Films by Frederik Walker

Germany 2013, 96 min
by Stefan Weinert

Families of people murdered along the border of East and West Berlin tell their stories.“A two-year suspended sentence for firing the fatal shot. Imagine that.“ A compelling introduction in today’s Berlin to protagonist Irmgard B. mother of a son shot dead in 1986. In an oppressive, authoritarian state, the bereaved are also the victims. Even now, more than a quarter of a century on, they still suffer the trauma of their loss. One woman protagonist doesn’t know what happened to her son’s corpse; another still doesn’t know how and why her husband drowned at the former border; a third discovers photographs in a Stasi case file and is confronted for the first time with images of the dead body of his father. The film’s climax arrives in the form of a meeting between a marksman and the son of his victim. 

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, 98 min
by Insa Onken

Ben, a young Cameroonian, is sent to Germany by his family to get to know success. Torn between his wish to rise up to his family's expectations and the limited possibilities Germany offers him, he cleaves through Berlin's shady boxing business, dreaming of rejoining his family as a world champion one day. The thoughts about his family, their permanent presence in his mind won't let Ben find any rest. He relentlessly tries neither to lose his family's respect nor his own dignity, while being spurned in the real and dirty world of boxing. Five years later, he finally gets the chance to return to Cameroon. Back there, his view on his life in Germany changes and he realizes that some notions have been altered forever.

Germany 2009
by Susanne Jäger

This project tells the story of a civil radio station operating from a village in the middle of the jungle in Nicaragua. Its founder uses radio broadcasting to fight against discrimination and violence in a male dominated society to provide a message of hope to her listeners. The project captures the spirit of the people involved and the unconventional methods used to fight for justice and equality.

Germany 2009
by Susanne Jäger, Susanne Jäger

"Black on White: A journey through Germany,” and is the product of famous undercover journalist Günter Wallraff’s year-long odyssey as a black man.