Films by Rosie Koch

Germany 2023, 52 min
by Rosie Koch, Roland Gockel

Although garden dormice are at home in large parts of Europe, hardly anyone really knows these rodents with their Zorro mask and those beady eyes. Hence, only few people initially noticed when the animals began to suddenly and inexplicably disappear throughout the entire continent. But when even classic garden dormouse strongholds, like the Bavarian Fichtelgebirge, reported them missing, researchers and conservationists sounded the alarm. Hurriedly BUND Friends of the Earth, the Senckenberg Research Institute and the University of Giessen got together to form a task force of unprecedented size and scope. The Dormouse Detectives strive to find out how many, where and why the garden dormice are disappearing. In their effort to gather as many clues as possible, the investigators even enlist the help of the general population. While citizen scientists work with garden dormouse monitoring devices or report sightings, students equip garden dormouse undercover agents with transmitters to learn more about sources of danger in the daily lives of the nocturnal omnivores. While a veterinarian examines corpses of garden dormice, wildlife stations care for their orphans. And toxicology experts analyze tissue samples in search for environmental poisons and pesticides. Other special forensic units rifle through stomach contents for decisive clues or analyze genetic samples. Time is of the essence. Only if the Dormouse Detectives manage to solve this puzzling case fast, may they still be able to save the species.

2020, 260 min
by Mi-Yong Brehm, Almut Faass, Daniela Pulverer, Rosie Koch

The lakes of Northern Italy are considered as places of longing. The series "Beyond the Alps" shows the five largest of them as natural habitats and at the same time introduces people who are closely connected to the lakes.  Narrated by Eva Mattes, the world of the lakes is portrayed in high-class pictures. Five camera teams were on the road for 150 days, helicopter shots show the special features of this landscape from a bird's eye view.

Germany 2018, 52 min
by Rosie Koch, Roland Gockel

Part 1: The North - From the Coastal Metropolis to the Mountainous Desert OasesPart 2: The South - On the Frankincense Trail along the Sea of Humpback WhalesThe Sultanate of Oman is the home of the legendary Sinbad the Sailor. And even today, it seems like a magical country from the Arabian Nights. The film is a journey on the trail of the old trading caravans – far from the turbulence of war in the Arab world. We discover the magic of the Orient and its people, who inhabit a world suspended between tradition and the modern day world. Frankincense trading and silver smithies, caravans and Bedouin, traditional souks and strong mediaeval fortresses are all signs of the lively trading history that has shaped this country. But this journey into the interior of the country reveals more than just a nostalgic wonderland: Oman’s special regional climate and sparse population make it an ideal refuge for a unique plant and animal world.