Films by Mike Gürgen

Germany 2014, 83 min
by Thomas Heise

The beginning shows a dusty landscape somewhere on the outskirts of the city accompanied by a poem from 1921, written by Bertold Brecht and spoken by a young woman. It is about the disappearence of a man, how waiting for him fades and eventually the memory there of. 'Städtebewohner' tells the story of everyday life in the „Comunidad San Fernando“, a prison in Mexico City. About 200 prisoners are currently living here, offenders who were sentenced as juveniles for a maximum of 5 years to San Fernando in order to leave it as men not older than in the age of 23. In quiet observations the film portrays the life of the residents of San Fernando. It is December. We get to know 3 of those 200 better. There are Samuel and Ever, still children when they were judged guilty of murder. "It's complicated but I didn't do it" says Samuel. "Now I'm in here." "I shot him in the head", Ever says, and what does his glance say when adding "I was 14". And there is Irving, who was a robber and fears the outside, his liberty, when spring will come. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve his father explains him where to aim accurately in order to best shoot someone dead. Life is selfexplanatory. People act just as they are pleased to do.  Encountering people around here is a constant jittering change between closeness and distance, as is the city where the prison is located. Encountering someone around here is a constant and edgy changing between closeness and distance. As is the city where the prison is at. Who is talking of stones?

Germany 2012, 65 min
by Thomas Heise

CONSEQUENCE follows the tiring working day between Christmas Eve and New Year at a small crematorium operating 24/7. This medium-sized business guarantees to deal with a dead body within three days - ensuring reliable planning for undertakers. So those left behind have the chance to quickly get back to their own productive everyday lives. Swift cremation helps the affected cope with bereavement quickly, says the company brochure. There’s a lot to be done. “It’s the economy, stupid!” In pictures without words CONSEQUENCE tells the story of what happens to us.