
Donnerstag, 16. Dezember 2010
Donnerstag, 28. Oktober 2010
The Peer Raben Music Award
The soundtrack of Tino Schwanemann's "Africa Light - Gray Zone" has been nominated for The Peer Raben Music Award by Soundtrack Cologne. Steffen Greisiger's fantastic work finally finds its recognition, that makes us very proud and we keep our fingers crossed!
PEER-RABEN-MUSIC-AWARD at SoundTrack_Cologne 7.0

For the PEER-RABEN-MUSIC-AWARD which has been awarded for the first time in 2009 we are looking again for the best music to a short film. Awarded will be film scores where the relationship between the narration and the music and sound is innovative and dramaturgically clear. The film music must mainly have been written for the film.
Oscar-winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek is the special guest of SoundTrack_Cologne 7.0When Jan A.P. Kaczmarek moved to the US from Poland in 1989 he could already look back at a career as an award-winning musician and composer for theatre. It was in the theatre that, initially, he succeeded in his new home country but soon the US movie industry discovered the skills of the composer who describes making music and composing as his personal religion. Following films such as LOST SOULS (2000), UNFAITHFUL (2002) and large-scale TV productions like WAR AND PEACE (2007) or THE KARAMAZOV BROTHERS (2009) he received the film music Oscar in 2005 for his score to Marc Forster’s film FINDING NEVERLAND. Kaczmarek, who has worked with major directors like, for example, Lasse Hallström, Agnieszka Holland, Lajos Koltai, Adrian Lyne and Janusz Kaminski, is the founder of the film music teaching institute Rozbitek on the German-Polish border.
SoundTrack_Cologne 7.0 will focus on the work of Jan A.P. Kaczmarek in workshop talks, screenings with live commentary and a masterclass. Additionally, Kaczmarek will chair the jury of the EUROPEAN TALENT AWARD.
Samstag, 9. Oktober 2010
Berlin Windhoek Film Night 2010

28 October 2010 is the day! The Berlin-Windhoek Film Night 2010 will take place at 8 pm in The Babylon Cinema in Berlin.
The opening film of the event is the film "Africa Light / Gray Zone" (2010) by Tino Schwanemann. "Africa Light / Gray Zone" tells the story of Namibia, "The Light of Africa". It is representing the development of identity for an entire continent: Between tradition and modernity, between the cattle and slums, between colonialism and the ownership reforms to the minimum wage for everyone. Namibia is neither black nor white - but infinitely gray.
Additional highlights of The Film Night will be the film "City Code" by Tabea Sternberg, other films by German and African filmmakers, a poetry slam performance in Windhoek, live music, a photography exhibition and the official reception by the chairmen of The German Namibian Association.
The Film Night will be held by the German Namibian Association in co-operation with the German TV broadcaster ZDF and will be supported by The Senate of Berlin, The German Department of State and Air Berlin.
Freitag, 8. Oktober 2010
Berlin-Windhoek Filmnacht 2010
Eröffnungsfilm der Veranstaltung ist der Film “Africa Light / Gray Zone” (2010) von Tino Schwanemann. Weitere Highlights werden der Film “City Code” von Tabea Sternberg, gefolgt von weiteren Filmen deutscher und afrikanischer Filmemacher, eine Poetry Slam Performance aus Windhoek, Live Musik, eine Fotoausstellung sowie der offizielle Empfang sein.
Die Filmnacht wird veranstaltet von der Deutsch-Namibischen Gesellschaft in Kooperation mit dem ZDF und wurde unterstützt vom Senat der Stadt Berlin, dem Auswärtigen Amt und Air Berlin.
Montag, 13. September 2010
Shnit Filmfestival 2010: Bern, Cologne & Cape Town

Montag, 6. September 2010
Deutscher Kurzfilmpreis 2010: Ein Film über Demokratie
(Offizielle Pressemeldung)

Doch nicht nur in der Politik findet man Beispiele dafür. In der Kunst und im Film ist das nicht anders. Der Berliner Regisseur Tino Schwanemann wollte 2009 mit seinem Film „Democracy Is …“ an einem Filmwettbewerb teilnehmen, dessen zentrales Anliegen ein Diskurs über Demokratie war. Der Wettbewerb wurde vom U.S. Außenministerium veranstaltet. Doch Schwanemann wurde die Teilnahme untersagt, weil „ … sich der Film ausschließlich auf die negativen Seiten der amerikanischen Demokratie konzentriert und die positiven außer Acht lässt …“, so das U.S. Außenministerium. Kurz und knapp gab es diese Abfertigung, obwohl der Film die meisten Stimmen und Klicks seitens der Teilnehmer bekam.
Nichtsdestotrotz wurde Schwanemanns Film in der Zwischenzeit auf vielen internationalen Filmfestivals aufgeführt, natürlich auch in den USA, von der Aktion Mensch mit dem Gesellschafter Award und vom Bitfilm Festival mit dem Politicool Award ausgezeichnet. Der Film schaffte es ins Marta Herford Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst und lief als Vorfilm zum Dokumentarfilm „La Vida Loca“ im Kino. Von einem Jurymitglied wurde er nun für den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis vorgeschlagen.
Der Deutsche Kurzfilmpreis ist die wichtigste Auszeichnung für den Kurzfilm in Deutschland. Jedes Jahr im November wird er vom Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien in einer eigenen Veranstaltung verliehen. Denn der Kurzfilm ist nicht nur eine eigene Kunstform, sondern auch ein gutes Experimentierfeld und eine wichtige Bewährungsprobe für junge Filmschaffende. Die Bundesregierung hat deshalb in den vergangenen Jahren die Filmförderung in diesem Bereich weiter ausgebaut und den Deutschen Kurzfilmpreis, den bedeutendsten und am höchsten dotierten Preis für dieses Genre in Deutschland, aufgewertet.
Dienstag, 31. August 2010
Africa Light / Gray Zone: International Festival Dates
From Germany, Switzerland, Italy to Brazil, China and to the United States of America
"Africa Light / Gray Zone" is on a world tour. It starts in September with the EcoVison Film Festival in Palermo, which will also be held in Brazil and China through the support of UNESCO. Parallel, the first screening in New York will start at The Long Island Film Festival. First, right in the heart of Long Island City, then in the Hamptons. In October, the film will be part of the documentary section of the Shnit Film Festival in Bern (Switzerland) and finally, on 24 October 2010, it will be the opening film of The German African Movie Night in The Babylon Cinema in Berlin, an event organized by The German Department of State and The German Namibian Association.
The director of the film Tino Schwanemann will be there together with the producer Stefanie Paul. Both are looking forward to get international feedback on the film. "Of course, we are pretty curious about the opinions from economy and politics. Basically, our film is dealing with the aspects of these two topics. And we are very pleased about the film being so popular, especially in Namibia", says the director, "Finally, I am really convinced that there will be the one or other discussion. But this exactly is the aim of Africa Light / Gray Zone, too. A film without a debate is a bad movie. "
The dates of the events and much more information on the film "Africa Light / Gray Zone" are available on the website www.africa-light.com.
Africa Light / Gray Zone: Termine für internationale Festivals
Von Deutschland, Schweiz und Italien nach Brasilien, China und in die Vereinigten Staaten

“Africa Light / Gray Zone“ ist auf Welttournee. Den Beginn macht im September das EcoVison Film Festival in Palermo, das durch Unterstützung der UNESCO ebenso in Brasilien und China veranstaltet werden wird. Parallel startet die erste Aufführung in New York auf dem Long Island Film Festival. Zuerst inmitten von Long Island City, dann in den Hamptons. Im Oktober wird der Film in der Dokumentarfilm-Sektion des Shnit Filmfestivals in Bern zu sehen sein und eröffnet anschließend am 24.10.2010 im Berliner Babylon Kino die Deutsch-Afrikanische Filmnacht, die vom Auswärtigen Amt und der Deutsch-Namibischen Gesellschaft veranstaltet wird.
Der Regisseur des Films Tino Schwanemann wird mit Stefanie Paul, der Produzentin, natürlich vor Ort sein und freut sich auf internationales Feedback zum Film. „Wir sind natürlich gespannt auf die Meinungen aus Wirtschaft und Politik, denn immerhin setzt sich unser Film dominant mit den Aspekten dieser beiden Bereiche auseinander, und wir freuen uns, dass der Film vor allem in Namibia so gut ankommt“, so der Regisseur, “Letztlich bin ich fest davon überzeugt, dass es die eine oder andere Diskussionen geben wird. Nur genau das sollte Africa Light / Gray Zone auch bezwecken. Ein Film, über den man nicht diskutiert, ist ein schlechter Film“.
Die Termine der einzelnen Veranstaltungen und viele weitere Informationen zum Film “Africa Light / Gray Zone“ finden Sie auf der Webseite zum Film www.africa-light.com.
Mittwoch, 18. August 2010
German Short Film Award 2010

"Democracy Is ..." has been proposed for The German Short Film Award 2010 by an official jury member.
With its duration of almost 2 minutes, the film is one of the shortest films that have ever been proposed for the award. Quality is not a matter of size. Right, guys?
Dienstag, 17. August 2010
"Democracy Is .." - Marta Herford Museum
Our short film "Democracy Is ...", which is being proposed for the German Short Film Award, is part of an exhibition at the Marta Herford Museum. During "The Marta Summer" the film is currently being shown on a huge screen.

Anfragen für die Ausstellung und weitere Informationen / Requests for the exhibition and further information:
Franziska Brückmann
- Kuratorische Assistenz / Assistant to the curator-
MARTa Herford gGmbH
Goebenstraße 4–10
D-32052 Herford
T: +49 (0) 52 21/99 44 30-28
F: +49 (0) 52 21/99 44 30-18
Mittwoch, 4. August 2010
PAGE Design Magazine 09.2010
Aktuelle Ausgabe mit Portfolio in Focus: Tino Schwanemann
Current issue with Portfolio in Focus: Tino Schwanemann
Online bestellen / Order online on http://www.page-online.de

Dienstag, 22. Juni 2010
Ischia Film Festival & Global Fest 2010

An insider’s tip for the summer 2010: about George Clooney, Michael Douglas, Hilary Swank, Anton Corbijn, Sir Ken Adam & Co.
Tino Schwanemann’s short film “Africa Light / Gray Zone” ( official website: www.africa-light.com ) has its Italian Premiere at The Ischia Film Festival, which will take place together with The Ischia Global Fest. The exclusive Mediterranean location is just one of festival’s benefits. The honorary committee consists of internationally renown, Oscar winning artists such as Sir Ken Adam (multi-awarded architect and star designer of various James Bond movies, e.g. “Goldfinger” and Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon”, “Doctor Strangelove” etc.), Carlo Rambaldi (“Alien”, “E.T.”, “King Kong”, David Lynch’s “Dune”, …), Giuliano Montaldo, Osvaldo Desideri and many great artists more.
During the Ischia Global Fest the Who is Who of International Cinema will show up: Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Irons, Hilary Swank etc. Just to mention some of them. The festival’s opening movie will be “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”. Maybe Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones will also be there? One for sure: The Ischia Film Festival is going to be an awesome event of this summer and is supposed to be a real insider’s tip, not only for the fans of “Africa Light / Gray Zone”!
Anton Corbijn’s “The American” (starring George Clooney) will be awarded at the Ischia Film Festival 2010. For sure, the director and his main actor will appear at the festival as well. Tino Schwanemann, always being a huge fan of Anton Corbijn’s awesome work (e.g. “Control” and various amazing music videos of Depeche Mode, Herbert Groenemeyer, U2, Coldplay, Nirvana etc.), is really curious about Corbijn’s opinion on “Africa Light – Gray Zone”. As one of eight selected films “Africa Light / Gray Zone” is the only German film in its festival category.
Press Contact:
einscommanullMrs Stefanie Paul
Phone +49.30.27592523
Fax +49.180.3118866.174
www.einscommanull.com
Montag, 21. Juni 2010
Ischia Film Festival & Global Fest 2010

Auf dem Ischia Film Festival, das im Rahmen des Ischia Global Fest veranstaltet wird, erfährt Tino Schwanemanns Film "Africa Light - Gray Zone" (offizielle Webseite: www.africa-light.com) seine italienische Premiere in einer exklusiven Location im Mittelmeer.
Zum Komitee des Festivals gehören internationale Größen und Oscar-Gewinner wie Sir Ken Adam (Star-Setdesigner diverser James Bond-Filme, u.a. "Goldfinger" und Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon", "Dr. Strangelove" u.v.m.), Carlo Rambaldi ("Alien", "E.T.", "King Kong", David Lynchs "Dune - Der Wüstenplanet" etc.), Giuliano Montaldo, Osvaldo Desideri und, und, und...

Im Rahmen des Ischia Global Fests wird das Who is Who der internationalen Filmszene zugegen sein: Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Irons, Hilary Swank, und so weiter und so fort. Immerhin wird "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" das Festival eröffnen. Können wir also auch mit Michael Douglas und Catherine Zeta-Jones als Überraschungsgast rechnen? Eines steht fest: Dieses Film Festival ist somit in diesem Sommer ein echter Geheimtipp, nicht nur für Fans von "Africa Light - Gray Zone"!
Da auch der Film "The American" von Anton Corbijn (Hauptrolle: George Clooney) auf dem Ischia Film Festival 2010 ausgezeichnet werden wird, ist ebenso die Anwesenheit des Regisseurs und seines Hauptdarstellers auf dem Festival obligatorisch. Tino Schwanemann, der schon immer ein großer von Fan den Arbeiten Anton Corbijns ("Control", div. Musikvideos von Depeche Mode, Herbert Grönemeyer, U2, Coldplay, Nirvana usw.) war, ist natürlich gespannt, was dieser zu "Africa Light - Gray Zone" meint. "Africa Light - Gray Zone" läuft auf dem Ischia Film Festival in seiner Sektion als einer von acht ausgewählten Filmen und als einziger deutscher Film.
Pressekontakt:
einscommanull
Frau Stefanie Paul
Telefon +49 .30 .27 59 25 23
Fax +49 .1 80 .3 11 88 66 174
www.einscommanull.com
Mittwoch, 2. Juni 2010
einscommanull trailer
Short edit of a trailer representing some audiovisual work by Tino Schwanemann. Further information on www.einscommanull.com or www.whothefistinoschwanemann.com
Duales Studium - Kleckern & Klotzen (Kinospot)

Kinowerbespot von Tino Schwanemann & Stefanie Paul für das Duale Studium Hessen. In einer 3D Animation mit drei Füllfederhaltern als Protagonisten wird das Grundprinzip des Dualen Studiums in frecher Art und Weise für eine junge Klientel erklärt.
Freitag, 9. April 2010
A Nightmare After Easter...
A viral clip produced for The European Entrepreneurship.
Introducing a tiny egg called Eggmont who wants to be free and makes his way as an innovative entrepreneur.
Viral clip by Tino Schwanemann for the European Entrepreneurship. Background voices and additional 2D facial animation by Stefanie Paul.
Mittwoch, 10. März 2010
Africa Light / Gray Zone DVD released (PAL & NTSC)
From now on, our Africa Light / Gray Zone DVD is available as a festival preview copy in PAL and NTSC formats (Region Code 0 / none) for public festival screenings.
Available copy formats for screening and exhibition purposes are Digital Betacam (PAL /NTSC), Beta SP (PAL / NTSC), DVCAM (PAL / NTSC), miniDV (PAL), HDCAM (PAL) and progressive HD file (mpg, 1080-25p).
Attention: Non-commercial! For cultural venues or festival purposes only! DVDs and other copy formats are not for sale!
Distribution, Publishing & Festival Contact: einscommanull, Mrs Stefanie Paul, office phone +49 .30. 27 59 25 23, email: info@einscommanull.com
Sonntag, 21. Februar 2010
Fernlokal Interview, Kurzfilm über Namibia: Africa Light - Gray Zone

Katatura: Armut statt Luxus-Safari

Namibia: Zwischen Afrika Light und hoher AIDS-Rate

Aus professioneller Perspektive war Namibia für den Filmemacher ein Paradies: „Namibia hat das optimalste und schönste Licht, das man sich vorstellen kann.“ Mit Geld oder Geschenken für korrupte Beamte oder Stammesführer gab es beim Drehen keine Probleme. Einzig die Malaria-Prophylaxe bereitete der Crew Stimmungsschwankungen. In diesem Jahr soll der Kurzfilm “Africa light – Gray zone” auf verschiedenen Festivals laufen. Tino Schwanemann ist bewusst, dass er erstmal nur ein elitäres Publikum erreicht, aber er hofft, dass der Film eine gewisse Popularität erreicht und weiterverbreitet wird. Schwanemanns nächstes Projekt soll dann von Anfang an kein Werbespot, sondern „eine gesellschaftliche Analyse“ werden.
(sop)
Freitag, 29. Januar 2010
ÉCU Interview
uncensored interview edit
- Tino Schwanemann, Paris
ÉCU: Why did you choose to make a film about democracy?
It was a personal challenge for me. In the last year, The U.S. State Department announced a contest to get various views on current democracy. Most of the entry films were like ‘Democracy is the most beautiful thing on earth’. I simply couldn’t stand it! It was the typical ignorance that I have often been confronted with in the USA: just to concentrate on the beauty of life and ignoring its authenticity. I wanted to provoke them. I wanted to show that there is not only Black and White. Of course, my film was denied as an entry although getting most of the votes by the audience. The State Department’s reaction was: “Tino’s film takes a hard look at what he sees as the negative sides of American democracy –do you think the positives of the freedoms that come with democracy outweigh the negatives? (We do!)”. These circumstances showed to me, there isn’t everything alright, especially about American democracy. I must have found a sore point.Anyway, the contest is being repeated this year.
ÉCU: What inspired you to interrogate the subject of democracy in this way?
I admire Jean Baudrillard and Paul Virilio. And I have read some interesting essays of them. For me, the best inventory of today’s America is Jean Baudrillard’s book “America”. It is written in a wonderful, visual language focusing on various aspects of American politics, society and economy. During my travels through the U.S., I felt the same way, so this book was my main inspiration to look behind the surface.
ÉCU: Why did you decide to shoot in black and white?
It was the best way to express that democracy is NOT just black and white. It is NOT a stereotype. But in order to demonstrate it, the optimal way was to leave any color. Black and white also forces an audience to concentrate more on important, subtle details. When you add color, you express much more. I want the audience to add some colors in their mind when they need it, whether red, green, blue or whatever.
ÉCU: What was the significance of setting the film in New York?
New York is one of my favorite cities on earth. I love its creativity, its diversity and its speed. But it is a city of contradictions, too. There are just some hundred streets from Manhattan to Harlem, and to the Bronx. And Manhattan seems to be like a facade. Its intention is to transmit a NYC image that doesn’t exist in the reality. Reality can be found somewhere between a point A and B, in the middle of two sides. For me, New York has its attraction in the opposite of those two: it is high and low, fast and slow, modern and primitive, clean and dirty, intelligent and dumb, expensive and cheap, and all of this at the same time.
NYC on the first sight is like a gorgeous, pretty lady. In the late night, she removes her make-up and looks like a nasty bitch. Then she grabs for your jacket and steals all your money for gambling. NYC is like a melting pot of our society in all its diverse, sometimes shocking facets. If you just visit this city from north to south, it tells a lot about the American Way of Life, and a lot about the American definition of democracy. This is so fascinating about this city. At all, in many ways, it is kind of a representative of other U.S. cities like Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles etc.
ÉCU: The film has a documentary-like quality. Were any of the people featured in the film acting or did you film what you saw on the streets?
Both. I think, a filmmaker’s task is to find and to react on sujets. In many cases, I just needed to watch. But there are also moments, when people recognized me while I filmed them. Then, I needed to talk to them in order to behave naturally. I didn’t want anyone to act superficially like in a Hollywood movie. For this film, I was interested in reality.
ÉCU: The images are accompanied by comic-book style captions. Why did you choose these over, say, a voiceover?
The message of this film is “Democracy is an image”. The meaning of image can be defined in various ways. On the one hand, it is a picture of a scenery, which is a view from outside, on the other hand, it means to express or even to proclaim a special personal state of mind, which is a view from inside. While the film plays with those definitions and views, it was necessary for me to use it like a cartoon. Cartoons do both: they are images trying to explain the character’s personal situation.
ÉCU: Did you encounter any difficulties while filming?
There have been some situations, when the police or company’s security wanted me to stop filming. But I could handle that. And there have surely been some critical moments while I was filming in the Bronx. I needed to prepare carefully and ask for the help of people, who know those districts well. The most important thing was just to avoid any gang colors. The people in the Bronx, however, are not different from those in Manhattan. Most of the times, they have been even friendlier. Of course, they were always asking me about my intentions for this film. Then, it’s just up to yourself, whether you are open-minded to talk to them or to leave immediately. I decided to explain my point of interest. Finally, they were fascinated about my knowledge of Jay-Z lyrics with a German accent. In the beginning, there is always the word…
ÉCU: What do you want people to take away from your film?
Democracy is a process. I want to make people think about it, whether they agree to the film or not. I am sure, when people stop thinking about its development, democracy won’t be improved. Politicians are like puppets on the string of a majority. With a major population longing for more liberty, more equality and further improvement, politicians are forced to make proposals to fight discrepancies. Finally, I want to make people think about the access on democracy. Is it only for those who can afford it, or can anyone take part of it? When you don’t have any money for internet or a newspaper, is it possible to be part of that process? If you can’t afford to go to school, can you imagine the consequences of non-participation?
ÉCU: Tell me about your next project?
I am currently finishing a short film as a mixture of documentary, experimental and narrative called “Africa Light / Gray Zone”. With this film, I want to extend the film genres. Together with widely spread creatives like Steffen Greisiger, who composed an unique music theme together with the renowned German Film Orchestra Babelsberg, conducted by a German legend like Bernd Wefelmeyer, I want to proof, that it is possible to make a modern film dealing with social, economical and political issues in a symbolic way for a target group of young people. This film looks like a beautiful commercial first, but reveals a deeper story about the current development in Africa later on. It’s just a story as an uncensored view on The 1st World in the 3rd World. You can find further information and some promotional videos on http://www.africa-light.com.
Furthermore, I am preparing a global feature film. But this is still top secret.
Statement des Regisseurs von "Africa Light / Gray Zone"
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ENGLISHThe majority of German movies could be published as well as a radio play!
Director's Statement by Tino Schwanemann about AFRICA LIGHT / GRAY ZONE
Lately, there have been many questions about the film. Why is such a dramatic story like this being told in such beautiful pictures? How does my desired target group look like? Is the film only aligned to intellectuals? Are only representatives of film studies allowed to understand it? How could the film be available for a wide audience? Interested parties contacted me to get my opinion on political issues in Africa and my personal intention of the film. The following lines should be kind of a summary.
Too much is being said and explained in German movies!
For me, the audience often seems to be underestimated. Films like "2001: A Space Odyssey" (director: Stanley Kubrick), "Koyaanisqatsi" (directed by Godfrey Reggio), "Waltz with Bashir" (directed by Ari Folman) and "The Fall" (directed by Tarsem Singh) show that viewers are able to combine pictures, to put them into context with each other or to interpret, without a need for endless dialogues, or without conjuring up any big emotional drama. So, AFRICA LIGHT / GRAY ZONE is a silent film without any spoken dialogues.
I am annoyed when I watch films such as "Africa: My Home" or similar romantic trash. Stories that do not understand to give a realistic impression of the country Namibia on the one side, and simply do not show the true reality of the continent of Africa on the other side as well. They show the same stereotypes on and on. AFRICA LIGHT / GRAY ZONE is the proof that it’s possible to give a realistic impression with small means. This film’s intention is not to establish a stamped, personal narration either, or to slip into an often unattractive documentary direction. It commutes between those two genres and shows big pictures extended with many symbolic details.
Sure, Africa is increasingly used as an eye catcher.
We all know the pictures from Ethiopia, Angola and Rwanda. But it is shameful that many people are stapling the topic of the Third World on their forehead in order to be respected by the press. Alleged celebrities go into poor areas to crush a few tears and want to open an orphanage, but ultimately they only give off a check, while 60% of the money seeps in administration and bureaucracy. But no one seems to have a personal opinion about the real general situation. And they do not seem to care about any investigation. The cameras are gone, the celebrity, too. The recent case of Haiti demonstrates that media coverage is somehow responsible for endless calls for donations and the local appearance of bizarre activism organizations, such as Scientology or others, while nobody had been interested in Haiti in the last years before. In the same way pictures of poverty in Africa flicker annually on TV right before Christmas. A pressure on the lacrimal as a placebo for a guilty conscience?
The ignorance of reality is still continuing. In the same way of the statement of George W. Bush: "Africa is a beautiful country," I experience the dealing with many clichés. There are stereotypical platitudes such as "The white farmers teach black people how to work because they are not intelligent to cultivate their own land ..." or "The whites are only exploiting native Africans". And so on. Certainly, there is always a spark of reality in these statements, but the truth can mostly be found in the middle, like it has been wisely said by the German newspaper publisher Axel Springer.
Especially during the preparations of the Soccer World Cup in South Africa, I would like to establish this film as a counterweight, which thus tries to put the one-sidedness in the middle. With this film, I want to encourage visitors to explore Southern Africa closely scrutinized, and not to make just a one-sided picture only. Above all, the film’s target group are tourists who turn their eyes only on the flora and fauna. Who are hypnotized in such a way that they glorify anything or ignore everything. The film represents Africa in the kind of aesthetics of a commercial: first, just to dazzle people with beautiful pictures, then to motivate them to capture a sense. In South Africa, the reality show is looming somewhere around the beaches, stadiums and hotels. So, my message is: a good image on your own can be made if you combine black and white into a whole or even enhance color.
My intention with this film is not to answer any question.
This is up to others whose job it is. I just want to raise questions skillfully! And the most important issues for me had always been the reasons for riots, poverty and the conflicts of the continent? Above all, the influence of the so-called First World on the Third World was my main focus. This influence had been almost omnipresent, especially in Namibia, when I saw the wrecks of cars in the desert, the predominance of beer advertising in the slums with the phrase "You've earned it!", a giraffe driven over by tourists in the national parks, abandoned buildings in the diamond prospectors’ area, the seepage of rails in the sand, or tourist staged native communities. The gods must be crazy! Instead of Coca Cola, there was the Pepsi ad on the corrugated steel sheets in Kattatura. These symbols could barely express more accurately. But I will leave the concrete articulation to the audience. For me, a film works best if you do not deliver everything on the tray, so you can encourage your audience to create an own individual opinion. Only thus someone is motivated to deal with the issues. My aim is to entice the audience and not to leave them alone in their comfortable popcorn armchair lethargy. Besides: I like to provoke!
Why Namibia? The contrast was groundbreaking for me.
It is a place where Angelina Jolie relaxes on the beach, and Britney Spears thought to bear a child. But where the scenery is so gorgeous, there is also a counterpart for everything. Although hidden. Christoph Schlingensief once said that Namibia is the boring part of Africa, because everything seems so arranged and artificial. Somehow correct. But there is more than this behind its cover. „An image is an image is an image…“. And an image is always the sum of an internal und external perception. So it was the right time for me to make a film about the African cliché world that has not been there before yet. “Africa Light / Gray Zone” is my external view as an image. The internal one is omnipresent, especially at the moment, while the Soccer World Cup is being prepared.
For me, the film AFRICA LIGHT / GRAY ZONE is a snapshot from a subjective point of view.
It also shows my personal, categorized development, while I had been in Southern Africa: First being dazzled and packed with clichés and pseudo-romantic imagination, then noting that not everything shines like gold, then doing more and more research and being curious, finally being angry about the lack of empathy and tact, as well as about the low First World understanding for the essences of the Third World’s problems. As one of the First World’s protagonists, somehow, this was also a personal point.
Last but not least, the music, produced by Steffen Greisiger with the Film Orchestra Babelsberg, follows this intention. In Hollywood movie style, it starts with everything an orchestra is able to offer. But the hubris is followed soon by the catharsis.
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DEUTSCH
Das Gros des deutschen Films könnte man genauso gut als Hörspiel veröffentlichen!
Statement von Tino Schwanemann zu „Africa Light / Gray Zone“
In Deutschland wird zu viel geredet und erklärt – vor allem im Film!
Uns allen sind die Bilder aus Äthopien, Angola und Ruanda präsent. Aber es ist für beschämend, dass sich viele das Thema Dritte Welt auf die Stirn tackern, um von der Presse beachtet zu werden. Angebliche Prominente fahren in arme Gegenden, zerquetschen ein paar Tränen, wollen ein Waisenhaus aufmachen, doch letztlich geben sie nur einen Scheck ab, wobei 60% des Geldes in Verwaltungsaufgaben und Bürokratie versickert. Doch eine eigene Meinung machen sich die wenigsten. Von Investigation ganz zu schweigen. Sind die Kameras verschwunden, ist der Promi es auch. Der aktuelle Fall Haiti zeigt auf, dass Medienpräsenz sogleich zu einem Spendenmarathon und zu Aktionismus skurriler Organisationen führt, sei es Scientology oder andere. Und genauso wie auch Haiti viele Jahre lang niemanden interessiert hat, tauchen die Bilder der Armut aus Afrika im jährlichen Abstand vor Weihnachten im TV auf: als Druck auf die Tränendrüse für das schlechte Gewissen?
Ich möchte mit diesem Film keine Fragen beantworten.
Warum gerade Namibia? Der Kontrast war für mich wegweisend.
Der Film „Africa Light – Gray Zone“ ist für mich eine Art Momentaufnahme aus subjektiver Sicht.
einscommanull, Januar 2010