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-- Juror-- Werner Schroeter

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Born in Germany in 1945. First worked as a journalist from 1964, then in 1967, directed his first short film Argila, Neurasia. His first feature film, Eika Katappa (1969) received the Josef von Sternberg Award at Mannheim Film Festival. In early 70s received world-wide acknowledgement as one of the crucial filmmaker of German New Wave. Among them, Schroeter's works are especially hailed (and feared) because of its highly-stylistic expressions strongly influenced by opera, and its overwhelming decadence. In 1980, his Palermo or Wolfsberg received the Golden Bear Award at Berlin International Film Festival. Among his film works are Maria Malibran (1971), The Dress Rehearsal (1981), The King of Roses (1986). A passionate of opera and especially Maria Callas, Schroeter's career is also quite prominent as a director of operas and plays since early 70s. His recent film Love's Debris was shown at Locarno Film Festival as premire and won the "Special Leopard" award.

Juror's Statement

What is a kiss?--What is a documentary?

A kiss could be as well the kiss of Judas: but is this kiss a kiss of hate or the contrary, an act of love? To have got a kiss could be some sort of passive glamour--like being crucified and loved and destroyed and adored and observed at the same instant.

The camera can be the observer and it must always be the eye of the "voyeur." And this voyeur is trying desperately to enter his observed "reality." Unfortunately, cinematographic fiction seems in most of the cases more vivid, more alive than the voyeuristic glance at the "real world." So why pretend to be closer to truth employing observation and not entering into the dream of the poetic arts? Because to look at somebody walking in the street is more dramatic and more close to the existing human being, it enables you to desire the one you are observing, to enter into his dream, or to stay out of his (average) life or to enter into it: to be a stranger, a lover, a nobody in that reality of the other where you could become mental, indifferent, hate or love!...A filmmaker!

 


Love's Debris / Poussièresur

(13k) "Everything we express with our voice results from our desire to come closer to another person. There is no voice without love, and the singing voice is the highest possible expression of love," says the celebrated filmmaker and director of opera, Werner Schroeter. To prove this conviction, Schroeter invited a number of singers to join him at an medieval monastery near Paris. The singers brought their wives, husbands, lovers, children--those whom they love. They converse with Schroeter, and then gradually, the singing voices for their loved ones emerge.
Director: Werner Schroeter
Script: Werner Schroeter, Claire Alby
Photography: Elfi Mikesch
Editing: Juliane Lorenz
Sound: Vasco Pimental
Cast: Anita Cerquetti, Martha Mödl, Isabelle Huppert, Carole Bouquet
Producer: Wieland Schulz-Keil, Jean-Pierre Bailly, Christoph Meyer-Wiel
Production Company: Gargantua Screen and Stage Entertainment Ltd.
Source : Schlemmer Film GmbH
Hansaring 80, 50670 Köln GERMANY
Phone: 49-221-9127510 / Fax: 49-221-9127512
FRANCE, GERMANY / 1996 / English, French, Italian, German / Color / 35mm / 120 min



 




Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival Organizing Committee