Filmforum Programme Characterized by Socially Committed Documentaries

Once again the Filmforum section presents c. 40 North German films, selected by Doris Bandhold, film expert from Hamburg. This year features a strikingly great number of documentary films on the programme, dealing with topical subjects. Throughout a course of three years, “Life Is Like a Sword” by Caroline Pickers accompanies adolescents who live in a housing estate in Hamburg Billstedt and give their accounts of growing up in the “bunker”, as they call it. Shooting was only just completed for “Jimi – The Fehmarn Show” in early September; due to the construction of the Fehmarn Belt Bridge, the legendary open air festival is now threatened in its existence. In “Nothing Is Better Than Nothing at All”, documentary filmmaker Jan Peters puts to the test how he can get by without a steady job. His business idea is well known to Lübeck-Hamburg commuters: He gives people a lift with his group ticket.

Filmforum opens with “Love Your Enemy” by Niki Stein. The romantic drama tells of love and personal integrity on the island of Nordstrand in post-war Germany. Further feature film highlights include “Bremen Blues” by Hermine Huntgeburth, the first part of the ‘Herr Lehmann’ trilogy by Sven Regener. In “Luk’s Luck”, director Ayse Polat sends her unhappy protagonist Luk through hell – parents that are immune to advice, wily relatives – before he comes to terms with himself.

Filmforum also features films that are nominated for the North German Film Prize: The documentary film “In the Boondocks – Jimmy Ernst, Glueckstadt / New York” is about the unusual connection between the Augustin print shop in Glueckstadt and the family of Max Ernst, the painter. The music to the film was composed by sound artist Ulrike Haage, who will give a concert in the Kolosseum. “Something Better Than Death” is nominated for the script award. The story about a ‘schlager’ pop star (Peter Lohmeyer) who must get his life together was written by Ruth Toma (“Emma’s Bliss”), who will introduce the film in person. Several short film programmes nicely round off this overview of filmmaking between the North and the Baltic Seas.