German Film @ Canada - Goethe-Institut

Onwards, and not forgetting – The Canadian Opera Company's Johannes Debus on Hanns Eisler’s music for the film “Kuhle Wampe”


Eisler’s music doesn’t illustrate, doesn’t just accompany or go for the manipulative, superficial and overwhelming effect of evoking emotions. Eisler aims at adding to the intentionally unsentimental, unromantic and laconic quality of the film an independent, autonomous musical commentary.

Be it a baroque prelude, hectic mechanical rondos that remain unresolved, agit-prop songs, a parody of nursery rhymes, poor people’s street music with a singing saw or ironic march quotations: Eisler’s music is moving without being sentimental. It takes a stand, gets involved, shakes things up - and it requests of its viewers/listeners to be equally alert.

Continue reading "GOETHE FILMS: COC's Johannes Debus on Eisler's..." »

Summer is upon us, and as much as I love it, it sure ain’t the best of times for new arthouse films. So, fast forward with a look at noteworthy German films in production/coming soon that we will get to see over the next months and 2014. As I was writing this, the list got so long that I will have to split it in half and continue next Friday with The Great German Directors.

Let's start on the soft side of arthouse: In 11th century Persia, a surgeon’s apprentice disguises himself as a Jew in order to study at a school that does not admit Christians. If this sounds familiar, you have probably read Noah Gordon’s books. In April I was lucky to attend the premiere of filmmaker Philipp Stölzl directing Wagner’s Dutchman at the Staatsoper Berlin, where a critic mentioned that Stölzl (YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE, which we showed at last year’s GOETHE FILMS to a full house) was just finishing THE PHYSICIAN (Der Medicus) -- starring Ben Kingsley, Stellan Skarsgård and one of Germany’s new shooting stars, Elyas M’Barek (TURKISH FOR BEGINNERS). The lavish, 2-hour+ UFA production --entirely financed with German money, 26m Euros of it to be exact-- and shot at Germany’s Castle Querfurt and in Marokko, opens this Christmas. (trailer) Continue reading "In Production (& win Wenders' WINGS)" »