Chrigu
Chrigu Christian, called Chrigu, finds out at 24 that he has cancer. He documents his life with a camera during the course of his illness. When his condition gets worse, Chrigu's best friend Jan takes over the shooting.
The main figure in this documentary is a young man with big plans, shot down by the deadly effects of an incurable disease. But death is not the central theme, rather it's about life and its transitoriness. Chrigu integrates earlier video footage of the protagonist at concerts, parties, or on a trip to India. The editing of these clips not only synchronizes the present and the past, it also reflects essentially different emotional qualities. The film develops its special power from this constant back and forth. The filmmaker tells the story in a deeply moving and intense way without ever ap pealing to pity. Glimpses into Christian's circle of friends, members of the hip hop band Mundartisten ("Dialecticians"), and his family form a kind of portrait of a generation. Chrigu is a thought-provoking and enduring film about true friendship and the beauty of life.
Ansgar Vogt
The main figure in this documentary is a young man with big plans, shot down by the deadly effects of an incurable disease. But death is not the central theme, rather it's about life and its transitoriness. Chrigu integrates earlier video footage of the protagonist at concerts, parties, or on a trip to India. The editing of these clips not only synchronizes the present and the past, it also reflects essentially different emotional qualities. The film develops its special power from this constant back and forth. The filmmaker tells the story in a deeply moving and intense way without ever ap pealing to pity. Glimpses into Christian's circle of friends, members of the hip hop band Mundartisten ("Dialecticians"), and his family form a kind of portrait of a generation. Chrigu is a thought-provoking and enduring film about true friendship and the beauty of life.
Ansgar Vogt
Additional information
Jan Gassmann
Jan Gassmann, co-director of the film Chrigu, received one of the prizes awarded by the Ecumenical Jury. The film tells the story of a good friend of the director, Christian Ziörjen, the suffering from cancer, of which he died in 2005, but also the life he had lived before.
Chrigu · Forum · Prizes of the Independent Juries · Feb 17, 2007