Films by Christian Beetz

Germany, USA 2024, 87 min
by Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck

Startups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product."I wanted to see if he was okay," explains Christi, one of the users of Project December. With this innovative software, users can communicate with a virtual version of the deceased through a chatbot that simulates the dead person’s conversation patterns. Hers was an attempt to check on her first love. Others may simply miss someone, seek permission to move on, or want to rid themselves of guilt.Little is known about the effects that this kind of generative AI might have on our brains, hearts, and wallets. The filmmakers, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck (THE CLEANERS, 2018 Sundance Film Festival), do not claim to have the answers, but instead bring up various emotional and moral complexities we should be aware of. Eternal You poses important questions about algorithmic immortality, and the need to take a closer look at our future 'digital remains.' — AT [source sundance catalogue 2024]

Germany, Italy 2024, 90 min
by Andreas Pichler

Europe’s largest bear rewilding project was successful in resetlling brown bears in the Italian Alps. While most locals supported the conservation project in the beginning, fear and anger prevail after a series of attacks on humans. Interweaving breathtaking and rarely seen footage of wild bears and interviews with rangers and locals, the film taps into the heated debate over what the return of the bears means for rural communities. Can humans and bears truly coexist? How do we balance conservation with human safety?

2023, 180 min
by Anne von Petersdorff, Georg Tschurtschenthaler

For many years, King Juan Carlos I was a Spanish hero, celebrated around the world for reforming Spain with his modern, progressive, democratic values. He led his country from the Franco dictatorship to parliamentary monarchy, transforming Spain into a modern European state and becoming the most popular Spanish ruler in history. King Juan Carlos had a loyal Queen, a loving family, international respect, friends in high places and faithful subjects; he had everything a King could wish for. So, how did this revered Monarch take such a drastic fall from grace that he was forced to abdicate in 2014 and eventually flee into exile in 2020? The documentary shows how a fateful hunting trip to Botswana revealed the King’s secret love affair with his companion, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, and set off a series of events that shook the Spanish monarchy to its core. The house of cards began to crumble when questions were raised about the King’s financial affairs, his lucrative links with the Spanish establishment and alleged global corruption, including a €65 million payment.

Armenia, Germany, Lithuania 2022, 96 min
by Inna Sahakyan

At only 14 years old, Aurora lost everything during the horror of the Armenian Genocide. But with luck and extraordinary courage she escaped to New York, where her story became a media sensation. Starring in one of the first Hollywood blockbusters as herself in 1919, Auction of Souls, Aurora would become the face of the largest charity campaign in American history. With a blend of vivid animation, aged Aurora’s video testimony, and 18-minute rediscovered footage from her original lost silent epic, Aurora's Sunrise revives Aurora her inspiring forgotten story. The film blends animation with archive footage to tell a tragic story from contemporary history. PRESS REVIEWS:The remarkable life of Armenian genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian is turned into a gripping animation [WENDY IDE, SCREENDAILY]Inna Sahakyan’s animated doc is a heartbreaking tale of survival on two continents and a vivid re-examination of the Armenian genocide [David Katz, CINEUROPA]A powerful tribute to survival, the film both commemorates the horrors of genocide and paints a hopeful vision of a brighter future. [ISABEL JACOBS, East European Film Bulletin]A survivor of the 1915 Armenian genocide, the story of Aurora Mardiganin is the harrowing true story of a teenager who, after seeing her family murdered, embarked on a remarkable journey that involved incarceration within a Turkish harem and escape to the US. [Mark Adams, Business Doc Europe]One of the more compelling productions on the Armenian Genocide of 1915 [Grace Han, Asian Movie Pulse.com]

2021, 90 min
by Sagi Bornstein, Udi Nir

Follow the journeys of 7 YouTubers through a year like no other, in a bitter-sweet portrait of the Gen Z and our new viral world. Seven young people from across the world shared their exciting plans for 2020 when “virus” started trending online. From the pandemic, through to the BLM movement and on to the US elections – VIRAL DREAMS features over a year’s worth o real-time video posts, and depicts the surprising resilience of a new generation to a global change no one saw coming.

Canada, Germany 2021, 87 min
by Julian Sher

Just before the Taliban sweep back to power and the United States withdraw in defeat, former Globe and Mail war correspondent Graeme Smith returns to Afghanistan. In the timely TVO Original documentary GHOSTS OF AFGHANISTAN, Smith offers a first-hand account of NATO’s failed attempt to bring democracy and women’s rights and freedoms to the country. He reveals the true face of the "forever war" taking an unflinching look at what went wrong in the world’s deadliest conflict that ended in chaos and tragedy. For Canada, it was the biggest deployment since World War II and one of its bloodiest — 158 soldiers dead and at least 2000 injured. For Afghanistan, 20 years of war, hundreds of thousands of lives lost, billions of dollars wasted in corruption, all sorts of abuses... As Afghans share their hopes and fears, Smith sees the deep divisions in the country that hint an explanation for the Taliban’s return to power. In his quest to hear all sides of the conflict, he travels deep inside Taliban territory to catch a glimpse of their growing control over the country and speaks to top Taliban leaders confident of victory at the failed peace talks in Doha. The Afghan inferno grows more dangerous each day.  The documentary GHOSTS OF AFGHANISTAN helps us understand how it all went so wrong. (GALAFILM)

Hong Kong, Germany 2020, 90 min
by Bing Zhou

A emotional journey into the center of Hong Kong's democracy protests.Hong Kong MOMENTS tells the stories of seven protagonists who live in the centre of the protests. With their different social backgrounds and political attitudes, they represent different hopes and dreams—a reflection of the geopolitical conflicts in the Hong Kong society that is increasingly divided…The protest movement will remain in the history of Hong Kong. In three districts—Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Hong Kong Island—protestors join forces and fight against the authorities. Through a multitude of perspectives this film tells the stories of seven protagonists: a protestor, a policeman, a first-aid worker, a pro-Beijing district councillor, a democratic community officer who wants to win the next election, a restaurant owner who supports the police and a taxi driver whose son fights in the streets. Each of them represents special hopes and dreams for Hong Kong—a city of economic power, a harbour between the Western world and China—and a place of longing for freedom, first under the British crown and now under the Chinese flag.While the protests continue, our seven protagonists are confronted with the violence around them and their inner conflicts making it difficult to distinguish between good and bad. What decisions do they need to make to be able to hold on to their dreams in this battlefield? Exclusive access to activists and communal politicians gives insight into the complex history and self-understanding of the people in Hong Kong. They consider themselves to be ethnic Chinese and the young, self-confident generation are more than ever prepared to fight for democracy—regardless of the consequences…

Germany 2020, 160 min
by Jan Peter, Georg Tschurtschenthaler

"A Perfect Crime" investigates the 1991 killing of politician Detlev Rohwedder, an unsolved mystery at the heart of Germany's tumultuous reunification.Monday, April 1, 1991, 11:30 pm: Detlev Karsten Rohwedder was shot through the window on the 1st floor of his villa in Düsseldorf with a sniper shot. Rohwedder was the head of the “Deutsche Treuhandanstalt”, at that time the largest company in the world. The Treuhand was responsible for the restructuring and privatization of the entire economy of the former GDR. The fatal sniper shot from 62 meters tears the country out of the dream of a non-violent and peaceful reunification. Although a letter of confession from the terrorist organisation of the Red Army Faction was found at the scene, the perpetrators have not yet been identified.The 40-minute episodes MARTYR | CAPITALIST | OCCUOIER | VICTIM present four different perspectives on the figure of Rohwedder and thus possible motives for his murder: Was it the last spectacular murder of the Red Army Faction - their so-called 3rd generation – was the East-German secret service Stasi behind the murder or were other forces, for example Western forces at work?The series is situated in the years 1990/91, the time immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and paints the picture of a divided Germany: the radical economic cure is leading to massive unemployment in the East, the euphoria of reunification has evaporated, in many cities the Monday demonstrations flare up again and tens of thousands of people take to the streets, calls for the Kohl government to resign are louder.The first German Netflix original documentary series offers a multi-perspective view of one of the most prominent unsolved murder cases of the German post-war period. A turbulent case and a piece of history that - as we approach the 30th anniversary of German unity - helped shape the foundation of a nation and still touches the torn soul of this nation and its people.

Ireland, Canada, Germany 2019, 86 min
by Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell

Gaza brings us into a unique place beyond the reach of television news reports to reveal a world rich with eloquent and resilient characters, offering us a cinematic and enriching portrait of a people attempting to lead meaningful lives against the rubble of perennial conflict.The documentary GAZA by director Garry Keane and Andrew Mc Connell is a German-Irish-Canadian co-production with Real Films, Filmoption International, Fine Point Films, gebrueder beetz filmproduktion and ZDF in cooperation with ARTE.Through a cast of carefully chosen characters, GAZA takes an uncommon look at life inside the Strip.The documentary GAZA by director Garry Keane and Andrew Mc Connell is a German-Irish-Canadian co-production with Real Films, Filmoption International, Fine Point Films, gebrueder beetz filmproduktion and ZDF in cooperation with ARTE.In this uplifting film, we unfold a beautiful portrait of everyday Gazan citizens, leading meaningful lives beyond the rubble of perennial conflict. Free of the cliché of news reportage, we reveal a place of beauty amidst devastation, through the lives of its extraordinary people. Our film centres on two teenagers from opposite ends of Gaza’s social divide, Karma and Ahmed.In Ahmed’s refugee camp makeshift home lives Gaza’s largest family of 14 sons, 22 daughters, one father and three wives. Less than 10 miles away, Karma’s plush apartment, together with her liberal mother, traditional father and three sisters tell a different story. Ahmed doesn’t look beyond Gaza for his life goals and dreams of becoming a big time fisherman on the mere three miles of restricted water beyond the coast. But as Karma gazes out to sea, she laments the unreachable opportunities that she knows lie beyond.Alongside our two central characters, we follow a theatre director staging a production about social divides on the strip, a taxi driver, a rooftop restaurateur and twin female wedding planners. Through these ordinary, richly observed lives we gain a nuanced and complex portrait of life in this remarkable place.Gaza may be battered and broken, but it still remains alive with colour and intrigue. A people undefeated by their circumstances our film brings together an eloquent, resilient, funny and courageous group of souls, on whose lives the world lens is often trained without ever capturing them in sharp focus.Experienced Irish filmmaker Garry Keane and award winning photographer Andrew McConnell have embedded themselves deep within the community and culture and have established unprecedented access. They have developed a clear vision for a film they passionately want to make, the untold story of Gaza through its vibrant, undocumented people. (source http://www.gebrueder-beetz.de/en/productions/gaza#synopsis)

Germany, Switzerland 2019, 118 min
by Marcus Vetter

Every year, leading figures from international politics, business and academia gather in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. For the forum’s 81-year-old founder Klaus Schwab, it’s all about improving the world through dialogue. But how are you going to challenge the status quo if you keep on inviting exclusively establishment figures?Marcus Vetter was the first filmmaker to be granted behind-the-scenes access. The impressive procession of princes, presidents and other guests—predominantly male and all fluent in English—confirms our preconceptions about this private initiative being an opportunity for the super-rich to hang out together and make business deals, while masquerading as do-gooders. But there’s also the occasional critical voice. Dutch journalist Rutger Bregman raises the subject of tax avoidance in front of an audience packed with company heads. And during an informal gathering, Jennifer Morgan, CEO of Greenpeace International, goes up to her new arch enemy, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.And when 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg shows up, it starts looking like Schwab really is doing his best to drag the forum into a new era. The question remains: What is dialogue without action? (IDFA)“Vetter strikes an admirable balance between more serious diplomatic moments and quirkier interactions”Amber Wilkinson (Screendaily)

Israel, Germany 2019, 87 min
by Shani Rozanes, Sagi Bornstein, Udi Nir

Forty years after her death, Golda Meir’s image is still clouded with controversy. While perceived as a feminist icon in many places in the world, in the country she led as a prime minister for five years she’s seen by many as a total failure, a symbol of disgrace. 'Madam Prime Minister' invites the viewers to walk in her iconic shoes and reexamine her ground breaking and dramatic years as the first and only female prime minister of Israel.Shortly before her passing, Golda Meir was interviewed for the Israeli television. After the shooting ended the cameras kept rolling, recording an intimate talk with the first and only woman to ever rule Israel. As she lit one cigarette off the other, Golda spoke freely, pleading her case for her term as prime minister – five turbulent years that secured her place in history, at a high personal cost. Based on that never-seen-before talk, testimonies of supporters and opponents and rare archival footage, GOLDA tells the story of Meir’s dramatic premiership - from her surprising rise to power and iconic international stature as 'queen of the Jewish people', to her tragic and lonely demise.Key Interviewees:• Zvi Zamir head of the Mossad 1969-1978• Prof. Meron Medzini Prime Minister's spokesman 1969-1974• Gideon Meir Golda Meir's grandson• Dr. Yossi Beilin Labor Party Spokesman 1977-1984• Reuven Abergel Israeli Black Panthers• Uri Avnery Journalist & Knesset Member 1965-1981

Germany, Brasil 2018, 88 min
by Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck

When you post something on the web, can you be sure it stays there? Enter a hidden shadow industry of digital cleaning where the Internet rids itself of what it doesn’t like.. violence, pornography and.. political content. Who is controlling what we see and what we think?

Germany 2018, 416 min
by Julie Kirchhoff, Sylvie Kürsten, Ralf Pleger, Kurt Mayer

THE ART OF MUSEUMS is not a classic documentary series about galleries displaying dusty old paintings. These films trace the turbulent biographies of each museum, from their survival of wars to their visions for the future. The museums have witnessed fierce battles and great triumphs. Their lives are full of intrigue, hope and celebration—moments inscribed in their histories. We tell these stories through a multitude of perspectives, from exclusive archive material, to interviews with museum directors and celebrities like Vivienne Westwood, Marina Abramović, Ólafur Elíasson and Wolfgang Joop and many more. Our audience encounters some of the most powerful masterpieces of European cultural history—and experiences just how alive these museums are...In the halls of world-famous museums, stars of the creative industry experience some of the world’s most iconic paintings. New ways of seeing emerge and the power of art is articulated in fresh, and often unexpected, ways.In this eight-part documentary series we dig deep into the souls of eight museums and discover their unique spirits, turbulent histories and the challenges they face in a fast-changing digitized world.We do this through the eyes and hearts of renowned creatives. Celebrities like Vivienne Westwood, Marina Abramovic and Karl Ove Knausgaard explore artists from Caravaggio to Kandinsky, from Gentileschi to Goya, showing us how just how relevant and important their artworks continue to be, both to themselves and within the public imagination. Each episode is dedicated to a particular museum:• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | New York | Julie Mehretu• Musée d‘Orsay | Paris | Sasha Waltz• Uffizi Gallery | Florence• Museo del Prado | Madrid | Joyce DiDonato• Rijksmuseum | Amsterdam | Erwin Olaf• Nationalgalerie | Berlin• Kunsthistorisches Museum | Vienna | Vivienne Westwood• Munch Museum | Oslo | Karl Ove KnausgårdEach museum has its own character. It has a spirit, a biography, a challenge, a mission for the future. Some are rebellious, others are conservative, a few are even brash. Each will be introduced by an internationally renowned guest, be it an artist, fashion designer, best-selling author or opera singer.In Vienna, for example, activist and fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood guides us through the Kunsthistorisches Museum, encountering artworks that resonate with her own outspoken career, exploring poignant themes like social justice and female empowerment. Over in New York, artist Julie Mehretu brings us into her studio to document the creation of a new painting, before we accompany her to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, a gallery space just as radical as the artist herself. Back in Berlin, we explore the unique life of the Alte Nationalgalerie, a space within which the cultural heritage of both East and West meet. The Rijksmuseum embodies the pride of the Dutch nation, and comes with a modern perspective. The institution is pushing the boundaries of traditional museum curation by exploring the potential of digital art collections. Acclaimed Vogue photographer Erwin Olaf discusses his lifelong relationship with the Rijksmuseum, and reflects on its ongoing influence in his own work.To respond to the burgeoning demand for online art, we have created purpose built digital art laboratory—a space with dozens of screens that support large-scale projections and allow us to enlarge high-resolution copies of the paintings. Here, our expert at historian Dr. Matt Lodder will contexualize the artworks, whilst interviews with famous creatives such as Marina Abramovic, Ólafur Elíasson, Norman Foster and many more add depth and emotion to our detailed analysis of the artworks.Every painting is a window into our hosts’ own creative practice, and every episode expresses a particular museum’s unique spirit in an intimate yet cinematic style. Enhanced by our multi-perspective approach to storytelling, THE ART OF MUSEUMS creates a unique experience of some of the world’s most famous pieces of art and the museums that house them.

Germany 2017, 90 min
by Tristan Ferland Milewski

Once a year the DREAM BOAT sets sail for a cruise only for gay men. Far from their families and political restrictions, we follow five men from five countries on the quest for their dreams. The cruise promises seven days of sunshine, love, and freedom – but on board are also their personal stories, their doubts and uncertainties…„It’s raining men! Hallelujah, it’s raining men!“ The Weather Girls

Germany, Brasil 2017, 90 min
by Mauricio Dias

Serra da Mocidade is an isolated mountain range in the centre of the Amazon with the greatest chances of containing many species of plants and animals that are new to science. New satellite technology maps have provided researchers with a very detailed view of the entire Amazonian territory. Together with a group of another 25 researchers and biologists, professor Mario Cohn-Haft will lead an expedition to Serra da Mocidade, starting in August 2014. Our film crew will have exclusive access to that expedition and will follow these scientists step by step in their adventures and findings throughout the entire process, from the preparation for the expedition until the final DNA analysis.2x43mins or 90mins or 70mins, German, English or French version available

2016, 75 min
by Kamilla Pfeffer

A documentary about the painter Oda Jaune and about her paintings. An intimate portrait of a young woman who had to leave her past behind to find her future.She paints bodies that are mutilated and disfigured, naked and sexless, faceless. Disturbing paintings, painful paintings. And she paints faces radiating happiness, people in paradise, people who can fly. Tender, touching paintings. Originally from Bulgaria, Oda Jaune studies at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, becomes a master scholar of Jörg Immendorff. And she becomes his wife. After Immendorff’s death in 2007, she leaves Germany to move to Paris. Getting in touch with her there is a challenge. Almost two years pass before she agrees to being in this film. The plan seems simple: over the course of several weeks the director and her cinematographer will join her in the studio and capture the process of creating new paintings for an upcoming exhibition.

Germany 2016, 90 min
by Lutz Gregor

MALI BLUES tells the story of four female and male musicians from the West African country of Mali, who espouse with their music a tolerant Islam and a country at peace.The West African country of Mali is considered the birthplace of the blues and jazz, brought later by abducted slaves to America’s cotton fields. For centuries music has strengthened Mali’s cultural identity, musicians are holding strong positions in society. Following Fatoumata Diawara, shooting star of the global pop scene, MALI BLUES is a musical journey, discovering the country’s rich musical culture and it’s threat by radical Islamists. On our way we meet other committed musicians, who are fighting for unity and the freedom to express themselves through their music, like world famous Ngoni player and traditional Griot Bassekou Kouyaté, street rapper Master Soumy and Tuareg band leader Ahmed Ag Kaedi.A beautiful and soulful doc with mesmerizing sound and music.– Katie O’Connor, Toronto Film SceneA colourful, vivid look at Fatou’s complicated history with her home, Mali Blues is both a triumph for Fatou and for Mali’s music traditions.– Jesse Kinos-Goodin, CBC MusicBest Freedom Film - Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) Norbert Daldrop Fund for art and culture - German Documentary Film Festival

Germany 2016, 90 min
by Jeremy JP Fekete, Marco Wilms, Tuan Lam

In the ARTE-series “Gasoline Deluxe”, consisting of 10 episodes, the entertainer and gas station lover Friedrich Lichtenstein searches for the most beautiful and most extraordinary gas stations in Europe. His aim: he wants to convince the world that gas stations are the most romantic places in our present age.10x26mins or 90mins, French, German or English version available8x5mins web-series

Germany 2015, 52 min
by Ralf Pleger

An emotionally charged psychograph of the most famous Russian composer on the occasion of his 175th birthday in May, 2015The film radically transfers Peter Tchaikovsky into the present time and draws an emotional psychological portrait. Tchaikovsky’s fate, being at the mercy of a homophobic environment as a gay man, comes up for current discussion. Additionally, renowned international artists and experts reveal their very personal approach to Tchaikovsky and his music.Tchaikovsky is regarded as Russia’s most famous composer. Works like “Swan Lake”, “Eugene Onegin” and the Symphony no. 6 “Pathétique” are among his global triumphs. He is celebrated as a national hero. And Tchaikovsky was gay – then as now a taboo in Russia.With a radical cinematic artifice Tchaikovsky’s adventures are translated into the here and now. The composer’s struggle with his homosexuality, the serious consequences of his crisis, the fusion of life and work and the mysterious circumstances of his death are retold within modern scenarios. Not only Tchaikovsky’s fate, but also his artistic legacy is confronted with the present. The contemporary relevance of his case is taken into account as well as the – often underestimated – avant-garde quality of his music.The film is based on interviews with leading international artists and experts, including the Russian ballet star Vladimir Malakhov, the American organ virtuoso and eccentric Cameron Carpenter. The dance and musical creations of these artists stand for a very original and contemporary treatment of Tchaikovsky’s works. In the interviews, the protagonists reveal their personal and sometimes very emotional access to Tchaikovsky and his music. Supported by the biographer Philip Bullock and the Tchaikovsky researcher Kadja Grönke, the film initiates an exciting and insightful debate on Tchaikovsky’s topicality.Director Ralf Pleger is one of the most prominent German directors in the field of classical music. He has been honored for his work with numerous awards. Most recently, he has realized the films “The Beethoven Files” and “The Wagner Files“ with the gebrueder beetz filmproduktion. „The Wagner Files“ won the Audience Award at the World Film Festival in Montreal and was nominated for the International Emmy Award in 2014.

Germany 2015
by Christian Salewski, Carolyn Braun, Fredy Gareis, Marcus Pfeil

A painting that has saved the lives of more than 30 people and that has been lost for almost eight decades. A case of looted art that leads from Germany’s present right into its dark past. A transmedia investigation across various media channels and outlets, which makes the audience part of the team. This is: #arthunt ( #kunstjagd )

2015, 90 min
by Cyril Tuschi

Digital Dissidents are the warriors of the digital age: Republican patriots, radical anarchists and cyber-hippies fight side by side for transparency and privacy in the digital world. For that, they are in prison, live in exile or have lost their careers and families. While many people celebrate them as heroes, critics, intelligence services and companies condemn their actions as an assault on our security. Why are they doing it? What are their motives?The film focuses on people, who became dissidents out of different motivations: NSA-whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake or William Binney, the journalist Daniel Ellsberg, who is said to be the prime father of whistleblowers since he published the 'Pentagon Papers' in the 1970s, former British MI5-agent Annie Machon or the founder of Wiki Leaks Julian Assange. They have worked in the system for years and finally attacked it from within by disclosing sensitive information.52min or 90min | HD | 16:9 | original English version with German voice over availablewww.journeyman.tv (World Sales)www.vimeo.com/137145752

Germany 2013, 225 min
by Christian Beetz, Tristan Ferland Milewski

Today people seem to be sexually educated and the Internet evokes an image of an open-minded society, but are people truly happy with their sexuality? Did they find a way to communicate about it? Not really, says Ann-Marlene Henning, couple therapist, sexologist and author of the novel MAKE LOVE - people know astonishing little about their own sexuality. There is a large desire to talk AND learn more about sex, love and relationship. Together with host Ann-Marlene Henning we create a spirited TV format that works trimedially and is augmented by web and radio material. Finding a language for the most natural thing on earth is our central goal. MAKE LOVE creates a unique, exciting and emotional experience to which many people can relate - high-quality, entertaining and close to people's realities. Central idea of the format: You can learn how to make love.

2012, 52 min
by Kief Davidson

“Open Heart” is the story of Angelique and Marie who – as will 6 other Rwandan children – leave their families behind and embark on a life-or-death journey to receive high-risk open-heart surgery in Africa’s only free-of-charge, state-of-the-art cardiac hospital, the Salam Centre run by Emergency, an Italian NGO. Their heart valves, damaged and weakened by rheumatic heart disease, which develops from untreated childhood strep throat, leave them lethargic and weak. Some of the children have only months to live.During their cross-continental journey, “Open Heart” reveals the intertwined endeavors of Dr. Emmanuel Rusingiza, Rwanda’s lone, overworked public cardiologist, and the fiercely committed Dr. Gino Strada, the Salam Centre’s head surgeon. As one of Emergency’s founders, he must fight not just for the children’s lives but for the tenuous financial future of the hospital.To about a quarter, Salam Centre is funded by the administration of Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir – an indicted international war criminal. During a visit, he suggests fundraising ideas for the center, including building a private, for-profit facility nearby for wealthy patients, which in Dr. Gino’s opinion directly contradicts the entire ethos and guiding principle of hospital: that all patients should be treated free of charge.The Salam Centre remains the only facility in Africa capable of such high-standard cardiac surgery, free of charge. At once a marvel of modern medical engineering and the triumph of an idea, Salam is key in Emergency’s plan to treat and reduce heart diseases in an area three times the size of Europe and home to 300 million people. Building a world-class, technologically advanced cardiac diagnostics and surgery facility in the middle of a desert in Northern Sudan is an impressive feat on its own. Making its services free (including lifelong regimens of prescription drugs and follow-up visits) to anyone who steps through its doors is just shy of revolutionary. The idea that “the Right to be Cured” should be accessible and free of charge to every member of the “human community,” is part of Emergency’s operating ethos. To accomplish that, the Centre serves as a hub for the program for pediatrics and cardiac surgery that Emergency is implementing throughout its own medical facilities and local hospitals across Africa.In coproduction with Urban Landscapes and arteIn association with Whitewater Films, Believe Media and Stories of ChangeA project of Sundance Institute - DocumentarySupported by Skoll Foundation and Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund40mins or 52 mins

Germany 2011
by Tamara Wyss

In the spring of 1914 a French archaeological expedition, led by the French poet and medical doctor Victor Segalen, entered the Province of Sichuan in order to do research on burial mounds of the Han era (206 BCE-220 CE) and early Chinese Buddhist iconography and epigraphy. Research in this realm still continues in Sichuan today, but the means and techniques of the archaeologists and art historians are more complex and advanced compared to those of a century ago. Segalen, who lived in China from 1909 until 1914, was fluent in the Chinese language and was able to read ancient Chinese writings. He was a great admirer of Chinese culture and history.

Germany 2010, 100 min
by Dieter Schumann

The film accompanies the Wadan employees throughout their 18-month struggle for the preservation of their shipyard. A film about the value of work in a globalized world. Wismar, 45,000 inhabitants. The income of every third family depends on the Wadan shipyard, the only major company in the region. In August 2008 a Russian investor takes over the old, traditional business and its future seems secured. But then the financial and economic crisis hits the Hanseatic City at its very centre: more than 5,000 jobs are at stake. A race against time ensues. We accompany a group of welders through turbulent months and bear witness to the fact that losing one‘s jobs means so much more than losing one‘s income. We show the workers, the owners and the liquidators struggling to preserve the shipyard, we experience their ups and downs between powerlessness, anger, sadness and hope. The Wadan shipyard goes down and is reopened under a new ownership and a new name. Some of our protagonists return to their company, but under much worse conditions. The film examines what is left after this crisis.

Germany 2010, 52 min
by Torsten Striegnitz, Simone Dobmeier, Hedwig Schmutte

The death at Wannsee Lake – a spectacular case that has, to date, continued to disturb and fascinate the ensuing ages. The German poet Kleist was found shot – what is that supposed to mean? What exactly happened at Wannsee Lake that afternoon on November 21st, 1811? Who shot Kleist? What is known about the woman that died with him? Could it be that the bullets were meant for her? Or that he shot her? Or she, him? If yes, why? And why were the couple so cheerful and playful mere moments before their death? Kleist’s work is well known, but less well known and even far less understood are the exact circumstances of his death. But perhaps it is exactly there that a new key to understanding his work lies. Why did Kleist have to die?

Germany, Switzerland 2010, 52 min
by Marc Burth, Marc Burth

After becoming a father, Marc Burth has a problem: Two children and no fitting religion for them. His father is Protestant, his mother is Jewish, and his sister a shaman. His wife's dad is a Moslem; her mother, Catholic. Making the right choice for his children in this intersection of religions is a diffi- cult job for the confused filmmaker! Searching for answers, Marc Burth meets people that have a relationship with God and some that consciously don’t. He talks to atheists, shamans, Jesuits, Jews, Moslems, heathens and many more. He wants to know if God exists and why religion should be important to his children. The film is a playful, crazy, slightly neurotic approach to the question many people find a hard nut to crack and humanity will always search answers for: Does God exist? And if yes, how many gods are there?

Germany, Austria 2010, 90 min
by Jan Tenhaven

The film tells the life-affirming stories of five senior athletes across the world who all have one goal – to take part in the track and field World Masters Championships in Finland. The biggest challenge is their age as all athletes are between 77 and 100 years old - a race against time and personal degeneration as they jump, run and throw the discus. In their long lives, they have fought many personal crises and losses, they have survived wars and other tragedies, some of them have won the battle against terminal diseases. Now they are united in one common goal: to take part in the Championships. No matter what it takes. If they only do not die before. Life will end soon – so what? As everybody is quite aware of that biological fact, there is plenty of space for a good portion of humour. Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion Köln GmbH + Co KG

Germany 2010, 90 min
by Pamela Meyer-Arndt

Berka, a Thuringian village within the change of centuries. The photographers Ludwig Schirmer and Werner Mahler have documented the change of the Thuringian village Berka over the centuries - from 1949 until 2006. Their poetic photo series shows an idyllic and well functioning village community and is the starting point for the documentary. The documentary tells the dramatic and rousing story of Berkas inhabitants. How they tried to build their existence again and again after the war, beneath Socialism, the reunification and now as citizens of the Federal Republic Germany.

Germany, Denmark 2010, 52 min
by Lundø Jørgensen, Jacob Jørgensen

A film following the great artist Olafur Eliassion for four years through his life, work, concepts and thinking. Olafur Eliasson’s studio is based in Berlin. It is one of the most creative workplaces in Europe. The film is a unique portrait of the Danish/Icelandic artist and his projects - from the first sketches to their final destinations, where the world press awaits with high expectations to see the talented ‘Dane’s’ newest artistic ideas.

Germany 2010, 208 min
by André Rehse

Humanity is facing huge challenges today: Climate change, ocean pollution and non-renewable energy sources are all pressing environmental problems. But nature provides some sustainable answers. The four-part series ‘Inspired by Nature’ deals with the selected biomimicry topics locomotion, construc- tion, apperception and processing. It shows how scientists analyse complex biological processes, how these results are applied to solutions of technical problems and finally evolve to everyday objects for the consumer. Our host – Janine Benyus, the so-called ‘mother of biomimicry’ – guides us through the series and explains e.g. how the railway system of the UK can be inspired by a slime mould or how lobsters could help finding leaks in underwater pipelines.

Sweden, Germany 2010, 90 min
by Marius van Niekerk, Staffan Julén

In higher political circles, debate still continues on the issue of who won the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), the Cold War's final theater of conflict. It began as a struggle for independence and developed into a drawn-out civil war. But the victims of the conflict know the truth: nobody won. And so do the soldiers who created the victims, as this gripping personal documentary testifies. The film revolves around Marius van Niekerk, who initiated the project, co-directed with Staffan Julén, and provides the voice-over. At the start of the film, this Swedish-South African veteran explains how the gnawing memories of his deeds during the Angolan War caused him to lose everything: his self-respect, his land, his reason, his innocence and his wife. Now he leads three fellow veterans on a journey along the river Kwando. Like him, Patrick, Mario and Sammy are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Thirty years ago, they fought on opposing sides of the conflict and now they are traveling together to the village of Cuito-Cuanavale, where their battle took place. "We are all here for the same reason, driven by the need to understand. To set off on a frightening journey into the darkest of our hearts."

Germany 2008
by Marc Eberle

After 30 years of conspiracy theories and myth making, this film uncovers the story of the CIA’s most extensive clandestine operation in the history of modern warfare: The Secret War in Laos, which was conducted alongside the Vietnam War from 1964 -1973. While the world's attention was caught by the conflict in Vietnam, the CIA built the busiest military airport in the world in neighbouring and neutral Laos and recruited humanitarian aid personnel, Special Forces agents and civilian pilots to undertake what would become the most effective operation of counterinsurgency warfare. Never before seen private archive material of the war and exclusive new footage from Long Cheng, a site no westerner has visited for 30 years, illustrate an audacious and tragic chapter of US history.

Germany 2008
by Sabine Michel

Germany 2008, 90 min
by Germán Berger Hertz

On October 19th 1973 Carlos Berger Guralnik was killed along with 70 other opponents in the Chilean Atacama desert by Pinochets 'caravana de la muerte' (Death Convoy). His body has never been found. Of Carlos only the remembering of his family is left. Thirty years later his only son, Germán Berger Hertz, traces the life and death of Carlos. The documentary is a personal search of a son for his father, in which the turbulent history of Chile is reflected until today.