Perspektive Deutsches Kino

What stands out for you in this year’s programme?

For the first time there is a Turkish-German film community at Perspektive. A film entitled Karaman takes place entirely in Anatolia but also relates to Germany. Tamer Yiğit, one of the two directors (Yiğit/Prlić) is Turkish, but has lived in Berlin since birth. Tamer on the other hand is the brother of Burak Yiğit who plays the lead in Westerland – another film in our selection. Engin Kundağ tells a story about his Turkish homeland in a short film called Ararat. I find it remarkable and very interesting how Turkey keeps moving closer to Europe - even at Perspektive.

How do these kinds of connections occur? Do you have the entire programme in your mind or do you watch all the films individually first?

Initially I don’t have a clear picture but listen to my intuition while I am sifting through. Once I’ve found a few films that stand out thematically and try to develop a particular, visually aesthetic or dramatic language, I begin to look for special motifs. This year, for example, to begin with it looked as if the films of the programme were predominantly by men. As it turned out it was a nice surprise to meet interesting women as well. Soleen Yusef for example, tells a father/daughter story in a mafia/protection money environment in her film Trattoria. As the sifting process evolves, these kinds of considerations increase, but there is no clear picture at the beginning.

In their own different ways these three films look back into the past: Sterben nicht vorgesehen is definitely a declaration of love and a farewell to the director’s father. It is a very personal, very beautiful film that plays with a lot of different materials. Throughout the film he weaves in old photos and animated memories.
Rodicas tells of two women over 80. They both emigrated from Romania, but only met in Australia years later. Both are called Rodica and are best friends. The director is the granddaughter of one of them and tries to find out more about the old ladies’ lives. Although the two Rodicas say very little about their past we learn a lot about who they are and what has influenced them. It is another very personal, charming and funny film. Like Sterben nicht vorgesehen it is about saying goodbye, because one of the protagonists died shortly after the film was made. Even with a heavier subject matter these two films have more lightness than most films in this year’s programme.

This Ain´t California on the other hand looks back in a completely different way. Perspektive has always shown films relating to the GDR. But I was particularly impressed with This Ain’t California. The film uses wonderful footage from old super-8 films of the so-called "Rollbrettfahrer" that shows us the GDR in a way I have never watched in the movies: as a wild, colorful country. The three protagonists are totally cool and totally themselves – and by that I mean they are not at all conformist. They are not real rebels who revolt against the system or make great speeches either. Their rebellion consists of doing something that no one else does and so invoke an incredible sense of freedom.

Awards and conversations

In 2012 the Made in Germany-Förderpreis Perspektive – donated by Glashütte Original - will be awarded. Can you say anything about the background of this award?

The idea behind this award is to further support talented filmmakers who have previously presented their films at Perspektive, to help and motivate them with their next project. Directors who participated in Perspektive 2011 had the opportunity to submit new proposals. We have a three-person jury: Thomas Arslan, whose films have been shown at Berlinale several times, Anna Brüggemann, who has written and acted in various Perspektive films and Gian Piero Ringel who produced Wim Wenders’ Pina. They read the proposals and choose a project. The author of the best project proposal is awarded €15,000 at this year’s opening. The money is intended for developing a script for a feature film or research for a documentary. We are very excited about it.
Also this year at Perspektive, we are inviting some directors to participate in an hour-long conversation at the Glashütte Lounge to talk about their films and current topics related to German cinema in front of a live audience.
At the close of the Berlinale our big prize “Dialoge en perspective” – sponosred by Deutsch Französisches Jugendwerk – will be awarded to the best film of this year’s Perspektive. Jan Henrik Stahlberg chairs the jury. He participated in the Perspektive in 2004 with his film Muxmäuschenstill and after that in the Panorama several times.