they hold the Guinness World Record for having "performed ever night over 20 years". Gaulke will be at Hot Docs courtesy of German industry body
German Films, alongside his colleague Inigo Westmeier with his German-Chinese doc DRAGON GIRLS.
Dr. Claus Heimes in Shanghai recalls Gaulke's scouting and production trips for AS TIME GOES BY IN SHANGHAI, which the Goethe-Institut supported in 2011 and 2012: "When Uli Gaulke and producer Helge Albers approached us with the idea for a film about the old jazz band at the Peace Hotel, we were immediately on board. Gaulke’s docs have become classics and are hugely represented in the Goethe-Institut’s film programs across the world. When we show one of his films here in Shanghai, the Institut regularly bursts at the seams. That our famous Shanghai band is the protagonist of his latest is ground for celebration. Our audiences can’t wait to see the film after its Hot Docs premiere.”
AS TIME GOES BY IN SHANGHAI plays May 1+2. As a teaser to the real thing, you can watch the TV
rough cut .
THE MACHINE plays Hot Docs Apil 27, April 29, May 2. Watch this beautifully mesmerizing trailer to convince you to go see it, wherever you are. A review of the film will follow here shortly.
Email jutta.brendemuehl@toronto.goethe.org for a chance to win 1 of 2 single tickets to the screening on April 27, 1pm. (Only the 2 winners will be contacted.)
by Jutta Brendemühl, Goethe-Institut Toronto
