15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online
For more than 15 years achtung berlin – the new berlin film award has been the most important festival for films made in Berlin: Films that moved us, made us laugh, cry and discuss. Each year we have been looking forward to an exciting program full of new discoveries. However, like so many other eagerly awaited events this year, the festival, which was planned for April, had to be postponed until September.
Therefore achtung berlin and its long-time partner UCM.ONE with the exclusive film label Darling Berlin, are collaborating to showcase a retrospective full of all those magical, disturbing, weird, extraordinary, inspiring, fascinating and sometimes shocking film moments of the past 15 years, while the global pandemic brings everyday life to a sudden halt.
This selection of both hidden and well known gems – short and medium-length films, feature films and documentaries – will now once again be made available to film-hungry audiences – online. For this purpose, the Darling Berlin YouTube channel will launch a brand new playlist: starting Wednesday May 13, each day at 6 PM a new film will be added to the retrospective: www.youtube.com/darlingberlin
“We are very pleased that in these times, when the cinemas are unfortunately still closed, we are able to present special films from the last festival years online for a limited time. We will thus once again put the spotlight on precisely those films that were no longer available to film enthusiasts in recent years. We hope to meet again live in September We hope you enjoy “rediscovering” these treasures from 15 years of Filmfestival achtung berlin and cannot wait to meet again live in September”. (Sebastian Brose, Co-Director achtung berlin)
For limited time, film fans and friends of achtung berlin now have the opportunity to view films that are not yet or no longer available in cinemas or online – free of charge.
Below is a list of films that have already been shown or will be shown in the coming days, including achtung berlin-“classics” by and with Tom Lass, Philipp Eichholtz, Victoria Schulz and many other influential Berlin filmmakers. During the premiere times, team members of the films shown are usually online in a chat room, commenting on the film and answering questions. So it is always worthwhile to be there at 6 pm (CET, UTC+1). Of course, you can also watch the films for a certain time afterwards in the playlist “15 years achtung berlin – festival retrospective online“ on Darling Berlin‘s YouTube channel.
During the summer holidays, theatre director Miriam waits impatiently for her crush, a cosmonaut, to return from space. When she hears nothing from her beloved, she consults an astrologer. He tells her that her perfect partner must have been born on January 19, 1985 – this, however, is not the birthday of the cosmonaut…
Germany 2016, 60 Min., Medium-length film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 1 | actor & actresses: Katharina Behrens, Ina Tempel, Alexander Höchst, Ruth Bickelhaupt, Moritz Vierboom, Anke Retzlaff, Nadja Stübiger, Jan Jaroszek, Annekatrin Grimm, Johannes Benecke | Contributors: Catharina Göldner (Director), Catharina Göldner (Screenplay), Giuseppe Vaccaro (Cinematography), Gernot Büttner (Sound), Christian Dabeler (Sound editing & mixing), Sandra Klaus (Costume design), Orchestre Miniature in the Park & Odd Paws (Music), Catharina Göldner (Montage), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kosmos & MPFilm (Production), Miriam Pfeiffer (Co-producer)
Just like the Roman God Ianus, young mother Lynn has to cope with two contrasting poles within herself that are torn between her old freedom and new responsibilities.
Germany 2017, 13 Min., Short film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 2 | actor & actresses: Luisa-Céline Gaffron, Jennifer Rudloff, Henning Beckhoff, Victoria Schulz | Contributors: Victoria Schulz (Director & screenplay), Valentin Selmke (Cinematography), Marielle Pohlmann (Editing), Chuckamuck & Boxie Blue (Music), Victoria Schulz (Producer)
The two women Mila and Charly use “escaping” as a means of not having to face their existential crises. In the hope of turning things around, they decide to take a road trip towards the sea, underestimating that they have taken themselves along on the journey…
Germany 2017, 53 Min., Middle length film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 3 | actor & actresses: Anne Haug, Alessija Lause | Contributors: Sarah Blaßkiewitz, Anne Haug & Alessija Lause (Director, book & cinematography), Emma Gräf (Editing), Thomas Deittert (Music), Victoria Schulz (Producer), Antje Volkmann, Leander Bauer & Kai von Glasow (Sound Design), Sarah Blaßkiewitz (Production)
Berlin in the 1990s: amongst great political change and in the shadow of ultra-commercialized Techno culture, there existed a parallel universe, now mostly forgotten, but defining for the feeling and lifestyle of the city: the world of basement bars and off-creatives. Lucian Busse, an active protagonist of this era, took his camera everywhere to document the changing cityscape, the art scene, clubs, concerts, and also the many construction sites where free space was filled up with ever-new, ever-the-same, faceless office buildings.
Germany 2011, 79 Min., Documentary | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 4 | Protagonists: Jim Avignon, Captain Space Sex, Simone Gilges, Peter Kisur, Nina Rhode, Howard Goldkrand, Beth Coleman, Jan Elder, Vredeber Albrecht, Patrick Zollinger, Mina | Contributors: Lucian Busse (Director & Cinematography), Lucyhoneychurch (Music), Lucian Busse (Production) | Label: darling Berlin | More information: Berlinized
When Lotta, who grew up in a rural commune, gets caught up in an absurd wine binge with her old flatmates during a visit home, she realizes that it is time to break away from the idealized images of her past.
Germany 2015, 15 Min., Short film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 5 | Actor &actresses: Juliane Götz, Michael Greiling, Sabine Vitua, Stefan Lochau, Constanze Roséno, Thomas Schmuckert, Sabine Urig | Contributors: Stella Denis (Director & screenplay), Stephan Zwickirsch (Cinematography), Philip Rohrbeck (Editing), Moritz Capellmann (Sound & Sounddesign), Vera Weisbrod, Johann Fohl & Stella Denis (Production), Rita & Helmut Maier [Les Maiers] (Coproducer)
Two walkers at the end of the Berlin myth of Prenzlauer Berg. They are young, they are sexy, they are lost. A love without a chance and a crime without a way out. Berlin as a place of longing that cannot keep its promise in a reservation of rebellious losers, educated nutcases and proletarian primary rocks that have lost touch with the times. In intricately composed images, the place is transformed into a conservatory of vanishing dreams. Tenerife EXIT is an unusual independent film and a poetic contemporary document of urban illusions.
Germany 2015, 90 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 6 | Actor &actresses: Natascha Paulick, Christian Eckert, Paul Faßnacht, Reginald Grünenberg, Wolf List, Dietmar Obst, Frieder Venus | Contributors: Bernd Heiber (Director & screenplay), Uwe Mann (Cinematography), Antje Dombrowsky (Editing), Der Dr!tte Mann, Danilloff, Andreas Hirche & Rolf Hammermüller (Music), Bernd Heiber (Producer)
A soldier comes back from war and gives his mother a first call before returning home. He asks her permission to bring a friend from his battalion who lost his limbs in combat and doesn´t have any family. The mother is overjoyed that her son is returning home and finally accepts to host his friend for a short period of time, because she knows that it is not easy to share daily life with someone “like this”. As the burden of everyday life is distracting the mother from her son a second layer of the unsaid is revealed.
Germany 2010, 9 Min., Shortfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 7 | Actor &actresses: Sebastian Urzendowsky, Leslie Maltons | Contributors: Carlos A. Morelli (Director & screenplay), Mathias Schöningh (Cinematography), Joroni Film (Production)
Three strangers are sitting in a car. Ulrike, without job or apartment, Anna, abandoned by everyone and without perspective, and Thomas, aimless and unconscious. Involuntarily they become a community of fate. On their journey through Germany they meet God, celebrate Persian New Year, make a film and dream of unconditional love.
Germany 2017, 83 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 8 | Actor &actresses: Elmira Bahrami, Salome Dastmalchi, Recardo Koppe, Javeh Asefdjah, Heide Simon, Sebastian Thiers, Theresa Henning, Michael Goussev | Contributors: Theresa Henning (Director & screenplay), Moritz von Dungern (Cinematography), Roman Tsukman (Editing), Stefanie Fehrmann & Marc Reinkober (Sound), Andreas Fertig (Sound design), Yuri Pascual (Music), Anda Kindzorra (Dramaturgy), Christoph Himmelfahrt, Javad Salkordeh & Dona Asisi (Samples), Christian Klausen (Set assistance)
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Adam is trapped in a mental and physical dependence on his girlfriend Anna and envies his childhood friend Conrad, who spends his time with odd jobs, night-long parties and one-night stands. When Anna’s best friend Carmen turns up, jealousy and fear increase, even to the point of psychopathic violence.
Germany / Austria 2011, 81 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 9 | Actor &actresses: Robert Stadlober, David Winter, Eva-Maria May, Peter Schulze, Paula Kalenberg, Jacob Matschenz | Contributors: Richard Wilhelmer (Director & screenplay), Julius von Bismarck (Cinematography), Richard Wilhelmer & Alexander Murygin (Editing), Richard Wilhelmer (Producer), Robert Stadlober (Coproducer)
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Sarah, impulsive and uncompromising, meets someone who might not only be able to fix her computer, but her life as well. But she would not be Sarah if she didn‘t destroy it all again. And regret everything again…
Germany 2014, 83 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 10 | Actor &actresses: Lilli Meinhardt, Christian Ehrich, Maggy Domschke, Peter Trabner, Davide Brizzi, Eva Bay, Axel Ranisch | Contributors: Philipp Eichholtz (Buch, Regie und Producer), Fee Scherer (Kamera), Jens Focke, Matthias Lindner, Lukas Lücke & Tobias Rahm (Sound), Oliver Jerke (Producer) | Label: Darling Berlin | More information: Love me!
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The film tells the fascinating love story between people and flying plastic: the Frisbee®. A journey from its beginnings around 1900, through triumphant success in the 70s and 80s, to the painful crash in the 90s, and finally a completely new generation of players who have recognized and rediscovered its beauty, its simplicity.
Germany 2012, 80 Min., Documentary | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 11 | Protagonists: Chipper ‘Bro’ Bell, ‚Crazy’ John Brooks, Jo Cahow, Kevin ‘Skippy Jammer’ Given, Jonathan Guss, ‚Steady Ed’ Headrick, Joey ‘The Oracle’ Hudoklin , Irv ‘Dr. I’ Kalb, John Kirkland, Victor Malafronte, Dan ‘Stork’ Roddick, John Weyand | Contributors: Jan Bäss (Director), Jan Bäss, Gregor Marter & Michael Osterhoff (Screenplay), Jan Bäss (Cinematography), Julia Wiedwald (Editing), Kuno Schmid (Music), Jonas Knudsen (Producer), René Hölting & Richard C. McGuire (Co-producer), Michael Osterhoff (Production management)
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Sebastian never had a girlfriend. His grandfather supports him and tries to help him to find the right woman. His mother doesn´t really know anything about his life. Even his friend Axel and his therapist cannot help him to solve the problem. In the end he decides to challenge his luck and discovers that he has nothing more than a breath of luck.
Germany 2008, 49 Min., Middle length film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 12 | Actor &actresses: Tom Lass, Thorsten Kaphahn, Livia S. Reinhard, Claudia Jacob, Robert Hofmann, Nilam Farooq | Contributors: Nico Sommer (Director & Screenplay), Dimitri Hempel (Cinematography), Nico Sommer (Editing), Anton Weranow (Sound), Christoph Belau (Mixing), süsssauer Filmproduktion Berlin (Production) | Label: Darling Berlin
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Raphaela and Basti are a couple in Berlin. They’re both in their twenties. Raphaela is writing her thesis and finds herself stuck, Basti is working in a start-up and isn’t able to set boundaries. When Raphaela breaks up with him, he feels unable to react.
Germany 2018, 35 Min., Middle length film | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 13 | Actor &actresses: Ewa Noack, Tom Böttcher | Contributors: Max Hegewald (Director), Mirjam Khera (Screenplay), Janine Pätzold (Cinematography), Dr. Annika Mayer (Editing), Andrej Schmitt & Leopold Alexander Reisenauer (Sound), Franziska May & Anna-Marlene Bicking (Music), Manuel Höhne & Raphael Wüstner (Producer)
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The famous Mauerpark is located on the former death strip in Berlin. Here, in the past the Wall separated people from each other, today the park reunites them. A unique mixture of madness & relaxation comes together…
Germany 2011, 79 Min., Documentary | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 14 | Protagonists: Wladimir Kaminer, DJ Tanith, Dr. Motte u.v.m. | Contributors: Dennis Karsten (Director, Cinematography, Editing), Matthias Börner (Cinematography), Gwendolyn Hayward & Frank Bubenze (Sound), Stefan Rogall (Mixing), Dennis Karsten (Producer) | Label: Darling Berlin
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Rebecca has recently split up with Ben. She now lives in the shared flat of her best friend sleeping on the sofa in a walk-through room. Rebecca is restless, walking through the streets of the big city, drifting. Rebecca goes to see her father in a nursing home almost every day. She meets Philipp but she does not really know herself what is going on between the two of them.
Germany 2011, 79 Min., Documentary | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 15 | Actor & actresses: Lise Wolle, Björn von der Wellen, Axel Siefer, Christin Nichols | Contributors: Anna F. Kohlschütter (Director, Script), Bine Jankowski (DoP), Ronny Müller (Sound), Gesa Hille (Editing & sound design), Romain Vicente (Music), Ulrich Friedrichs (Set design), Johanna Blott (Costunes), Stefanie Herstel (Make up), Maureen Adlawan (Producer)
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Karl finds the liveless Johanna in the snow and takes her into his home in the Finnish Taiga. The story of an impossible love is revealed in flashbacks between silent snowfall and the big city backdrop of Berlin: A budding love to young Nick turns into a destructive force, heading towards a dramatic climax, while Johanna‘s fate unfolds.
Germany 2011, 81 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 16 | Actor & actresses: Christine Heimannsberg, Andreas Schwankl, Heinrich Rofling, Marion Gretchen Schmitz, Moritz Berg, Thierry Besson | Contributors: Magoscha Siwinska und Nicki Durand (Directors), Christine Heimannsberg (Books), Gustav Hundar (Cinematography), Nicki Durand and Valentin Fastabend (Editing), Roland Stähle (Sound), Diego Lorenzo Sufrategui (Music), Yvonne Krokow (Production design), Nicole Zielke (Costumes), Katharina Buchelt and Sonja Bechthold (Production management), Artur Lugmayr (Coproduction)
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Wood engineer Richard Lüders lives a life like a construction. Highly engaged in his career his private life consists of nothing but short purely sexual affairs. When he first meets Teresa Becker everything changes. Richard is booked for a wild ride of love, passion, ease and freedom and his time with Teresa becomes a journey towards his own feelings and the question arises: Where do I belong?
* The full movie can only be seen in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Germany 2016, 89 Min., Longfilm | 15 years achtung berlin • festival retrospective online – Film 17 | Actor & actresses: Hannes Wegener, Peri Baumeister, Silke Bodenbender, Godehard Giese | Contributors: Nicolai Max Hahn (Director and screenplay), Yannick Bonica (Cinematography), Melanie Lischker (Editing), Lukas Lücke, Tobias Rüther and Joel Laube (Sound), Thee Balancer (Music), Fabian Eisenacher (Production design, Nadja Liening (Costumes), Nicolai Max Hahn and Vulnet Rusani (Producer)
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Nicolai Max Hahn’s “Oregon Pine” is the 17th film and at the same time the crowning finale of the 15 years of achtung berlin • festival retrospective online. In the film, the wood technology engineer Richard Lüders initially leads a life like a construction, professionally strongly committed, privately reduced to short, sexual acquaintances without actual closeness. When…
“Atme” (English title: “Breathe”) is the title of the feature film by Magosha Siwinsk and Nicki Durand, which will be shown as the 16th film at the 15 Jahre achtung berlin – festival retrospective online. In the film Karl finds the lifeless Johanna in a snowy place in Finland. He takes her in silently and…
The 15th film at the 15 years achtung berlin – festival retrospective online is the mid-length film “Rebecca” by Anna F. Kohlschütter. The movie tells the story about Rebecca. She has recently split up with Ben. She now lives in the shared flat of her best friend sleeping on the sofa in a walk-through room. Rebecca is…
The 14th film of the 15 years of achtung berlin • festival retrospective online was created by Dennis Kartsen and deals with the Mauerpark in Berlin. Dr. Motte and Wladimir Kaminer, but also Schraubmicha, Joe Hatchiban and Ginger Brown – they all use it. The Mauerpark is located on the former death strip in Berlin.…
“Luft” by Max Hegewald is the 13th film in the 15 Jahre achtung berlin – festival retrospective online. The film tells the story of Raphaela and Basti, a couple in Berlin. Both are “Mitte-Ende-Zwanzig”. Raphaela is writing her bachelor thesis and is stuck, Basti is working in a start-up and can’t draw any boundaries. When Raphaela…
Our second Sunday film and simultaneously the 12th film at the 15 Jahre achtung berlin • festival retrospective online is the film “Stiller Frühling” by Nico Sommer. The film is about 21-year-old Sebastian (played by Tom Lass), who has never been with a woman be. His grandfather supports him and tries to help him to find…
