Films by André Schäfer

Germany 2024, 91 min
by André Schäfer

In 1905, Thomas Mann made his first plans for a novel about an impostor. The first volume of “Confessions of Felix Krull” was not published until 1954. No literary figure has accompanied Thomas Mann for as long as Felix Krull. Both Krull and Thomas Mann are masters of deception. Thomas Mann was a literary superstar with an upper class façade. His world fame meant everything to him – but it cost him an enormous amount of energy to maintain this appearance.Thomas Mann’s diaries reveal an insecure, often depressed man who suppressed his desires throughout his life: Thomas Mann was homosexual. Nevertheless, he chose a married life with six children.The film follows in Felix Krull’s footsteps to Eltville, Frankfurt am Main, Paris and Lisbon – and uses archives, letters and diary entries to trace Thomas Mann’s own journey during the creative process. The work on the novel accompanied Thomas Mann through the Nazi regime, McCarthyism in the USA and the new Europe after the Second World War.In this hybrid documentary, director André Schäfer and actor Sebastian Schneider blur the lines between Thomas Mann and his alter ego Felix Krull, telling the story of a titan of German literature from an entirely new perspective.

2023, 90 min
by André Schäfer

"Die Ente bleibt draußen!" A film obeisance to the German humorist Loriot. To mark Loriot’s 100th birthday, André Schäfer paints a multi-facetted portrait of the best-known German humorist: With numerous film excerpts from his famous sketches, rare documentary footage of Vicco von Bülow from the early days of his career and interviews with companions, colleagues, experts and fans. The film remembers the inventor of the bulbous-nosed Knollennasenmännchen and explores the secret of his very German universe. It’s also a homage to the German post-war economic miracle and Loriot’s singular symbiosis of Prussianism and anarchic humour. [31 FFHH]With: Johann von Bülow, Olli Dittrich, Oliver Kalkofe, Hape Kerkeling, Helge Schneider, Ariana Baborie , Dagmar Biener, Mirja Boes, Katja Bogdanski, Sarah Bosetti, Claudia Hillebrandt u.a.

2023, 90 min
by Anna Steuber, André Schäfer

The Kennedy family has been an American cultural icon for decades, representing glamour, power, and tragedy. A troubled family with still little-known facets: nine siblings, including five sisters, whose lives set highlights of the American century, and revealed its abysses. This time, the focus is not just on the lives and deaths of the famous brothers. Rather, this documentary explores the intricate web of relationships between all family members, revealing the complexities of their dynamics and the everlasting influence of their Irish heritage. Featuring interviews with family members, historians and experts, this film provides a unique perspective on one of America's most famous families.

Switzerland, Germany 2022, 90 min
by André Schäfer

This film is not a classic portrait but a documentary using fiction to bring Martin Suter’s novels to life while introducing us to the author behind the stories on a whole new level. "Fantasy is usually truer than reality itself," says Suter. He strolls through his stories, exposing his protagonists and their secrets – and especially his own, private cosmos. [75 Locarno FF]"The portrait about Martin Suter took four years to develop. He freely talks about his life, thoughts, and tools of the trade." – André Schäfer

Germany 2022, 416 min
by Lorenza Castella, André Schäfer, Francesca D’Amicis, Katja Duregger

On this journey, we find out more about the Italian soul through the culinary culture of its people. From Piedmont to Apulia, our protagonists invite us to take a peek into their kitchens.Far from the bustling tourist hotspots, we look at the soul of Italy and find out more about the country through its culinary culture. Each episode is a journey of discovery that intrigues and inspires. Various protagonists offer us a personal glimpse of their everyday lives and invite us to visit their most sacred place: the kitchen. The recipes and ingredients reflect the culture of the country and are flavoured with the spectacular scenery of the individual regions. From the varied backdrops of Alpine peaks and plains, vineyards, national parks and the Piedmont lakes, the journey takes us to Tuscany and the coastal region around Livorno, where food cultures from the last seven centuries come together and wine-growing is considered the work of heroes. In the deep south, we travel through Apulia. The region that forms the heel of Italy’s boot is one huge fruit and vegetable patch where all the ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine grow in abundance. With its rich vegetation, Sicily has a bit of Africa, Arabia, Byzantium and Athens, a little Rome and even a touch of Spain. Ancient orchards, olive groves and plantations of prickly pears show themselves in all their magnificence.

Germany 2022, 90 min
by André Schäfer

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York's greatest landmarks, it is an engineering marvel of its time and an icon of US culture.With rarely seen archive images from the construction period, spectacular re-shoots, illuminating original sounds and exclusively animated scenes, the documentary tells the story behind the bridge and makes the construction itself visible to the viewer. A fact unknown to many: Its creation is deeply intertwined with the history of the German engineer family Roebling – and the dramatic story of an immigration from Germany to the New World. It's not only a dazzling story of emigration but also of a woman who played an integral part in the completion of an American landmark. We capture the success story of the Roebling family, whose patriarch brought the idea of such a construction from the Old World to the New. It is thanks to him, that the bridge now spans the East River – a gigantic challenge and an enormous engineering feat.

Germany 2021, 53 min
by André Schäfer

She was recently awarded with Munich's Cultural Prize of Honour, Hanna Schygulla, the great Diva of European Film, who, at the age of 76, is still working with renowned directors such as François Ozon. The film revisits her major roles from Lili Marleen to Effi Briest, but also shows a fascinating woman up close, who is tirelessly building bridges between cultures: In Berlin, where she makes films with refugee children, in Paris, where François Ozon tells us of his work with her, and in Barcelona, where she films a series with teenagers.

2019, 52 min
by André Schäfer

Edward II ruled England in the early 14th century. He was the first king since the Norman Conquest of 1066 to be deposed. A portrait of a polarizing king and his unprecedented downfall.As historians and many of his contemporaries would agree, Edward II, who ruled England at the start of the 14th century, was not a good king. But it has to be said, they weren’t easy times either: from his father, Edward I, he inherited a bloody conflict with the Scots which flared up again and again; and he had to battle with the English barons and their parliaments for real control of power over the land. His preference for the activities of simple folk such as roofing, swimming or rowing was a source of suspicion among his peers, but even more so his relationship with favourite male figures, from whom he took counsel. His opponents accused him of homosexual activity. What’s more, a devastating famine ravaged the country, triggered by catastrophic rains and cruel winters. Finally, his own wife, daughter of the French king, mobilised an army against him and invaded England, ending with the king being forced to abdicate. With the help of historians, we present a portrait of a polarizing king in dramatic times and tell of his demise against a backdrop of scenes of English, Scottish and Welsh landscapes. In addition, elaborate and colourful illustrations help bring Edward’s era back to life.

Germany 2017, 52 min
by André Schäfer, Oliver Bätz

Bugatti – a name that stands for records, speed and beautiful design. The Bugattis were a family of possessed artists, and each of them found his own personal creative outlet. Their name stands for inventiveness and creativity. The film “Bugatti – The Joy of Speed” tells the story of Carlo Bugatti, and his two sons Ettore and Rembrandt. Theirs is a story of a dramatic rise and fall of a family amidst the turmoil of the first half of the 20th Century, and the story of the creation of a modern myth.

Germany 2017, 52 min
by Jonas Niewianda, André Schäfer

While the First World War and its battles on the Western Front are still very much anchored in our memory of history, the simultaneous battle in the East appears now to have been largely forgotten. During the course of this military action, a peculiar, state-like entity was created, a German colony in Eastern Europe, a military utopia: the Land of Ober Ost. The occupied region was to become a productive state, completely under military command; a state that was to serve not least as a deployment zone for the impending war.

Germany 2017, 25 min
by Rieke Brendel, André Schäfer

The crime novel as a guide to discover the murderous idyll of France! In the series, Hamburg-based crime writer Friedrich Dönhoff travels to five different French regions to visit five of his colleagues and discover the landscapes that serve as their inspiration: scenically, culinary, as well as culturally. In the Périgord Friedrich Dönhoff meets with writer Martin Walker, in Banyuls he visits Yann Sola and Dominique Manotti shows him her Marseille. Jean-Luc Bannalec is lost without a trace and Anne Chaplet’s protagonist investigates in the Cévennes region.

2017, 90 min
by André Schäfer, Jascha Hannover

"There are three golden rules to filmmaking: thou shalt not bore, thou shalt not bore, and thou shaltnot bore!" Billy Wilder was one of the greatest writers and directors in Hollywood. The man who filmed Marilyn Monroe with her dress blowing up, wrote screenplays with Raymond Chandler and created film history with classics like 'Sunset Boulevard', 'Some Like It Hot' or 'One, Two, Three'.Billy Wilder was a legend in his lifetime and embodies a period of contemporary history. He was successful beyond measure, and became very rich as a result – but he never sold out.Our film rediscovers this cultural figurehead. Via trailers and film extracts from his greatest works, it documents and analyses Wilder's filmmaking. In exclusive, newly-filmed interviews companions and contemporaries of Billy Wilder, such as Volker Schlöndorff, Marthe Keller und Paul Diamond document a century of contemporary history and portray a person who above all was never boring.

2016, 90 min
by André Schäfer, Hartmut Kasper

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE tells the story of a song. A song that has becomethe epitome of a global folk song. Each and every weekend, hundreds of thousands of football fans sing it in stadiums all over the world.But who would know that the roots of the tune go back to Budapest in the year 1909 – to a young playwright and a stage play called 'Lilliom'?We will re-experience the journey the song took from there and immerse ourselves into various different worlds: the sophisticated and artistic social circle of the Habsburg empire, the flamboyance of Berlin in the 1920s, the high-gloss of Hollywood of the 40s and 50s, working-class Liverpool in the 60s – and global football fan culture.Like many great works of art YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE is a collaboration – an Austro-Hungarian-German US-American-British co-production, that reflects more then a century of cultural history. And the story of the song is still ongoing, as „You’ll never walk alone” is still regularly performed in various contexts all across the world."Molnár always said: 'My plays are no good to set to music.' But he was short of money in 1945. And when he saw how much he was offered by Rodgers & Hammerstein, he said 'All right, yes!'" (Matyas Sarkozi, grandson of Ferenc Molnár)

2016, 208 min
by Markus Augé, Rieke Brendel, Andrew Davies, Jonas Niewianda, André Schäfer

THE GRAND LITERATOUR goes time-travelling with eight of the most enthralling authors in literary history.The series embarks on unique voyages intertwining both past and present: Heinrich Böll's Ireland, Hans Christian Andersen's Orient, the French Riviera with Erika and Klaus Mann, and Uwe Johnson’s New York – great authors on tour, grand literature tours. Travel literature is not just dusty descriptions of faraway places, it is intended for readers who are not only interested in visiting countries, but also experiencing the people, culture and mentality of the places. On no account do these travellers want to just be tourists.THE GRAND LITERATOUR rediscovers the travel journals of famous authors and the countries they visited anew. The series reveals how these countries have changed, whether what the travel writers once saw has now vanished or been forgotten, or how the places have grown and evolved over time.

Germany 2014, 225 min
by Andrew Davies, Benjamin Leers, Sebastian Lemke, Michael Schomers, André Schäfer

Amidst the urban jungle, hidden between deep concrete canyons, one can find one of the world’s most exclusive clubs. The Explorers Club in New York is the epicentre of the last heroes – it is the meeting place for the planet’s most distinguished explorers. 105 years ago, at the time when the club was first formed, travelling was arduous. Vast parts of the world were not yet mapped, and the world was full of adventure. The world has become a smaller place, hardly a patch is left that has not yet been mapped and travelled to. The greatest amazements appear to have been harvested. Today, adventure is to be found in the details. The 'how' is more important than the 'where'. The series THE EXPLORERS CLUB accompanies and features five modern explorers on their travels all over the world. Over the course of five episodes we explore the world, and let ourselves drift to all corners of the earth and open our eyes to the great unknown amongst the seemingly ordinary. Via exotic landscapes, sparse deserts and bleak and threatening ice, we follow these women and men on their journey, faraway from classic nature documentaries.

Germany 2014, 180 min
by Sebastian Lemke, Jonas Niewianda, André Schäfer, Viktor Stauder

This series accompanies the geographer, photographer and explorer Michael Martin on five of his unique desert expeditions. Michael Martin's goal is to compare the world’s most spectacular hot and indeed cold deserts. Over the course of three years he has undertaken 40 expeditions to 24 locations and circled the globe four times. He not only documents the fantastic landscapes in his photographs but also the people who live under these most extreme circumstances. Of these 24 locations, we have chosen five destinations to be featured in the first season of MICHAEL MARTIN – A DESERT ADVENTURE. We accompany him on dog sleds, helicopters, ships and planes and – whenever possible – on his motorbike.

Germany 2013, 89 min
by André Schäfer

Willy Brandt, who would have been 100 on the 18th December, was one of the greatest German and European political figures. He was a person who was crucial in shaping post second world war history, firstly as mayor of Berlin during the Cold War, then as foreign minister in a major coalition government, next as Federal Chancellor of the Bonn Republic and finally as a long-serving SPD leader with a major international reputation. For this 100th anniversary, André Schäfer’s film tells the story of the important stations in Willy Brandt’s political life. The filmmaker allows this charismatic politician to speak for himself in rare and intimate footage from his years in exile, his time as Mayor of Berlin and his short but formative time as chancellor. Friends and close companions reminisce about him and together portray a very personal picture of Brandt. Among them are his son Peter Brandt, his fellow campaigner and close colleague Egon Bahr, the journalists Gerd Ruge, Gunter Hofmann, Werner Perger and Wibke Bruhns, Wolf- Dietrich Schilling, Klaus Harpprecht, Albrecht Müller and Harry Walter, the Bonn photographers Josef Darchinger and Konrad R. Müller, and last but not least 98 year old Elizabeth Fisher-Spanjer, a friend from his time in exile as a young man.

Germany 2013, 90 min
by André Schäfer, Eva Gerberding

A look at the end of the last Czar and his family at the hand of the Bolsheviks, and the 4 centuries of grand, bloody and war-torn history that proceeded it - the might of the double-eagle throne fascinates us to this day. The killing lasted 20 minutes. Czar Nikolaus II. was the first to die – shot in the heart with a pistol at close range. Then the Bolsheviks shot his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna, his daughters Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia, the heir apparent Alexei, and four employees of the royal family. The death of the Romanovs marked the end of a dynasty reaching back to the crowning of Michail Romanov in July 1613. The Czars always ruled their huge empire with an iron fist – which in the end became their undoing. 400 years of Romanov rule – 4 centuries of grandiose and fateful European and Russian history.  This doc presents never-before-seen archive footage, shot in awe-inspiring and newly-restored locations in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, told in fast-paced yet dramatic style. (Global Screen)

2013, 90 min
by André Schäfer

The idea for DEUTSCHBODEN? “I want to get out and go where hardly any of us have ever been before – to Hardrockhausen.” The reporter Moritz von Uslar takes a close at hand but nevertheless spectacular step for his novel by simply leaving Berlin to immerse himself into the everyday life of a small East German town just 60 kilometres away.The film is – just like the book – a thoughtful story involving insider observations which makes for a great piece of contemporary history. It describes Germany, 20 years after reunification, in a sometimes drastic but always loving and completely original way. On the outskirts of the big city, in Brandenburg, the reporter Moritz von Uslar sets off in pursuit of East German clichés like unemployment, alcoholism, emigration and right-wing radicalism. With great empathy and intuition Uslar observes and describes what he discovers in the provincial town: a pils at the bar, a barbecue under the German flag, hanging out at the petrol station – and the everyday life of young men who, although they may not have a particularly great future ahead of them, have a pretty keen sense of humour.

Germany 2012, 90 min
by André Schäfer

John Irving is one of the world’s most read writers: More than 10 million copies of his 12 novels have been sold in 30 languages. In 2012 Irving celebrated his 70th birthday.When reading John Irving, you get the feeling that you are sitting at a table and one of the characters is handing you a glass of wine: Irving is one of the world’s most read writers: More than 10 million copies of his 12 novels have been sold in 30 languages. In 2012 Irving celebrated his 70th birthday. The film visualises the elation in Irving’s novels, a factor which makes him a literary figure of global format: a reality available for everyone, approachable though closely knitted and inhabited by characters and inventions boasting an exuberant lust for storytelling.

Germany 2010, 90 min
by Andrew Davies, André Schäfer

Two reasons to revive interest in Rock Hudson in 2010: If he had not died of AIDS 25 years ago, it would have been his 85th birthday in November 2010. The film will be revealing a gay star doing a secret balancing act between the heterosexual world of an obviously very male looking star and the dark side of forbidden sexuality as a closeted gay. In fact someone who always needed to tell lies. Was he also lying to himself? German title: ROCK HUDSON – SCHOENER FREMDER MANN

Germany 2010, 90 min
by Julia Kammigan, André Schäfer

The documentary PIRATES – ROBBERS ON THE HIGH SEAS captures the hot spots of piracy worldwide. We film aboard the frigate Augsburg, when the naval warship not only offers emergency assistance at the Horn of Africa and the coast of Somalia, but also when it takes action against pos-sible pirates. On board we capture the everyday life of German sailors, whose frame of mind constantly ranges between hope and fear, missing their families, yet determined to stamp on the brutal bucca-neers. Even politics can no longer ignore the piracy problem. Although the initial command for the mis-sion of the German navy during “Operation Enduring Freedom” at the Horn of Africa was that of counterterrorism, it has since been taken over by reality. In Hong Kong we meet Martina Platte, who works for the German Seaman’s Mission, she is an expert on piracy and its impact. Hong Kong is one of the largest ports in Asia, and the region - especially the South China Sea - suffers desperately from the pirate attacks. Furthermore, we visit the town of Win-schoten in the Netherlands, the home of the shipping company recently involved in a hijacking case. We also meet Captain Kotiuk, the Commander in Chief of the hijacked Hansa Stavanger. He tells us about the hostage drama, the mock executions and the constant fear for his life. Another location is London, where the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) of the United Nations has its home. Just recently the UNO passed a resolution about piracy at the Somali coast. We talk with Roger Middleton, who is an expert on Somalia and the poor condition that country is in - one of the reasons, he claims, why Somalians turn to the sea to make money. Piracy is the second largest eco-nomic branch. Piracy is one of the oldest “industries” in the world – and judging by what is happening at the moment, business beneath the skull and bones will remain a challenge for the 21st century civil maritime shipping.

Germany 2009, 58 min
by Werner Koehne, André Schäfer

No other person has had quite as much influence on modernity as John Calvin, one of Europe's greatest reformers of the 16th century. 500 years span between his lifetime and ours. Today he has been seemingly forgotten by many, while most of those who do remember him regard him as a character shrouded by clichés. One paints him as a homourless spoil sport, while another one sets him up to be the inventor of sadomasochistic Christianity. Beyond his ever-changing image in history one thing remains: this industrious ascetic has not only presented us with a fundamental component for the reformation, but also greatly influenced our modernway of life, as well as our perception of work ethics and individuality. Who was this John Calvin? And what drove him to develop the doctrine, that would later be called Calvinism and appeal to masses all over the world, even today?

Germany 2009
by Andrew Davies, André Schäfer

Doris Day, the most successful female box office star in the history of Hollywood, has written cinema history by simply playing Little Miss Average. She is still amongst us and celebrated her 85th birthday in 2009. Although she has not appeared in public for over thirty years, Doris Day is considered to be a cultural icon of the 20th and 21st century. The documentary will reflect the turbulent and successful life of Doris Day with extracts and trailers from some of her many feature films and TV appearances, in order to reveal the foibles and characteristics of her real life against the background of her screen and music life. A playful and tongue-in-cheek study of the fairytale career of Doris Day.

Germany 2008
by Werner Köhne, André Schäfer

John le Carré is one of the most important yet underestimated writers of our time. He is radical, angry, analytic, and intelligent. For more than 50 years he has been a dedicated author and a pugnacious witness of contemporary events. His ‘63 debut bestseller "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" is a highly ambitious literary work and much more than a novel. Instead it qualifies as a historical document about the Cold War. But the iron curtain has long fallen and le Carré has moved on to new grounds. His latest works have succeeded in critically debating modern day world issues such as globalisation and the resulting new scourge of terrorism. King of Spies presents the viewer with an account of le Carré’s past and present, and offers a delightful insight into the mind of a brilliant. www.florianfilm.de