Im Gehäus

In His Room

Forum Expanded 2017

Dennis and I live together. One year ago I started to explore his 30.8 square meters with my camera. This portrait of a man in his workroom emerged.
Papers cover the floor, mixed up – a lot of contradictory details. In between noted thoughts, mathematical formulas, graphic sketches, and receipts there are novels, scientific books, issues of ‘The New York Review of Books,’ tools, lenses, pieces of wood, cardboards, plastic bags, and dust. In the mysterious chaos a self-willed world of a mathematician, thinker, art historian, and handyman becomes visible. He believes that his two kinds of work – handcraft and intellectual – support each other. Dennis spent half a year working on a small geometric surprise inside Dürer’s engraving ‘Jerome in His Study,’ and confessed: “Jerome’s room is my room.” How does he see that?
The camera tracks down the details in the room. I don’t really trust his working methods – little gets done – but they draw me in, affecting my own method in this film. At the same time, when I start filming, Dennis starts cleaning up the room.

by Eva C. Heldmann
with Dennis Couzin, E. Gugel, Skye Chan Couzin Germany 2017 English 27’ Colour

With

Dennis Couzin
E. Gugel
Skye Chan Couzin

Crew

Written and Directed by	Eva C. Heldmann
Cinematography	Eva C. Heldmann
Sound	Eva C. Heldmann
Producer	Eva C. Heldmann

Produced by

Eva C. Heldmann Films

http://www.heldmannfilm.de http://www.heldmannfilm.de

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Eva C. Heldmann

Born in Dillenburg, Germany in 1951. After studying German, she founded a repertory cinema in the countryside with friends. Her first 16mm drama Johnny or a Raw Piece of Meat was made in 1984. During lengthy stays in southern Africa, the USA, India and Berlin, she has made experimental documentary films.

Filmography (selection)

1984 Johnny oder das rohe Fleisch (Johnny or a Raw Piece of Meat); 4 min. 1990 Compartment; 5 min. 1994 1000 Küsse an Wanda (1000 Kisses to Wanda); 22 min. 1999 Fremd gehen. Gespräche mit meiner Freundin (Stepping out); 64 min., Forum 2000 2006 The Queens Courtyard; 80 min. 2008 Five Sex Rooms und eine Küche (Five Sex Rooms and a Kitchen); 79 min. 2010 Das schöne Heim; 65 min. 2011 Prufrock Back in America; 8 min., Forum Expanded 2011 2012 r i v e r r e d; 8 min., Forum Expanded 2012 2015 Strom; 81 min., Forum Expanded 2015 2017 Im Gehäus (In His Room) 2024 Ihre ergebenste Fräulein (Well Ordered Nature); documentary

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024