Films by Marianne Schäfer

Germany 2019, 60 min
by Eva Gerberding

A sensitive portrait of an exceptional character closely connected to Hamburg. Ulrich Tukur is a true all-rounder. He sings, plays piano and accordeon, writes and embodies baddies very persuasively. The 61-year old actor loves change, movement and restlessness. The film accompanies Tukur through Germany, France, Italy and Greece and takes a look at the person behind the showman. It comprehensively documents his origins, the stepping-stones of his career and his reflections on theatre. [Filmfest Hamburg]2019 Filmfest Hamburg

2019, 52 min
by Markus Augé

He was a patron of science and a reformer on the one hand, a brutal power-seeker on the other. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, king and Holy Roman Emperor from 1212 to 1250, was a man full of contradictions.He was a patron of science, a reformer, and might even be called the first modern ruler. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1212 to 1250, was an exceptional figure on the Roman-German imperial throne. Born and raised in the multi- ethnic state of Sicily, his reign was influenced by Byzantine and Norman traditions that allowed Jews and Muslims a large degree of freedom. All the royal houses in Europe are said to have looked up to him in awe. He saw himself as successor to the Roman emperors and ruler by the grace of God – a notion that was bound to collide with the Pope’s claim to universal power. Frederick waged a bitter battle to maintain his power with five different popes. The Church excommunicated him several times and branded him a heretic and anti-Christ. Frederick responded with the sword, for the power- hungry emperor was prepared to resort to brutal violence to defend his supremacy. He even arrested his own son and left him to rot in the dungeon. A ruler rife with contradictions and a man who, 800 years after his death, has lost nothing of his fascination.

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.