The Magical Journey of the Useless Things
A film by Katja Schupp and Hartmut Seifert, 90/60 min., HD
Every time when the annual removal of bulky refuse is just a couple of days ahead, dozens of old Mercedes sprinters cue in the narrow, tiny streets of the villages around Mainz, Germany, block traffic, while their drivers jump out and skim through the piles of garbage to find whatever can be used or sold again way back home. The number plates reveal: some come from Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltics, also from Germany. But most of them are coming from Poland. For some inhabitants the traffic and the people are entertainment. But onlookers with concerned faces, looking suspiciously at the Polish visitors, are still a common picture.
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The Competitors – Russia’s Wonder Children 2
At the age of eighteen, Irina Tschistjakowa can already look back at a ten-year international career of concerts. Irina was the youngest of the four protagonists in the documentary film Russia’s Wonder Children, which celebrated its original premiere at the Berlinale 2000. Ten years later, the young geniuses of yesteryear are now competitors in the tough field of music. They now experience the tragedy that befalls many child prodigies: while they were still children, they could amaze the public through the contrast between their delicate appearance and precocious ability—but now, it is all about the sublimely perfect performance and the top prizes at competitions, as well as simple luck. They all want to attain the pinnacle of the Mount Olympus of piano playing, but the air there is very thin. And there is only enough room for a handful of talented virtuosos.
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Starfighter – A High Tech Death
copyright Ullstein/dpa
A documentary by Kai Christiansen, 89/45 minutes, HD, stereo
Comm. editors: Christian von Behr, RBB, Uwe Bergmann, RBB, Alexander von Sallwitz, NDR
Funded by Filmstiftung NRW (development) Filmförderung Hamburg/ SHH (Production)
The documentary film “Starfighter – A High-Tech Death” tells the story of the procurement of the most modern combat aircraft of the time and the mysterious crash and death of over 100 pilots.
In the 60s, the West German Air Force had over 900 Starfighter supersonic fighter-bomber aircrafts of the model 104G in service ? to the initial jubilation of the pilots, for the speed and acceleration of the new fighter jets were exceptional. But the new technology proved tricky: one-third of the machines crashed, and every second crash proved fatal for the pilot.
copyright Ullstein/dpa
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Noble Breed – How To Breed Successful Horses
Horseback riding has become one of the most popular sports in Europe and attracts millions of people. German horses dominate the international tournaments. At the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, 40% of the horses originally came from Germany and half of the show jumping horses from Holstein. This film looks into how Germany was able to become such a horse “superpower” and whether this position remains unchallenged. In doing so, the film also pursues some curious historical paradoxes. When the National Socialists overran and occupied Poland, for example, German equine specialists took over the nation’s state studs. Noble, half-breed horses for the military had traditionally been bred there using English and Arabian thoroughbreds, and the Germans learned from this.
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From Ramstein with Love
A film by Irene Langemann, 2009, HD, 89 min.
Comm. editors: Gudrun Hanke-El Ghomri, SWR, Jutta Krug, WDR, Frauke Sandig, DW
Since the end of World War II, American armed forces have been stationed in Ramstein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The fascination for the “American way of life” has not only cast a spell over many Germans there, but it has also left visible traces in the area. On the Ramstein Air Base, the largest US air base found on foreign soil, one even has the impression of being in “Little America”.
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The Breeding of a New Mankind
Documentary by Boris Karadjev & Wolfgang Bergmann
In the early period of the Soviet Union breathtaking experiments have taken place. Crossbreeding between man and ape; blood refreshment by transfer; fixing conditional reflexes to the genes; artificially inseminating women by sperms of genius men, everything seemed to be possible in this short time period, ending 1936 with mass murdering of so called opponents.
The film will lighten this period by archive footage, authentic places and with the words of specialists.
After the victory of Bolshevist revolution breeding of “a new man” (in a broad sense – new mankind) became one of the main goals of grandiose experiment carried out at “one sixth part of the earth”.
The struggle for “a new man” had not only ideological reasons. Strange, as it may appear at the first sight, but its active development was stimulated by disease and death of Bolshevist leader Vladimir Lenin. Lenin’s death became alarming signal for his comrades. Communist elite rushed to doctors’ rooms requiring to prolong their lives due to the newest medical discoveries. Different scientists were involved in the solution of this problem. An old Lenin’s comrade and later his ideological opponent Alexander Bogdanov, physician, philosopher and science fiction writer was among them.
His speculative novel Red Star, , narrates the life of selected inhabitants on Mars. The people there are truly connected by blood: The elder and younger Martians exchange blood regularly and, as a result, becomes “blood brothers.” The Martians have also long recognized that the mixing of one’s own blood with that of other people is rejuvenating for the whole body. In 1924 Bogdanov began to experiment with blood transfusions on real humans. The blood of old and young people was exchanged, just like in his novel. He often experimented on himself, and he kept track in his records of the improvements of his general condition, production capacities and appearance. Following 11 successful experiments, Bogdanov undertook another blood transfusion with a student who was suffering from a form of tuberculosis. Bogdanov hoped to transfer his own immunity onto the student. But, with the 12-th time, the tragedy happened – 54-year scientist died. The supposable reason of his death – it was the so-called rhesus incompatibility. But it had not been known by that time – blood Rhesus – factor would be discovered only in 1940.
LIVERPOOL – BEAT CITY
A documentary by Irene Langemann
Germany 2008; Running time: 60 minutes
Most people in Europe are familiar with Liverpool as the poor, former industrial city where The Beatles began their international career. Today, the city not only enjoys the well earned reputation as a new and fabulous cultural center, but has even been chosen the European City of Culture for 2008. The Film is an appreciation on Liverpool and its fascinating cultural life.
THE MEN/APE EXPERIMENT
Lichtfilm proposed to MDR (Heribert Schneiders/Katja Wildermuth) a historical documentary about the men/ape breeding experiment in the Sovietunion of the 30th. They failed at that time. Today hybrid breeding is possible and done and seems to be ethicly accepted by the western societies.
The 52 minute film will be produced in HD and released in December 2008 and be broadcasted at first on ARTE.
Liverpool – Beat City by Irene Langemann
As an order from ZDF/ARTE, Hans-Robert Eisenhauer, Irene Langemann will realize a 52-60 minute documentary about Liverpool as a city in transition from downwards poor industrial to a cultural capital second after London. Of course the Beatles will play…
The film will produced in HD, 52-60 minutes and released in December 2008
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THE COMPETITORS – RUSSIA’S WONDERCHILDREN 2
A documentary by Irene Langemann
At June 22nd the shooting of the continuation of the new film started in Moscow. A love story and confession for music starts again.
When we began in early 2007 with the financing of the film, we would not have believed how difficult this turned out to be. At the end we did it.
We built some sequences of old and new footage to give you an idea of the film project!!
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RUBLYOVKA – ROAD TO BLISS
Festivals:
International Filmfest Munich, 2007
Viennale, 2007
Golden Chest International TV Festival, 2007
Kasseler Documentary and Videofest, 2007
Awards:
The Standard Viennale readers’ Award 2007
The Prize for Direction of Photography, 2007
NO MORE KILLING
A documentary by Wolfgang Bergmann
Germany. 2007. Running time: 94, 89 and 58 minutes
Non-lethal weapons were promoted and used to humanize social and political conflicts: in other words, to make sure no one dies during demonstrations and arrests.
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THE DAY MY HUSBAND FALL OUT OF HEAVEN
A film project by Kai Christiansen
In the 60s and 70s nearly 300 fighter jets of the Federal German Air Force, known as “Starfighters”, crashed and more than 100 pilots lost their lives. Never during peacetime have more soldiers been killed. The depth of this trauma of German post-war history can be gauged by the fact that no film has ever explored the dramatic human and political dimension of this tragedy.
In more than 20 locations, from the Allgäu to the Baltic Sea, author Kai Christiansen has found contemporary witnesses for the projected film. He meets women who break their silence often kept over many years and speak of the day their husbands fell from the sky. Pilots serving at the time speak of their addiction to flying, but also of those agonizing seconds when they lost control of their plane and just barely managed to save themselves by parachuting. An attorney reveals a secret file from the Federal Ministry of Defence in Bonn, which analyzes the causes of the fighter jet crashes.
Further research in Norway, Italy and the USA will follow. The camera work is projected for 2008.
The development of the project is funded by the Filmstiftung NRW (Film Foundation Northrhine-Westphalia).
Format: 90 minutes.
ARABIC BLOOD
A documentary by Wolfgang Bergmann
German equestrian sport and horse breeding have become a dominant power in the last three centuries. Horses of German breeding and training are „export hits“, and they win the most of the prizes in dressage and horse-jumping contests worldwide.
Yet German virtues are not hereditary, also not for horses. The secret of the success of German horse riding and showmanship is, and what I would like to depict impressively in this film, that on the one hand horse riding is based on a well structured training and on the other hand by refining the heavy warm-blooded horses through the Arabian, and indirectly with the Anglo-Arabian thoroughbreds.
The film will follow the career of outstanding horses who revolutionized the German breeding and the passionate individuals behind them. The film traces the bloodline from the Arabian Bedouins to Hungary and Poland to Germany. Traveling trough the Arabic world, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Poland, the film will always return to Germany in order to unveil the mystery of the enduring success of the German equestrians.
Format: 60/90 min, period of producing 2008/2009
RUBLYOVKA – ROAD TO BLISS
A documentary by Irene Langemann
Running time: 94 minutes
A electrifying insight in the Russian society of today
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BLOOD AND HONEY
A documentary by Irene Langemann
Running time: 91 minutes
What happened to the dream of a Europe without frontiers? Where do old conflicts fester and new conflicts evolve?
MURDER ON BREAK-UP – THE FUTILE STRUGGLE OF A VILLAGE
A documentary by Kai Christiansen
Running time: 60 minutes
The dramatic story of a murder case through stalking
HOW TO DEAL WITH STALKING?
A documentary by Kai Christiansen
Running time: 28 minutes
The films shows tactics and strategies to counteract stalking.
GOLDAP – ONE YEAR AFTER JOINING THE EC
A documentary by Irene Langemann
Running time: 60 minutes
What are the hopes for Europe of the people in the most eastern corner of Poland.
HANS GÜNTER WINKLER – RIDING FOR GERMANY
A documentary by Wolfgang Bergmann
Running time: 45/58 minutes
Portrait of the worlds most successful German equestrian Hans Günter Winkler.