Films by Anja Pohl

Germany 2023, 102 min
by Ralf Bücheler

We all know the big bad wolf of fairy-tale fame – over hundreds of years the wolf has become a culturally imprinted symbol of fear that’s completely detached from reality. In fact there weren’t even any wolves in western Europe for a long time. But they’re back – for example in Germany, where these social animals now occupy a few scattered areas around the country that people have left to them. The comeback of the wolf in Germany resulted from a democratic decision that is carefully managed within a bureaucratic framework. This meticulous documentary follows some of the people – scientists, conservationists and shepherds – who are keeping a close eye on the wolves.Scenes of these people at work in the field and in laboratories are interspersed with conversations and presentations at political hearings. As well as monitoring the wolves, they add their voices to counter the fact-free public debate and tendentious arguments put forward by opponents. [IDFA]

Germany, United Arab Emirates 2017, 88 min
by Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff

Hissa Hilal is the voice from behind the veil. Her weapon is her word. Hissa is a self-taught writer and she says what she thinks. She decides to take part in the Million’s Poet show, an Abu-Dhabi based TV show. It is the Arab world’s biggest poetry competition, and it is dominated by men. Hissa works herself up, becoming the first woman in the finals. In her poems she criticizes the patriarchal Arab society and she attacks one of the most notorious Saudi clerics for his extremist fatwas, live, in front of 75 million viewers. We’ll never see Hissa’s face. Like the majority of Saudi women, Hissa is covered from head to toe. She is not allowed to drive a car. She doesn’t own a passport. And she requires consent from her husband for any sort of activity. Coming out of nowhere, the housewife Hissa is suddenly breaking news in the biggest Western and Arab media. How did she gain the knowledge and the courage to step on stage and risk her life? This is Hissa‘s story.

Germany 2014, 119 min
by Anja Pohl, Jörg Adolph

In between celebrating his 80th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Oberhausen Manifesto Edgar Reitz is shooting his latest film. With THE OTHER HEIMAT he aims to continue not only his world famous HEIMAT series but also his earliest works. A whole village in the Hunsrück region of Germany is taken back in time to 1840 by set designers, actors and actresses are cast in full costumes and according to their matching compatibility as a family ensemble. Our documentary observes all stages in the creation of this challenging film and takes on Edgar Reitz' point of view on filmmaking. And in his case filmmaking means a nearly four hour long afterthought of the "Young German Cinema" movement in digital cinemascope and black and white! We strictly followed Edgar's dictum: "Don't do an ordinary making-of but make a film that shows how films are made".

Germany 2010, 90 min
by Gereon Wetzel

The starred chef Ferran Adrià is known as the best, most innovative and craziest cook in the world. In his always fully booked restaurant „El Bulli“, 50 persons are permitted to experience through 30 courses the split between his technical-conceptual cuisine and all conventions of culinary art as well as our general vision of cooking. Every year, the restaurant closes for six months. During this time, Adrià and his creative team retire to their cooking laboratory in Barcelona, to create a new menu for the following season. Everything is allowed – except of copying themselves. One year with Ferran Adrià, the development of a new menu, searching for the essence of creativity and obsession in a place where they already call the „frozen parmesan air with cereals“ from 2004 a classical dish.

Germany 2009, 84 min
by Lucia-Milena Bonse

A night in Buenos Aires. Young people between sunset and sunrise, in search of trash, love, justice, a future. Four life lines that will cross but won't touch each other.Nico sprays, under the cover of darkness, political graffiti against his anger at the corrupt government. His trademark is the spider, climbing over house walls and thus into Estér's nightlife. Together with her mother and her little son, she uses the hours before garbage removal trying to turn other people's waste into their living. Natalia is coming home from her webcam-stripping-job. She is dreaming of a man who loves her and of finally becoming the woman on the outside that she feels she already is. But right now she wants to go out, dance in a club and forget all about everything. The AMERIKA is also the place Ani, Hilde and Mechi are heading for. Drunk with cocktails, styling and the thought of boys, the three girlfriends take off into the night.Avenida Argentina explores four opposite worlds along the social striplines of today's Argentina, between poor and rich, unschooled and studied, indigenous and European descent. An irritating snapshot of a society in crisis.