Filme | Wartist

Documentary “Remembering the Children” (Berlin)

On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp on 27. January 2011, Freundeskreis Willy-Brandt-Haus e.V., Institut Français Berlin and Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie e.V. present the documentary “Remembering the Children” (La Mémoire des Enfants) by Hannes Gellner and Thomas Draschan, made in 2007. The film deals with the fate of Jewish children under the Vichy regime. The film attemps to fathom how it was possible (in human, legal, and administrative terms) that between 1942 and 1944 more than 11,400 Jewish children were deported from France to Auschwitz on the initiative of the French authorities.

Filles Reisz, Archives Serge et Beate Klarsfeld

Bruce Conner: The 1970s (Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna)

From 8 October 2010 until 30 January 2011, Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Austria, presents the extensive exhibition “Bruce Conner. The 70s” with works of the US artist. Not the least, the almost ruminant video work “Crossroads” is on show, a 1976 b&w short film of 36 minutes length about the first underwater nuclear weapons test on the Bikini Atoll.

Captivating beauty of destruction: Crossroads Continue reading “Bruce Conner: The 1970s (Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna)”

Film Premiere: We Want (U) to Know

On 8 December 2009 at 1900h, the documentary film “We Want (U) to Know” by Ella Pugliese will have its international premiere at Cinema Babylon Mitte in Berlin.¹ The film, funded by the German development organisation Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (German Development Service, DED), deals with remembering the crimes of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia by the local population. The premiere evening will be hosted by Amnesty International.

At least, a preview had been shown on 7 May earlier this year in Phnom Penh. ↩

Hans-Christian Schmid: Storm

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Kathryn Bigelow: The Hurt Locker

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Donald vs. Hitler (Spiegel)

In the German news magazine Spiegel, Sven Stillich published a short article on animated short movies that had been produced in the USA during the Second World War. Stylistics and motivation were quite different. The most known movie will be Disney’s “Der Fuehrer’s Face” from 1943, in which Donald Duck has a nightmare in “Nutzi Land”.

Der Fuehrer's Face (© Disney): Donald as worker in Nazi Germany

Announcement: Image Battles – 2000 Years of News from the War (Osnabrück)

2000 years after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest¹, this event is taken as opportunity for an highly interesting exhibition in Osnabrück, close to the assumed battlefield: “Image Battles” will deal with “news from the war” in a multi-faceted approach on issues of technology, media and art.

In 9 AD, an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius destroyed three Roman legions led by Publius Quinctilius Varus. ↩

Shiptare Boys: Kosovo

10 Years ago, on 24 March 1999, Operation Allied Force had been started, commonly known as the Kosovo War. The satirical version of a Beach Boys song from the USA was used in 2002 by some Norwegian peacekeepers to make a music video, leading to diplomatic disturbance some years later. The result is still amusing – not the least because of the timeless and transferable text.

Continue reading “Shiptare Boys: Kosovo”

Nuit de Chien / This Night (Volksbühne Berlin)

On 5 March 2009 at 2000h, the Berlin theatre Volksbühne will show the movie Nuit de Chien (This Night). Its director Werner Schroeter will be present. the theatrical and opulent film is about Ossorio, the hero of a failed resistance movement who is looking in a ficticious South-American city for his past love Clara to flee with her, while the city is increasingly descending into chaos and the secret police and brutal militia are struggling for power. Continue reading “Nuit de Chien / This Night (Volksbühne Berlin)”

Oscar Awards 2009

On 22 January 2009, this year’s Oscars have been presented in Los Angeles, arguably the world’s most important film awards. At least some of the winners are dealing with war and terror. We are especially pleased about the Oscar for the German short movie Spielzeugland (Toyland) by Jochen Alexander Freydank. Continue reading “Oscar Awards 2009”