Tues 14 | 8pm

ON HARD ART OF STROLLING – IVAN GARCIA

Five strolls. Shanghai before Mao, interwar Paris, the Soviet Union during industrialization, Japan before invading Manchuria and Barcelona at the beginning of Spanish Civil War. It’s just about wandering down the streets, taking a tram, having lunch in a restaurant, seeing how the ships unload their goods on the quay, entering a cinema, travelling cross-country by train, attending a concert, taking a bath in the lake, drinking in a nightclub … As Joseph Roth quoted: “The tiny small part impresses more than the whole thing. I’m a stroller”.

Ivan Garcia  ES  On Hard Art Of Strolling  48 min  2011 | German Premiere

Tues 14 | 9pm

THERE IS WIND THAT BLEW – CARL ELSAESSER

Two parents insert themselves into their son’s diary and assume several roles until the diary realizes their presence. As the passages fall apart and the son violently tries to get rid of his parents, a film crew appears-framing specifics-searching for concrete answers to an echoing repression. There is Wind That Blows explores the relationship between, closeted repression, film making, narrative representation, family history and agency.

“This film was designed as an attempt to actively forget a period of time in my life and ends today with an act of giving in and letting stay.” C.Elsaesser

THERE IS WIND THAT BLEW will be shown as part of the DL Selection on Feb 14 | 9pm, followed by Shaun Wilson’s B-Grade and the DL Double Feature at 11pm

DAY 5, Feb 13th

SUDDENLY: IT CAME FROM HERE AND BEYOND

Fans of the sudden will like short films coming at them “Out Of The Blue” at [DL8] (the 8th Berlin International Directors Lounge), as curated and presented by Deborah S. Phillips, and including five World Premieres. Film titles like “PFFFHP TT!” can make you wonder just what you’ll be seeing. It all jumps at you starting at 18:00 (6pm). Then DL’s own Klaus W. Eisenlohr treats us to a program of Urban Observations and Local Studies at 20:00 (8pm), chock full of metropolitan moments. Look for Klaus there too, recognizable in his trademark fedora. Then still more follows, with the DL Selection IV at 22:00, getting underway with “Silhouette” by Astrid Busch (in attendance), and weaving its way through shorts from Finland, Ireland, Hungary, Italy, France and the U.S, with a couple of World Premieres in the mix. One film in this block is entitled “The Last Picture”, but we certainly promise you more. In Naherholung Sternchen (near Alexanderplatz at U-Schillingstr., second building behind Kino International)

                                                                                       KT/Team DL

pictured: 10 Moments by Wenhua Shi (Urban Research)

urban research
program I:
Urban Observations and Local Studies

Monday, 13 February 20:00

https://directorslounge.net/tag/13th%20Feb%202012

With:
Alejandro Bernal, Caroline Koebel, Yptu Enth, Wenhua Shi, Deron Williams, Leslie Supnet, Joel Wanek, Chris Kennedy, Sarah Christman

This beautiful program comprises films, which meditate on city impressions in rather leisurely pace. Urban observations are always subjective, especially if done with a camera. Also, undertaking observations is only possible when making a distinction. The observer, the camera is always part of the situation. Never is it possible to look from outside (the Hollywood ideal of realism, the “God eye’s view” is only possible in fiction). Thus, the distinctions we make are never clear cuts, the opposites spill back in, and the dichotomies unite as the complementary parts of the same idea.

Following the program of Deborah Phillips, this program shows films originating both on digital video and 16mm film, including the film projection of Chris Kennedy CA
Simultaneous Contrast and Sarah Christman US Broad Channel

Curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr

More about the Urban Research Programs at Directors Lounge:
http://www.richfilm.de/DL2012/framesUrbanResearch.html

OUT OF THE BLUE – Plötzlich wird alles anders

DAY 5, Feb 13th

We are proud to announce Berlin artist, filmmaker and curator Deborah Phillips will treat us again with a program based on film, and mostly presented on 16mm film. The artist is one of the most active promoters in Berlin in sharing her love for film and analogue techniques. The program for sure will comprise rarely seen treasures. And, we are expecting the world premiere of her new film “PFFFHP TT!”

Here is link to the program on 13 Febr:
https://directorslounge.net/tag/13th%20Feb%202012


DAY 4, Feb 12th

CREATURES OF TONIGHT: A CANARY, A ZEBRA AND PARASITES

There was a time when Sundays were considered, well, less than Saturday, but not in Berlin, and certainly not at [DL8] (a.k.a. the 8th Berlin International Directors Lounge Film Festival) tonight, with “My Sweet Canary” by Roy Sher taking us on a roller coaster romp of a ride through the life of 1930’s chanteuse extraordinaire Roza Eskenazi, the “Diva of Rebetiko”, who inspired male mania and more in Greece and Turkey of the day. Don’t miss it, at 18:00, or the Zebra Poetry Film Festival selection at 20:00, with Thomas Zandegiacomo Del Bel on hand to present the proceedings. Hear with your eyes and see with your ears…. Then comes “Parasiten der Ohnmacht” (“Parasites of Powerlessness” or “Parasites of Swoon”, depending on how you want to take it) at 22:00, with actor Birol Ünel reading bizarre and nightmarish short stories from the book of the same name by Miron Zownir. Also available as audio book set to music by F.M. Einheit of Einstürzende Neubauten. But live is live!                                                                  

                                                                              KT/Team DL

pictured: Halbdichtheiten by Ralph Kühne as part of the ZEBRA POETRY FILM FESTIVAL, selected by Thomas Zandegiacomo Del Bel

Sun 12 | 6pm

MY SWEET CANARY – ROY SHER

A journey through the life and music of Roza Eskenazi

She was the most famous singer of the ‘30s in Greece and Turkey, the Diva of Rebetiko. With her posters displayed in every gramophone store, her Bohemian looks would drive even the toughest men crazy. (From the short story Roza, by Dinos Christianopoulos)

Roza Eskenazi sang the way she lived, with passion, fire and love.
This is the story of three young musicians from Greece, Turkey, and Israel,
who embark on an exciting musical journey, to tell the story of Greece’s
best-known and best-loved rebetiko singer for the first time on film.
It’s a journey that will take them from Istanbul to Thessaloniki and to
Athens, following the musical trail she left behind. Most of all, it’s a
journey into a world that has largely vanished, but whose sounds continue
to echo throughout the Mediterranean Basin.

pictured:The three musicians at the sirkeci train station, Istanbul

The ensemble, that is featuring the musicians from the film, will play live in Rudolstadt folk roots Festival on the 7th of July, as well as in Düsseldorf on the 23rd of September 2012.

More information:

www.mysweetcanary.com

Roy Sher IL My Sweet Canary  89 min  2011

Miron Zownir (left) and Birol Ünel , photo: Nico Anfuso

An Evening with Miron Zownir and Birol Ünel

Actor Birol Ünel (Head On, Soulkitchen) reads bizarre short stories and hard boiled poetry from Miron Zownir’s book PARASITEN DER OHNMACHT.
Empathetic and venturous at the same time, he sets out on a fearless descent into existential nightmares of paranoia, violence and corruption, taking us right into the bleak souls of the lost and twisted…

“Social Beat on the highest level!” OX FANZINE
“Miron Zownir’s parasites have a future and this is frightening.” JUNGE WELT/Literary supplement Frankfurt Book Fair

Birol Ünel liest Miron Zownir-Parasiten der Ohnmacht has also been recently released as an audio book with a soundtrack by FM Einheit (Ex-Einstürzende Neubauten) by Deutsche Grammophon Literatur/Universal.

www.mironzownir.com

Sun 12 | 10pm, admission: 5 Euro

DAY 3, Feb. 11th

IN THE SWIM OF THINGS, AND MORE, DL-STYLE

Tonight’s brand [DL8] round-up includes special guest Simon Ellis (GB), a young filmmaker who has garnered a lot of attention since walking off with the Sundance International Jury Prize and the British Independent Film Award and 35 others for his unsettling and thought-provoking short “Soft”, which will be in the program along with a cross-section of his widely varying celluloid offerings. It’s all rounded up under the title “Swimming in Pictures and Sound”, and expect to do just that… and chat with Mr. Ellis himself. The rest of the evening is no slouch, either: DL Selection III has H.D. Motyl (US) in attendance, presenting “Nudes Descending a Staircase, #2” in Europe for the first time, as well as Alexandra Staples (GB) with “Static Cardiac Rhythms”, two of sixteen (!) premieres tonight. Lorenzo Karasz (AT) will be there in person with his and Florian Kogler’s “Fassadendialog” and George Groshkov (BG) with “Breakfast: Always on time”, too. The evening begins with a surprise program at 18:00 (6:00 p.m.) and Ost West Achse (pt II) providing Balkan Bond Blues” as live diversion starting at midnight. At Naherholung Sternchen, behind Kino International. If that doesn’t sound like something….!

                                                                              KT/Team DL

DAY 2, Feb 10

DOORS WIDE OPEN TO MEDIA, MATRYOSHKA MUSCLE AND MEOWS

A Glimpse into tonights screenings

Ophir Ben Shimon IL A Man Asleep 15 min 40 s 2011

An overwhelmed groom is making casual last arrangements in preparation for his expected wedding in the evening. Distracted and disturbed, his car hits a child crossing the highway. His search for a way out raises crucial questions regarding his social belonging.

If you want to know how a tango can be bitter or what happens when you follow your skin, make your way to [DL8] tonight, and find out… the Berlin International Directors Lounge Film Festival (in its eighth year) brings you such enigmatic subjects from a global crew of filmmakers. All in short films (from two to fifteen minutes), among them seven German, two European and six World Premieres… when were you last able to say you’d attended fifteen premieres in one night? “Irma” (Charles Fairbanks, US/MX) will provide an intriguing look at the former women’s pro wrestling world champion in what IndieLisboa’s Carlos Ramos describes as “a portrait built like a Russian matryoshka: surprise after surprise, revelation after revelation.” Maurizio von Trapp (GB) will be in attendance, world-premiering “Miss Mia Meows”, as native talent Claudia Guilino will be doing with thoughtful Buddhas in “Stony Sleep”. “Media In Motion” gets us going at 18:00, then two blocks of DL selection shorts get underway at 20:00, bringing Israel within reach of Italy and India next to Ireland, with much more thrown in… not a night you’ll want to miss. Screenings within spitting distance of the bar. Of course, at Naherholung Sternchen, behind Kino International.

                                                                KT/Team DL