Films by Armin Badde

Germany 2022, 111 min
by Florian Heinzen-Ziob

2020, 108 min
by Miguel Müller-Frank

WITH ONE'S OWN EYES observes the daily work of the editors of the renowned German political TV magazine MONITOR which is known for its investigative, opinionative and often polarizing journalism since its first airing 55 years ago. The documentary focuses on the creation of one MONITOR program and follows the editors on their investigative research on right-wing extremists in connection with the murder of politician Walter Lübcke. Produced without television funds and solely funded by the Film- and Mediafund NRW, WITH ONE'S OWN EYES is the sixth full-length documentary by Miguel Müller-Frank.

2019, 52 min
by Udo Vieth

Roundabouts are enjoying increasing popularity among urban planners, but also artists. We embark on an entertaining tour of Europe and introduce artists who are exhibiting their work in the middle of traffic islands.What do giant kiwis, suspended taps and luminous rolls of paper have in common? They’re pieces of art on display in the centre of traffic roundabouts, that are attracting visitor numbers museums can only dream of! Roundabouts are becoming increasingly popular because they are safer, cheaper and lower-maintenance than intersections with traffic lights. France is Europe’s front-runner with around 60,000 roundabouts, and more planned. These traffic islands are creating a new, unused public space that is almost asking to be designed. We embark on a “round trip” of Europe and discover roundabouts in France, Switzerland, Lanzarote, and in Greece where we meet documenta artist Costas Varotsos with his huge glass sculptures. Leading French roundabout artist, Jean Luc Plé, shows us his folk art in the form of sailing boats, giant fruit and oversized insects. In the Swiss canton of Aargau, we meet art curator Friederike Schmid who has created a roundabout typology. And in Lanzarote we take a look at the weighty wind chimes of painter, sculptor and architect Cesar Manrique. In an entertaining and humorous way, the film takes viewers to a world they encounter every day, yet one they barely know.

Germany 2018, 89 min
by Florian Heinzen-Ziob

GERMAN CLASS takes us back to school. Over the course of six months the film closely follows class teacher Ute Vecchio as she prepares children who have just arrived from other countries for the German school system. Small successes, large set-backs, school pranks and the looming threat of deportation – the challenges the children face are just as diverse as the countries and cultures they originate from.The ambitious Pranvera, who even beats the boys in arm wrestles, has to suffer the deportation of her best friend. Ferdi, who dreams of working as a car mechanic, only has four months left to catch up on four years’ worth of schoolwork. And class clown Kujtim has already managed to learn four languages in his eventful lifetime, but cannot write any of them.GERMAN CLASS is a touching portrait of learning, adapting and growing in a new language and in a new society. A fresh look at an institution that we think we all know well – school.With: Ute Vecchio, Kujtim, Ferdi, Schach, Pranvera