FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS 2012 HIGHLIGHTS THE DIVERSITY OF FILMMAKING IN GERMANY
www.goethe.de/ozfilmfest
The Eleventh Festival of German Films 2012 demonstrates the strength, and the diversity of genres, of the German film industry. With 37 films being screened this year, the range and quality of ideas, themes, and approaches indicate a real vibrancy in German cinema. The full details of all films are listed on the website, but a snapshot follows.
At the Munich Film festival 2011 I discovered some excellent films, with very strong responses from the audience. The films selected for our festival in Australia, include: Kriegerin/Combat Girls a confronting film about a woman trapped by her hatred for other cultures and enhanced by mixing with a neo-Nazi gang; Hell, by a first-time filmmaker whose vision of a post-apocalyptic world is extraordinary and chilling; Taboo. the story of poet Georg Trakl and his personal demons as well as his relationship with his sister; Sennentuntschi, Switzerland’s first horror film which will evoke a strong response from the audience.
It is always exciting to welcome special guests to the festival, and Leander Haussman noted film director, will be joining us to present his latest film, Hotel Lux, an enjoyable satire set in the 1930s poking fun at the Stalinist regime in Russia as well as the looming danger of the Nazi regime. Amongst the cast is previous FGF guest Jűrgen Vogel. Two other films Haussman directed will also be shown: Robert Zimmerman is Tangled Up In Love and Sonnenallee/Sun Alley, both amusing insights into relationships, with the former a gentle comedy of manners, while the latter is a lively insight into East/West Berlin during the time of the Wall, as seen through the eyes of a group of young people.
Also visiting Australia is Hendrik Handloetgen, the director of the time shifting thriller starring Nina Hoss, Summer Window, which will keep you in suspense to the end. The final guest is Alice Gruia, an Australian based filmmaker, whose beautifully crafted documentary on two elderly women: Rodicas, will play an important part of the festival.
Something for everyone can be found in the rest of the line-up. The very popular Men In the City has now spawned an equally delightful sequel, where we continue the adventures of the key characters including Til Schweiger in new romantic and career entanglements. Kaddish for a Friend, is a moving tale of an elderly Jewish man and his encounter with a Lebanese Muslim teenager; If Not Us, Who takes us to the origins of the Baader-Meinhof gang and their political imperatives; 4 Days In May is based on a real event that occurred near the end of World War 2; The Colour of the Ocean reflects the real issues of refugees and the treatment they receive; The Good Neighbour is a twisting thriller with a cat-and-mouse storyline; Mahler on the Couch details the meeting between the famous musician and Sigmund Freud; Stopped on Track is Andreas Dresen’s latest, harrowing film, about a man dying from cancer; Summer in Orange covers the amusing clash between hippies and Bavarian townspeople in a small community; The Fraűlein and the Sandman is the amusing fantasy about a man crumbling before your eyes; Promising the Moon dramatically looks at a mother and daughter relationship fraught with historical influences; Wunderkinder is the subtly powerful tale of two Jewish children who are musical prodigies during World War 2; The System highlights East German corruption after the fall of the Wall; Three is Tom Tykwer’s stylish ménage a trois; Cracks In the Shell is a powerful tale of an actress seeking a dramatic catharsis on stage and in her life; Sleeping Sickness further demonstrates social and political exploitation; Hut In the Woods portrays mental illness and coping in an unsympathetic society; A Family of Three conveys the dramatic events and grieving process of a family after the death of the mother; Westwind looks at the drama of two East German sisters competing in championship sport shortly before the fall of the Wall.
Younger audiences are well catered for with Crocodiles 3, the final instalment of the misfit gang as they try to solve a medical and social issue; Winter Daughter is a delightful road movie with a lot of humour and insight; Lessons of a Dream is a historical school based drama about a teacher’s influence on students; Tom Sawyer envisioned with a German sensibility; and Five Friends based on Enid Blyton’s well-loved story The Famous Five.
There are also some fine documentaries, apart from Rodicas. Joschka & Mr. Fisher shows us German politics and social development through the eyes of a prominent politician, while Gerhard Richter presents us with a portrait of the artist that few have witnessed. Peak explores the environmental impact tourists and climate change has had on the magnificent Alps. Plus to round out the programme, a collection of new German short films that will tantalize and entertain, as well as panel discussions, introductions galore, and Q & As with the guests of the festival.
In summary, another strong year for German cinema, reflected by the broad range of films selected for this year’s 2012 Festival of German Films. I encourage everyone to attend, and to respond to the blogs posted on this website; we all welcome your comments and feedback. I certainly look forward to meeting you all in Melbourne.
Peter Krausz
www.goethe.de/ozfilmfest
The Eleventh Festival of German Films 2012 demonstrates the strength, and the diversity of genres, of the German film industry. With 37 films being screened this year, the range and quality of ideas, themes, and approaches indicate a real vibrancy in German cinema. The full details of all films are listed on the website, but a snapshot follows.
At the Munich Film festival 2011 I discovered some excellent films, with very strong responses from the audience. The films selected for our festival in Australia, include: Kriegerin/Combat Girls a confronting film about a woman trapped by her hatred for other cultures and enhanced by mixing with a neo-Nazi gang; Hell, by a first-time filmmaker whose vision of a post-apocalyptic world is extraordinary and chilling; Taboo. the story of poet Georg Trakl and his personal demons as well as his relationship with his sister; Sennentuntschi, Switzerland’s first horror film which will evoke a strong response from the audience.
It is always exciting to welcome special guests to the festival, and Leander Haussman noted film director, will be joining us to present his latest film, Hotel Lux, an enjoyable satire set in the 1930s poking fun at the Stalinist regime in Russia as well as the looming danger of the Nazi regime. Amongst the cast is previous FGF guest Jűrgen Vogel. Two other films Haussman directed will also be shown: Robert Zimmerman is Tangled Up In Love and Sonnenallee/Sun Alley, both amusing insights into relationships, with the former a gentle comedy of manners, while the latter is a lively insight into East/West Berlin during the time of the Wall, as seen through the eyes of a group of young people.
Also visiting Australia is Hendrik Handloetgen, the director of the time shifting thriller starring Nina Hoss, Summer Window, which will keep you in suspense to the end. The final guest is Alice Gruia, an Australian based filmmaker, whose beautifully crafted documentary on two elderly women: Rodicas, will play an important part of the festival.
Something for everyone can be found in the rest of the line-up. The very popular Men In the City has now spawned an equally delightful sequel, where we continue the adventures of the key characters including Til Schweiger in new romantic and career entanglements. Kaddish for a Friend, is a moving tale of an elderly Jewish man and his encounter with a Lebanese Muslim teenager; If Not Us, Who takes us to the origins of the Baader-Meinhof gang and their political imperatives; 4 Days In May is based on a real event that occurred near the end of World War 2; The Colour of the Ocean reflects the real issues of refugees and the treatment they receive; The Good Neighbour is a twisting thriller with a cat-and-mouse storyline; Mahler on the Couch details the meeting between the famous musician and Sigmund Freud; Stopped on Track is Andreas Dresen’s latest, harrowing film, about a man dying from cancer; Summer in Orange covers the amusing clash between hippies and Bavarian townspeople in a small community; The Fraűlein and the Sandman is the amusing fantasy about a man crumbling before your eyes; Promising the Moon dramatically looks at a mother and daughter relationship fraught with historical influences; Wunderkinder is the subtly powerful tale of two Jewish children who are musical prodigies during World War 2; The System highlights East German corruption after the fall of the Wall; Three is Tom Tykwer’s stylish ménage a trois; Cracks In the Shell is a powerful tale of an actress seeking a dramatic catharsis on stage and in her life; Sleeping Sickness further demonstrates social and political exploitation; Hut In the Woods portrays mental illness and coping in an unsympathetic society; A Family of Three conveys the dramatic events and grieving process of a family after the death of the mother; Westwind looks at the drama of two East German sisters competing in championship sport shortly before the fall of the Wall.
Younger audiences are well catered for with Crocodiles 3, the final instalment of the misfit gang as they try to solve a medical and social issue; Winter Daughter is a delightful road movie with a lot of humour and insight; Lessons of a Dream is a historical school based drama about a teacher’s influence on students; Tom Sawyer envisioned with a German sensibility; and Five Friends based on Enid Blyton’s well-loved story The Famous Five.
There are also some fine documentaries, apart from Rodicas. Joschka & Mr. Fisher shows us German politics and social development through the eyes of a prominent politician, while Gerhard Richter presents us with a portrait of the artist that few have witnessed. Peak explores the environmental impact tourists and climate change has had on the magnificent Alps. Plus to round out the programme, a collection of new German short films that will tantalize and entertain, as well as panel discussions, introductions galore, and Q & As with the guests of the festival.
In summary, another strong year for German cinema, reflected by the broad range of films selected for this year’s 2012 Festival of German Films. I encourage everyone to attend, and to respond to the blogs posted on this website; we all welcome your comments and feedback. I certainly look forward to meeting you all in Melbourne.
Peter Krausz