GERMAN CURRENTS: New Films from Germany

GERMAN CURRENTS: New Films from Germany / Focus Northrhine-Westphalia
3nd Annual Festival of German Films in collaboration with Filmstiftung NRW, the American Cinematheque and German Films

American audiences have been treated to an amazing spectrum of German films over the years. The past decade has been no exception. Having won two Oscars® for Best Foreign Language Film and having been nominated five times during the last seven years is proof that German films are a force on the international film scene. The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles is delighted that German Currents, the third annual showcase of recent German films is back at the Aero Theater. This year's line-up pays special attention to films in part funded or shot in Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populated state and second largest hub for film and television productions. Besides screenings at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, the program will include Ulrike Ottinger's latest film at the RedCat Theater, and a selection of short films and exhibits at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.

Wednesday, September 30 - 7:00 PM AERO
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Actor Benno Fürmann and producer/Kinowelt Boris Schönfelder
NORTH FACE (NORDWAND)
Germany 2008, 35mm, 126 min., German with English subtitles
Based on a true story, North Face is a suspenseful adventure film about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. Set in 1936, as Nazi propaganda urges the nation’s Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif — the Eiger — two reluctant German climbers begin their daring ascent. NORTH FACE will have its US Theatrical release in October 2009.

Thursday, October 1 - 7:30 PM AERO
Double Feature
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director Hans Christian Schmid and producer Britta Knöller
STORM (STURM)
Germany 2009, 35 mm, 105 min., in English/German/Bosnian/Serbian with English subtitles
Hannah Maynard, prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, is leading a trial against a former commander of the Yugoslavian National Army who is accused of the deportation and later killing of dozens of Bosnian-Muslim civilians. When a key witness commits suicide, it looks like the case will unravel, however Hannahrefuses to give in. Hoping to uncover new findings, she travels to the witness’ burial in Sarajevo and meets his sister Mira who she senses has much more to say than she is willing to admit. Despite threats of violence, Mira reluctantly agrees to testify at The Hague. However, she and Hannah must both risk their lives to make it to the court, only to discover that there are traitors among their own ranks. STORM will have its US Theatrical release in the Fall 2009.

Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director Niko von Glasow
NOBODY'S PERFECT
Germany 2008, 84 min., 35 mm, English/German with English subtitles
The documentary film NoBody’s Perfect follows Niko von Glasow as he looks for eleven people who are prepared to pose naked for a book of photos. They all are born disabled - like he is - due to the disastrous side-effects of Thalidomide. With a darkly humorous touch, and no deference to political correctness, NoBody’s Perfect explores the specific problems which these twelve extraordinary people have faced during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and shows them reacting with curiosity, enthusiasm or horror towards the project. As the film approaches the photo shoot, von Glasow completes the picture with scenes showing his unsuccessful attempts to contact the chemical company Grünenthal, the maker of Thalidomide.

Friday, October 2 - 7:30 PM AERO
Double Feature
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director Marco Kreuzpaintner, producer Uli Putz and line-producer Jens Oberwetter
KRABAT
Germany 2008, 35 mm, 115 min., German with English subtitles
Based on the eponymous novel by Otfried Preußler, the film tells the story of poor, young orphan Krabat, who roams the German woods at the end of the Thirty Years War. Lonely and lost, he follows a frightening call, which leads him to an old mill, inhabited by a mysterious master and his eleven apprentices. Krabat is destined to become the master’s twelfth disciple. He befriends Tondra, who lets him in on the dark secret surrounding the mill and the master himself. Over time, Krabat is trained in black magic – and realizes its inherent danger. When he falls in love with a girl, he has to hide his relationship from the master, leading to a confrontation which puts Krabat to the ultimate test.

Friday, October 2 - 9:30 PM AERO
West Coast Premiere!
Directed by Ben Verbong
LIKE IT OR NOT (Ob Ihr wollt oder nicht)
Germany, Netherlands, 2008/2009, 35 mm, 100 min. German with English subtitles
Laura is dying from cancer. She returns to her parents’ house where her estranged sisters gather to convince her to go back to treatment.
Laura watches as her visibly uncomfortable sisters – together again for the first time in six years – grapple with their emotions and unsolved family issues. A houseful of emotions that flare up in sudden flashes of scorn or erupt into boisterous laughter, that open up many long-locked doors and let fresh air into lives that have lost their bearings.

Saturday, October 3 @ 3:00 p.m. at the Goethe-Istitut LA
SPOTLIGHT on: North Rhine Westphalia’s Film Schools

SHORTS FROM THE ACADEMY OF MEDIA ART COLOGNE (KUNSTHOCHSCHULE FüR MEDIEN KöLN)
The Academy of Media Art Cologne founded in 1990, offers an unique course of studies. Rather than separating film, television, art, design and theory from
each other, at KHM these disciplines are integrated into a single course of study leading to a diploma in Audiovisual Media.
While KHM is not specifically a film school, its students have won a remarkably large number of awards for their films in recent years.
Ute Dilger, Press and PR Manager for the Academy of Media Arts Cologne will present a selection of award-winning short films by students of the
Academy. In addition, she will talk about the school, its policies and the application process.

Saturday, October 3 - 4:00 PM AERO
Family Matinee:
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director Christian Ditter and producer Lena Olbrich
THE CROCODILES (VORSTADTKROKODILE)
Germany 2009, 35 mm, 90 min., German with English subtitles
This is a remake of the enormously successful TV movie from 1977 and is based on a children’s book by the same name. The VORSTADTKROKODILE are a gang of “cool” kids, and the only way into the gang is to pass their test of courage. It’s not a welcome place for Kai - a wheelchair-bound kid who the
“Vorstadtkrokodile” like to tease. However, when Kai becomes the only witness to a newsworthy burglary, he’s finally allowed onto to the team. The gang immediately sets off together on an adventure to track down the criminals.

Saturday, October 3 - 7:30 PM AERO
Double Feature
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Jan Henrik Stahlberg
SHORT CUT TO HOLLYWOOD
Germany 2009, 35mm, 95 min., English/German with English subtitles
Tired of their life in Germany, thirtysomething losers Johannes/aka John D. Salinger, Mattias, and Christian, try for fame and fortune in America through a high-concept TV show, in which John will die on air. Co-directors Marcus Mittermeier and Jan Henrik Stahlberg gleefully send up the voyeuristic world of live TV and its ability to turn ordinary, no-talent folks into superstars, gloriously subverting conventions of the road movie and music video while they’re at it. (Variety)

In Person: Director Hannes Stöhr
BERLIN CALLING
Germany, 2008, 35mm, 105 min., German with English subtitles
Legendary electronic cult figure DJ ICKARUS (Paul Kalkbrenner) returns to Berlin from an exhausting marathon of club gigs and raves. Although he is completely fried, he and girlfriend Mathilde dive into the job of getting his new album released. When his agent tells him that the album needs more work, his life takes a downward spiral of alcohol and drug abuse which ends him in a psych ward. With only his music to turn to for comfort, he slowly digs himself out of his psychosis. Berlin Calling marks the acting debut of Paul Kalkbrenner, who tours the world as a live DJ at major festivals and electronic music clubs. His tracks can be found on the top of DJ and webstore download charts. Berlin Calling had its North American premiere at the 2009 Miami
International Film Festival and screened at the 2009 SXSW South by Southwest Film & Music Festival in Austin,TX.

Sunday, October 4 @ 11:00 a.m. at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
Exhibitions / October 4 through November 10
KLIMT + CLARA
Photos by Konrad Rufus Müller.
Konrad Rufus Müller was born in 1940 in Berlin. His goal was to become an actor, but then he turned to painting and ended up becoming one of the most famous photographers in Germany. He has photographed every German chancellor since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, from Konrad Adenauer to Angela Merkel. He was also invited to portray Anwar Al Sadat, Bruno Kreisky, François Mitterrand and Vladimir Putin. Müller only works with a camera and tripod, never uses a flash, and only shoots with the existing light. Recently, Konrad Rufus Müller documented the shooting of CLARA by Helma Sanders-Brahms starring Martina Gedeck and KLIMT by Raoul Ruiz, starring John Malkovich. He turned the results into two
photographic essay books. A selection of the originals will be on view at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.
The exhibition was organized by Filmstiftung NRW HIGHLIGHTS OF FILMMUSEUM DüSSELDORF

Sunday, October 4 – 1:00 p.m. at the Goethe-Istitut Los Angeles
A TRIANGLE DIALOGUE
2009, 116 Min., DigiBeta, OV with English Subtitles
An inititative of Filmstiftung NRW
Three dancers improvise movements alongside the wall in Jerusalem separating Israelis and Palestinians. Two young Israeli women search for truth behind their family mysteries. Two German filmmakers explore life and love of homosexuals in Poland and in the Israeli Army. Five young directors, graduates of four film schools tell their stories about wounds from the past and broken identities. Each of them was asked to develop research and produce their projects in one of the partner countries.

Sunday, October 4 - 3:00 PM AERO
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director/producer Helma Sanders-Brahms
CLARA (GELIEBTE CLARA)
2008, 35mm, 109 min., German with English subtitles
The film is a look at the emotional life of Clara Schumann, the object of affection of two of the greatest composers of the 19th century, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. In 1850 the pianist and composer Clara Schumann (Martina Gedeck), her husband Robert (Pascal Greggory) and their children are on their way to Düsseldorf. After years on tour, Robert wants to take up a job as a municipal music director. At a concert Clara meets the much younger Johannes Brahms (Malik Zidi), whose talents even enthuse Robert. “… Gedeck (“The Lives of Others”) gives Clara a grounded quality that serves the role well, and she’s especially convincing in her piano-playing scenes. … while Zidi expectedly steals the show as Brahms.” (Variety)

Sunday, October 4 - 7:30 PM AERO
Los Angeles Premiere!
In Person: Director Heinrich Breloer, producer Matthias Esche and actor Armin Mueller-Stahl
BUDDENBROOKS – THE DECLINE OF A FAMILY (DIE BUDDENBROOKS)
Germany 2008, 35 mm, 152 min., German with English subtitles
This film is the gripping cinematic adaptation of Thomas Mann’s Nobel Prize-winning novel of 1900, starring Academy Award®-nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl in the lead role. Emmy Award®-winner Heinrich Breloer portrays the rise and decline of a merchant family in the bourgeois aristocracy in Lübeck in their fight and sacrifice for the economic survival of the family and their pursuit of happiness and impossible love.
“While Thomas is willing to fill the void of their father, Consul Jean, and to steer the firm through the times of modernization and rising competition, his brother Christian is trying to find his happiness in the world of theater and rebelling against everything their father stood up for. It is left to their sister, Tony, who sacrifices her true love for the sake of the family’s fortune, to hold the family ties together. But when their competitor Hagenstroem proves to have the better instinct for the changing needs of the market, even her influence seems to vanish...” (Filmportal)

Monday, October 5, 8:30 p.m. REDCAT/ Disney Hall
West Coast Premiere!
In Person: Director/Producer Ulrike Ottinger
THE KOREAN WEDDING CHEST (DIE KOREANISCHE HOCHZEITSTRUHE)
Germany 2008, 35 mm, 82 min., German/Korean with English subtitles
”When I opened a Korean email in fall 2007 I didn’t imagine that I would soon be opening a well-stocked miracle box, the inspiring contents of which would
become a film: THE KOREAN WEDDING CHEST. Even though (or especially because) this carefully packed, filled, and tied-up wooden chest was assembled according to the rules of an honored tradition, it offers a remarkable insight into and overview of modern Korean society. I was inspired to look more closely at the old and new rituals to determine what is old in the new and new in the old. A modern fairytale about the amazing phenomenon of new
mega cities emerging everywhere and their contradictory societies caught in the balancing act. Bon voyage into the present!” (Ulrike Ottinger)