Archive 2006
YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS - 20 years of Braunschweig International Film Festival
Marianne Sägebrecht at the film festival 1987
"You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss" from the song "As time goes by" from Casablanca (1942) - and the 20th anniversary of Braunschweig Film Festival is reason enough to remember. In 1986 a handful of filmmakers and movie buffs founded the Film Festival which has since grown into one of the biggest audience festivals in Germany. For the organisers moments of crisis and fortune belong to the festival story, but it is the guests who make the history and over the last 19 years we have received hundreds of prominent filmmakers at the festival.
"You must remember this..." is also in honour of those who are no longer with us – directors Lothar Warneke and Frank Beyer, who both died recently, and festival society members Johanna Albrecht and Jörg Schulz-Behrendt.
We celebrate our anniversary with a special programme of guests from the last 19 years, who will present their newest films and look forward to meeting them again!
The programme "You must remember this" is being supported by the "Stiftung Braunschweigischer Kulturbesitz".
MICHAEL VERHOEVEN
Michael Verhoeven was guest at the 7th Film Festival with his film "Eine Unheilige Liebe". Michael Verhoeven was born on the 13th July 1938 in Berlin. He studied medicine and became a doctor. In 1962 he debuted as director. In 1965 he established the production company "Sentana Film". His experimental anti-Vietnam film "O.K" led to the abortion of the Berlin Film Festival in 1970. In 1991 he received an Oscar-nomination for Best-Foreign film for "Das schreckliche Mädchen". In 1999 he was awarded with the Bundesverdienstkreuz.
Films (Excerptl):
| 1967 | Paarungen | |
| 1970 | O.K. | |
| 1982 | Die weiße Rose | |
| 1990 | Das schreckliche Mädchen | |
| 1995 | Mutters Courage |
Der unbekannte Soldat
Director: Michael Verhoeven, D 2006, 100 min, 35 mm, colour, bw, GV
Actors: Valentin Kurz, Knut Muhsik, Sergey Yemerov
Fr, November 10 7:45 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Michael Verhoeven
Su, November 12 6:15 pm CinemaxX 4
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Across Germany between 1995 and 2004 an exhibition revealing atrocities inflicted by German armed forces during the "War of Extermination" in eastern Europe broke a taboo. Michael Verhoeven takes this issue and the ensuing fierce reactions as source for his documentary. Interviews with eye-witnesses and historians help illustrate this terrible point in German forces history.
KATRIN SASS
Katrin Saß was guest at the 17th Film Festival in 2003. This year she will present her film "Mutterseeleallein." Born in Schwerin in 1956, she advanced to sought-after character actress with her 1979 film "Bis dass der Tod euch scheidet". Katrin Saß has taken part in many DEFA-films and became one of the most popular actresses of the former German Democratic Republic. In 1982 she was the first actress from East Germany to receive the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for her role in "Bürgschaft für ein Jahr".
Films (Excerpt):
| 1979 | Bis daß der Tod Euch scheidet | |
| 1981 | Bürgschaft für ein Jahr | |
| 1988 | Fallada - letztes Kapitel | |
| 2001 | Heidi M. | |
| 2003 | Good Bye, Lenin! |
Mutterseelenallein
Director: Bernd Böhlich, D 2004, 88 min, 35 mm, colour, GV
Actors: Katrin Saß, Vadim Glowna, Sebastian Weber
Sa, November 11 8:00 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Katrin Saß
Su, November 12 11:15 am CinemaxX 4
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A mother is confronted with the shocking reality that her son is suspected of murder. Only a few days lie between her initial natural aversion to the terrible truth and her acceptance of it. Bea, the mother, experiences all the extreme states of human behaviour and recedes to the edge of society. By the end she recognises her own mistakes – but cannot undo what has been done.
RICHARD DINDO
Richard Dindo was guest at the 12th Film Festival in 1998. This year he will introduce his new film which honours the great writer Franz Kafka. Richard Dindo is a documentary-maker. He was born in Zurich in 1944 and taught himself the craft of film. His films become living stories through documents, witnesses and memories. Dindo identifies himself as a "memory worker" and for him documentary is the "art of biography". He has made over 20 films and lives in Paris and Zurich.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1970 | Die Wiederholung | |
| 1981 | Max Frisch, Journal I-III | |
| 1991 | Arthur Rimbaud, eine Biografie | |
| 1994 | Ernesto "Che" Guevara, das bolivianische Tagebuch | |
| 1997 | Grüningers Fall |
Wer war Kafka?
Director: Richard Dindo, CH 2006, 98 min, 35 mm, colour, bw, GV
We, November 8 8:00 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Richard Dindo
Sa, November 11 3:00 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Richard Dindo
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Who was Kafka? In his documentary Richard Dindo attempts to answer this question using Kafka’s own diary entries and "interviews" with the author, performed by an actor. Views of the city of Prague today along with the accounts of the author’s friends, including Max Brod, Gustav Janouch and Felice Bauer (also played by actors), paint a rich picture of this fascinating man.
RUDOLF THOME
Born in Wallau in 1939 he began studying German, Philosophy and History in 1960. In 1962 he started work as a film critic. In 1964 came his first short film, followed by his first feature in 1968. In 1977 he established production company "Moana-Film". He was guest at the 3rd film festival in 1989. 17 years later Thome is back in Braunschweig and bringing with him his current work.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1968 | Detektive | |
| 1969 | Rote Sonne | |
| 1985 | Tarot | |
| 1988 | Der Philosoph | |
| 1991 | Liebe auf den ersten Blick | |
| 2003 | Rot und Blau | |
| 2004 | Frau fährt, Mann schläft | |
| 2005 | Rauhzeichen |
Du hast gesagt, daß Du mich liebst
Director: Rudolf Thome, D 2005, 117 min, 35 mm, colour, GV
Actors: Hannelore Elsner, Johannes Herrschmann, Anna de Carlo
We, November 8 5:30 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Rudolf Thome
Th, November 9 3:00 pm CinemaxX 4
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Johanna Perl lives her retired life isolated and lonely. Constant thoughts about death and the meaning of her existence torture her. Then she stumbles upon a lonely hearts ad in the newspaper. Drawn to it as though it were a sign from God, she arranges to meet the man. And it’s love at first sight.
FRIDRIK THÓR FRIDRIKSSON
Born in Reykjavik, 1954, he founded the first Icelandic film club in 1973. 1978 saw the establishment of the Reyjavik Film Festival. In 1980 he made his first feature film. His international breakthrough came with his Oscar-nominated film "Children of Nature" (1991). He was honoured with a presentation of his work at the 10th Film Festival in 1996.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1980 | The Saga of Burnt Njal | |
| 1991 | Children of Nature | |
| 1995 | Cold Fever | |
| 1996 | Devil's Angels | |
| 2000 | Angels of the Universe |
Niceland
Director: Fridrik Thór Fridriksson, IS 2004, 87 min, 35 mm, colour, GS
Actors: Martin Compston, Guðrún Bjarnadóttir, Gary Lewis, Kerry Fox
Fr, November 10 10:00 pm CinemaxX 4
Sa, November 11 8:15 pm CinemaxX 3
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Jed and Chloe are young, in love and mentally handicapped. When Chloe’s cat is accidentally killed she believes the meaning of life is lost and falls into silence. Jed sets off in search of help - an answer. He hopes scrap dealer Max can help and plagues him with questions. But Max has no answers.
EDWARD ARTEMIEV
Artemiev was born in 1937 in Novosibirsk. After studying at the Moscow Conservatory he moved into avantgarde electronic music in the 1960s. Today Artemiev is one of the most important living Russian composers and one of the most prestigious film composers worldwide. He was honoured with a presentation of his work at the 16th festival in 2002.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1972 | Solaris | |
| 1975 | The Mirror | |
| 1979 | Stalker | |
| 1991 | Urga | |
| 2006 | Doctor Zhivago |
A driver for Vera (Voditel dlya Very)
Director: Pavel Chukhraj, RUS/UA 2004, 105 min, 35 mm, colour, ES
Actors: Yelena Babenko, Bogdan Stupka, Igor Petrenko
Th, November 9 5:30 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Edward Artemiev
Fr, November 10 5:15 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Edward Artemiev
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Set in the Crimea in the early 1960s, "A Driver for Vera" follows the personal and political dilemmas of a prominent Soviet general, his handicapped daughter Vera, and their driver Viktor.
Artemiev won the Nika Award for Best Music in 2005 for "A Driver for Vera".
RAKSHAN BANI-ETEMAD
In 1999, at the 13th edition of the festival, the Iraninan director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad was honoured with a presentation of her previous work, including her first feature film "Off the Limits". Bani-Etemad will bring her film "Gilaneh" (co-directed with Mohsen Abdolvahab in 2005) to the 20th Braunschweig Film Festival.
Rakhschan Bani-Etemad is one of Iran’s most prominent directors and the most prominent female director. Born in Tehran, she later studied film directing at the University of Dramatic Arts there. She began her career as a documentary filmmaker for Iranian television before directing her first feature, "Off the Limits", in 1987.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1987 | Off the limits | |
| 1995 | The blue-veiled | |
| 1999 | Baran and The Native | |
| 2001 | Under the city's skin | |
| 2002 | Our Times |
Gilaneh
Director: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad/Mohsen Abdolvahab, IR 2005, 84 min, 35 mm, colour, ES
Actors: Fatemeh Motamed Arya, Bahram Radan, Baran Kosari
Th, November 9 8:00 pm CinemaxX 4 Guest: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
Fr, November 10 5:15 pm CinemaxX 2 Guest: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
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It is 1988 and Iraqi bombs rain down on Tehran while Iranians celebrate the New Year. The anxious mother Gilaneh, a peasant widow who lives in the Iranian countryside, watches helplessly as her son marches off to war and her daughter vows to travel to the war-torn capital to look for her husband.
HARRY ROWOHLT
Reading: John Rock oder der Teufel
Fr, November 10 8:00 pm Buchhandlung Graff
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Harry Rowohlt, born on the 27th March 1945 in Hamburg, is the son of publisher Ernst Rowohlt. He lives in Hamburg-Eppendorf and works as a writer (e.g. the column "Pooh’s Corner" in "Die Zeit"), translates English texts (e.g. "Puh der Bär" by Frank McCourt) and narrates. He also played down-and-outer Harry in the "Lindenstraße". In 1995 he was guest at the 9th Film Festival where he had a "carte blanche" - described by Harry himself as meaning "the people of Braunschweig invite someone to the festival, who is then able to see four of his favourite films and everyone has to watch and enjoy them too". This year he will read from his book "John Rock oder der Teufel". We look forward to this and other stories when he does one of his famous reading-marathons at Buchhandlung Graff.
Publications (Excerpts):
| 1993 | Pooh’s Corner – Meinungen und Deinungen eines Bären von geringem Verstand | |
| 2002 | In Schlucken-zwei-Spechte (mit Ralf Sotscheck) | |
| 2004 | John Rock oder der Teufel | |
| 2005 | Der Kampf geht weiter! Schönen Gruß, Gottes Segen und Rot Front. Nicht weggeschmissene Briefe |
Awards (Excerpt):
| 1997 | Brüder-Grimm-Preis der Stadt Hanau | |
| 1999 | Johann-Heinrich-Voß-Preis für Übersetzung der Deutschen Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung | |
| 2001 | Satirepreis "Göttinger Elch" | |
| 2003 | Platin-Schallplatte für die CD "Puh der Bär" | |
| 2005 | Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis - Sonderpreis für das Gesamtwerk eines deutschen Übersetzers |
OBITUARY: FRANK BEYER
We had not intended to include a Frank Beyer-film in this section, even though DEFA-films always have a regular place at the festival. However, when we heard the news of his death, on the 1st October, it affected us deeply, particularly those who have met him - Frank Beyer has been a festival guest here twice. In memory of Frank Beyer, who died age 74.
Films (Excerpt):
| 1962 | Nackt unter Wölfen | |
| 1963 | Karbid und Sauerampfer | |
| 1965 | Spur der Steine | |
| 1974 | Jakob der Lügner | |
| 1991 | Der Verdacht |
Fünf Patronenhülsen
Director: Frank Beyer, DDR 1960, 87 min, 35 mm, bw, GV
Actors: Erwin Geschonnek, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Manfred Krug
Sa, November 11 11:30 am CinemaxX 1
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The Spanish Civil War at the end of the 1930s. Deadly wounded Superintendent Wittig gives his five comrades a secret message divided into five pieces and hidden in five empty shell cases. After a dangerous journey to safety only four of the men learn the message’s content.
Aditionally we well show the documentary "Spur der Zeiten" (D: Ralf Schenk/Ulrich Kasten, D 1997, 60 min).