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
Kai Christiansen’s film is the first film to deal with the Starfighter scandal, and it does so from a variety of perspectives: the viewpoint of those affected is presented, as is the desire of the politicians for both a new German aviation industry and the access to the atom bomb. Particular attention is given to the widows of the fallen pilots and their desperate struggle for the clarification of the causes behind the accidents and the hope for an end to the series of crashes. The film, however, also lets the pilots speak who enthusiastically continued to get into their machines everyday despite the numerous deaths.
The documentary “Starfighter ? A High-Tech Death” is 88 minutes of highly interesting German post-war history. It is a film about the largest and most expensive armament project in the history of the Federal Republic. The documentary offers insight behind a tangle of military secrets, political intrigue, corruption and deliberate misinformation. It is revealed how the catastrophe came to be and why the series of crashes could continue for almost 30 years.
The film also tells little stories of the purchase of the first car and the first camera as well as of the young army’s recruitment of professional soldiers. On the other side, the film presents the new army’s attempts to position itself with the Warsaw Pact on the one side and the NATO allies on the other ? and the price that was paid for this ambition.
It is a film about the difficult relationship between the German Federal Republic and its army, about the parallel worlds of the German Armed Forces and the civil society.

“Starfighter ? A High-Tech Death” is also a film full of anger, sadness and outrage at a military leadership that demands heavy losses even in times of peace and a political policy in which nobody takes responsibility. It is a film about the difficult new beginning of the Air Force in the shadow of World War II, about the close friendship with the United States, and about the thrill of supersonic flight.

Ms. Lantzberg-Hippel sued Lockheed to force the Bundeswehr to open the files.

Peter Vogler has been attracted by flying the  Starfighter

Hubert Merkel also has been Starfighter pilot and is a consulter for the aircraft industry now. copyright Ullstein/dpa

Starfighter – F 104 – in formation flight. copyright Ullstein/dpa

Leftovers of a  Starfighter                                     copyright Ullstein/dpa

The 131st crashed Starfighter in Germany

The author and director of the documentary, Kai Christiansen

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”.

The military installation is structured on the principal of self-sufficiency. Although the drama of the Iraqi War has lead to a general disenchantment with the superpower, the people of the area cannot imagine a life without Americans. The cooperation and coexistence of the two nations remains very intensive here, particularly when it comes to German-American marriages. Although a clash of cultures is found in each individual relationship, the German wives and husbands quickly and unconditionally adopt the patriotic attitude of their American partners — even when it comes to the USA’s adventure in Iraq. This is all the more amazing since the service members are regularly deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, the German spouses also become fatally and closely involved with the events of the war. Their lives are full of worry and anxiety about their loved ones, who could possibly return home from the conflict area injured or even dead.

The film presents highly personnel German-American family stories from “Little America”, Germany, against the backdrop of the Iraqi War. Again and again, the private sphere merges with the world of international events. Through the perceptive narrative flow and the close observation of the people involved, the question whether or not personnel happiness is possible in the shadow of a war is continually brought up for discussion.

James Ewing is flight engineer in the Iraq                                                 ©Lichtfilm

The Ewing family enjoys the weeks beeing together in Ramstein      ©Lichtfilm

Blessed soldiers from Iraq brought to the Ramstein hospital.                    ©Lichtfilm

Schläfer family after an avancement ceremony                                       ©Lichtfilm

Cast and crew afther the premiere of the film at the International Munich Film Festival at the July 3rd 2009.

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 city on the River Mersey is going to be celebrating the arts, its music, its cultural heritage and its diversity. The city fathers have promised an extensive and magnificient cultural programme “like on other yet experienced in the world”.

The film covers different varied and colorful events and performances: visitors have the choice of a rich spectrum of exhibitions, festivals and premiers in all art forms and genres ranging from public art, architecture, dance and fashion to film, literature, music and both street and stage theater. Many events have been conceived especially for younger people, like a celebration of the best of the Merseyside youth culture at the Halton Stadium.

Pop Music is truly a aspect of Liverpool’s cultural heritage. For, above all, pop music is The Beatles. The cult that surrounds the legendary band  is ubiquitous. The Beatles’ legend and heritage are also one of the thematic aspects in the film. After The Beatles and its football clubs, Liverpool is renowned for its architecture. The film presents the magnificent waterfront with The Three Graces on its docks, the Anglican and Metropolitan Cathedrals, and the diversity of Liverpool streets.

At the Albert Dock, a showcase of maritime songs present the nautical extravagance of Liverpool. The Arabic Arts Festival celebrated for two weeks at numerous locations. And, of course, at the same time the famous Liverpool “Mersey Beat” – that special style of pop music that the North English youths made so popular in the early sixties – can be experienced everywhere.

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. However, things did not went the way authorities wanted and soon te name had to be changed into “less-lethal” weapons because of too many ‘accidental’ deaths along the way. NO MORE KILLING looks at the utopia of “soft bullets”, non-lethal confrontation and peaceful conflict resolution.

After the end of the Cold War the world conjured up dreams about an era of peace. But violent conflicts caused by increasing divide between rich and poor and terrorism appeared on the scene. New and more precise weapons were developed to prevent collateral damages. The “magic bullet” like in “Star Trek” was to become reality. But are lasers and tasers, electro shock weapons, microwaves, hypersonic sound, nanoparticles, stinking gases, pepper spray, nets, nerve-blocking systems able to break the cycle of violence?

NO MORE KILLING introduces to us the masterminds behind and the critics of these weapons. Many of the proponents mean well, but don’t place conflicts and confrontations in their social and political context. The film shows shocking case studies in which the weapons have hurt innocent civilians or even killed them. Critics talk about a move backwards towards an escalation of violence. And criminals also using these new weapons, some of them can even be bought in supermarkets.

Here you can watch the trailer.

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A electrifying insight in the Russian society of today

Rublyovka Road is the traffic artery connecting the powerhouse Moscow with the Russian outback. At all times, the region bordering on
Rublyovka has had a magnetic attraction for the ruling elite classes: Tsars, dictators, presidents. Of course, also present-day head of state Putin resides here. In Putin’s Russia, Rublyovka has become synonymous with wealth, social ascent and decadent lifestyles. Tell-tale signs of the past and gross excesses of Russian cutthroat capitalism have created a bizarre microcosm that does not have a parallel elsewhere in this giant empire. Nouveau riche upstarts have caused prices of properties on the Rublyovka to rocket sky-high. Now the fight for the last remaining pieces of land has broken out. The last remaining huts of the poor are swept aside to make way for the palaces of the wealthy by means that could not be any more unfair or brutal. The Russian State, celebrating an imperial comeback bolstered by petro-billions, has declared open season on the weak and poor. Like “Indians in their reservations”, they feel. And hardly anyone dares to protest. No wonder. Rublyovka is a strictly guarded maximum security area, where many things are hushed up and kept under wraps. In spite of grudgingly granted filming permits, the film team was constantly harassed and threatened by the Russian security service FSB, traffic police and each and every security company. Many parts were filmed with a hidden camera. Nevertheless, the film was completed.

The camera follows losers and profiteers, rich and poor, the powerful and their string puppets through their daily lives, in which the social divide has become increasingly wide. The film draws a social portrait of present-day Russia, in which Putin’s “steered democracy” increasingly assumes dictatorial features.

www.rubljovka.de

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What happened to the dream of a Europe without frontiers? Where do old conflicts fester and new conflicts evolve?

More than 14.000 kilometers Irene Langemann (MARTINS’ PASSION, ICE AND ORANGES) travelled cross country through Europe with her crew. Her film BLOOD AND HONEY is looking for the inner and outward frontiers of the visions of a united Europe.Outside the well-known metropolises the film strolls through ruptured places and cities, where limits dominate the daily life.
While the people of Sibiu in Romania are enthusiasticly celebrating the joining of their country to the EC, young artists in Mostar feel as far from Europe like people from Africa. Their city makes feeling like “Blood and Honey”, in which hidden barriers are splitting the Croatian and Bosnian part of Mostar. In the thrilled city of Belfast the peace process is progressing. But at what price? The “peace-lines” are nothing more than fences and walls, separating strictly the antagonized protestants and catholics. This is a bizarre contrast to the open borders between Ireland and Great Britain.
Also in Nicosia, Kaliningrad, Antwerp and Tanger visible and unvisible frontiers dominate the life of the people. Musicians, artists and writers reflect in the film about their daily life. Some are successful and well established, other are at the beginning of their career. All together they work at interfaces where old conflicts are still visible. Mainly unpathetic and like a matter of course they are building bridges to bring forward a better life for the people in Europe.

The dramatic story of a murder case through stalking

In conjunction with one of ARTE’s toppical evenings, Lichtfilm produced two documentaries on the subject of stalking:
MURDER ON BREAK-UP – THE FUTILE STRUGGLE OF A VILLAGE and HOW TO DEAL WITH STALKING?

The film MURDER ON BREAK-UP describes the chronology of an announced murder in Bremen, 2005: 40 years old Michael, a forwarding agent, breaks up with his wife. Soon after he regrets his decision and wants her back. He harasses her, besieges her, pursues her. He turns into a stalker.
The film reconstructs the circumstances of the development from a happy marriage with two children to the horrible scenario of a murder case.

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The films shows tactics and strategies to counteract stalking.

In conjunction with one of ARTE’s topical evenings, Lichtfilm produced two documentaries on the subject of stalking:
HOW TO DEAL WITH STALKING? and MURDER ON BREAK-UP – THE FUTILE STRUGGLE OF A VILLAGE

In Germany nearly 12% of all citizens have been victims of stalking once in their life. How to protect oneself? The film HOW TO DEAL WITH STALKING? provides advice and tips on how to behave for those stalked. Experts and victims from Germany and France talk about their experiences with support groups, aid organisations, police and the judiciary.

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What are the hopes for Europe of the people in the most eastern corner of Poland.

ARTE is planning several theme evenings this year on the new EC members. After braoadcasting Irene Langemann´s road movie, ICE AND ORANGES on April 30, 2004, she is now on the road for ARTE again. This time to the Polish country seat of Goldap, right on the border with the Russian enclave Kaliningrad. In Polish Siberia, as it is popularly known, she had to dress warmly, because she expected extreme winter temperatures down to 20°C below in this remote town. Most of its inhabitants favoured Poland joining the European Union. Their hopes are going to be fulfilled. With support of EC-funds, a new sports center for children is under construction. The new upgrading of the border-crossing is intended to revive the economy and to provide new jobs. Irene Langemann is visiting the native people there and describing their stories and hardships, and their hopes for a place in the sun in the United Europe.

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Portrait of the worlds most successful German equestrian Hans Günter Winkler.

Hans Günter Winkler – the world’s most successful equestrian. Between 1956 and 1976 he won seven medals at six Olympic Games. Five times German national champion, once European champion, twice world champion in show jumping, voted several times “Sportsman of the Year”. Unforgettable his legendary ride at the Olympic Games of 1956 in Stockholm, where his wonder mare “Halla” completed the course in a fault-free ride, though Winkler himself was suffering from torn ligaments and could only barely remain astride thanks to heavy painkillers. With hardly any coaching from his side, his mare carried him to the finish. At every jump Winkler’s agonised cry resounded. “If you are not prepared to sweat and fight, you should rather not enter an arena,” that is one of his principles.

Winkler was born on July 24, 1926 in Wuppertal-Barmen. His father was a horse riding instructor, the riding stables served as playground for the young boy. Even as a small boy he was on horseback, and soon he received his own pony as a gift. But the war left its marks also on him and his family. At the age of sixteen, Winkler was drafted into the “Reich Work Service” (Reichsarbeitsdienst), later he became a soldier. Shortly before the end of the war, he was able to flee from a Belgian POW-camp, suffering from yellow fever. The home to which he returned was destroyed by bombs, his father was killed in the final weeks of the war.

After the war he turned again to his great passion. His success story is inseparably linked to difficult horses – and to his so-called wonder mare “Halla”. She was considered to be an obstreperous mare, impossible to ride „a crazy, doomed eventing horse“, as Winkler recalls. Without doubt a tremendous challenge even for an experienced rider such as Winkler. Winkler took it on and guided the headstrong primadonna to an unparalleled series of horse jumping victories. When in 1960 he withdrew Halla from active sports after a victorious ride at the tournament of Brussels, some competitors dared to hope that this would also mean the end of Winkler’s career. In vain! Also riding other horses Winkler remained victorious at the Olympic Games in Rome, Tokyo and Munich and impressed a world-wide public time and again.

Since his final round of honour in 1986 in Aachen, Winkler has been riding only rarely, and eventually had to give it up completely. His work with young horses has caused him spinal problems. Instead of breaking in horses, nowadays he engages in recreational sports such as tennis and skiing. However, he is still active in equestrian sports. He promotes and trains young equestrians for whom he has developed modern examination guidelines. Furthermore he runs a tournament stable in Warendorf, supports his wife Debby at training and at tournaments – all at the age of 80.

In interviews and with archive footage, the film illuminates the decisive victories of Winkler. The dramatic highlight is the gold medal of 1956 in Stockholm. His greatest rival, Raimondo D’Inzeo from Rome, as well as Brazilian equestrian Nelson Pessoa describe sportive and personal encounters. His first wife, Inge Fellgiebel, as well as his present wife, Debby, but also his first riding companion, Inge Zimmer, give account of shared experiences. His later collegues and rivals, Paul Schockemöhle and the now trainer of the US equipe, George Morris appear in the 60 minutes version.
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