NEWS & VIEWS:

Studio Babelsberg, the production studio at the gate to Berlin, was again present at the Berlinale with several participating productions.

Competition: Romuald Karmakar’s Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder (Nightsongs). (see P/REVIEW)

A fine example of what Studio Babelsberg’s services-rendered can provide, Nightsongs made use of the entire studio- and decor sets, carpenters, painters, locksmiths, stucco-workers and painters. In the autumn of 2002, a Berlin-Kreuzberg back-courtyard-flat, the primary motif of the film, was erected in the »Grosse Süd« studio of the Marlene Dictrich Atelier. Many of the costumes came direct from the fundus of the studio, and the sound-mixing was also done at Babelsberg. Also, Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures (SBMP) under Executive Producer Udo Happel was the Nightsongs coproducer. Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder premiered in Germany on February 19.

Panorama: Achim von Borries’s Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken (Love in Thoughts).

Developed by long-time studio collaborator Christophe Mazodier, and produced by X-Filme, the close cooperation with Studio Babelsberg was continued. Not only were the first-class set-designers employed, but also period costumes from the studio fundus and several cut-to-fit outfits were specially designed for the production. The props department also played an important hand in recreating the 1920s. The proficient film lab also was used for printing film copies of Love in Thoughts. X Film Verleih planned its release of Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken in Germany immediately after the Berlinale.

Children’s Film Festival Bernd Sahling’s Blindgänger (The Blindgänger).

The production made use of the studio’s props fundus and the entire sound-mixing stage, including mixing for cinemas, as well as the lab for printing film copies. It proved to be a challenge to reproduce acoustically the »non-seeing« world for the »seeing« audience. Produced by Kinderfilm Erfurt.

Children’s Film Festival ­ »14 plus«: Maria Solrun Sigurdardottir’s Jargo.

The props department and the sound-mixing stage at Studio Babelsberg were used. Produced by Ö-Film Berlin and distributed by X-Film Verleih.

This year, Studio Babelsberg was again a partner of the Berlinale, supporting the festival with trailer-mixing and -production, as well as offering the extensive facilities of its art departments ­ for example, the huge Bear created in the Babelsberg workshops.

New for Studio Babelsberg was its commitment for the »Berlin Today Award« and the »Talent Campus.« In addition to the professionally recreated Wurstbude (sausage counter) for the Campus and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Studio Babelsberg also lent its production services to the new generation of filmmakers.

The traditional Studio-Brunch took place on Sunday morning in the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonic. Guests of the film branches, city representative, and professionals of the national and international film scene showed for the gala event.

Felix Neunzerling