2008 A Meeting for German and French Filmmakers ... - German Films

secret desire to do things outside common sense and the norm.”
Despite the protagonist’s sick behavior, it’s a tribute to all concerned
that he becomes increasingly likeable as the film unfolds.
“Which is also the tragedy,” Manuel Bickenbach says, “because it’s
only when he crosses the lines of society that he finds himself savoring
genuine human warmth. He’s a person in need of love, just as we
all are.”
Schwerkraft, which has Erlenwein and DoP Ngo The Chau
continuing their ongoing cooperation, draws its tension from audience
fears that Frederik will become a victim of himself. But here the
director has chosen “not to expose or make fun of him, but to take
him seriously and allow him his dignity. The story may sound dark and
tragic, but it’s told with tempo, humor and scurrility, very much in the
vein of, say, Taxi Driver, Fight Club and Trainspotting.”
The film was written especially for actor Fabian Hinrichs (66/67,
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, Blackout) with whom Erlenwein shared
an apartment for two years and co-developed the character of
Frederik. Playing his buddy in crime is Juergen Vogel whose many
credits include such smash hits as The Free Will, The Wave, and Rabbit
Without Ears.
Founded in 2006 by Alexander and Manuel Bickenbach, FRISBEE-
FILMS places its values on strong emotionality, working with outstanding
talents to become an important player in the international independent
film business. Their greatest successes to date are
Nevermore, Berlin – 1 st of May, and Let the Cat Out of the Bag: the first
of which won the Student Oscar ® 2007.
SK
This Is Love
Type of Project Feature Film Cinema Genre Drama
Production Company Badlands Film/Berlin, in co-production
with Schwarzweiss Filmproduktion/Berlin, cine plus Filmproduktion/
Berlin, WDR/Cologne, ARTE/Strasbourg With backing from
Filmstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, BKM,
Filmfoerderungsanstalt (FFA), German Federal Film Fund (DFFF)
Producers Matthias Glasner, Lars Kraume, Juergen Vogel
Director Matthias Glasner Screenplay Matthias Glasner
Director of Photography Sonja Rom Editor Mona Braeuer
Music by Christoph Kaiser, Julian Maas Production Design
Frank Pruemmer Principal Cast Corinna Harfouch, Jens Albinus,
Duyen Pham, Juergen Vogel, Katja Danowski, Devid Striesow
Shooting Language German Format HD, blow-up to 35 mm,
color, 1:1.85, Dolby SR Shooting in Vietnam, Berlin, North Rhine-
Westphalia, July – September 2008 German Distributor
Kinowelt Filmverleih/Leipzig
World Sales
TrustNordisk · Susan Wendt
Filmbyen 12 · 2650 Hvidovre/Denmark
phone +45-36-86 87 88 · fax +45-36-77 44 48
email: post@trust-film.dk · www.trust-film.dk
Principal photography wrapped in September on This Is Love
which is the first project of the Berlin-based production company
Badlands Film director Matthias Glasner set up last year with
fellow filmmaker Lars Kraume and actor Juergen Vogel.
“The film’s title comes from the song This Is Always,” Glasner explains.
“I found this romantic text also to be so threatening because there is
that level about the obsession of love. It’s like The Police’s song Every
Breath You Take, which one can see both ways. It is a seemingly
romantic film which also looks at the dark sides of love, of suffering
and breaking down, and everything love can do to us and change our
personality.”
Set in Vietnam and Germany, This Is Love centers on Chris and
the nine-year-old Jenjira on the run from the mafia. Together with his
friend Holger, Chris bought the young Vietnamese girl’s freedom from
human traffickers – without actually being able to pay. Meanwhile, the
female detective Maggie learns after 16 years why her husband up and
left her without a word. These two worlds come together when Chris
is accused of murder and Maggie is charged with interrogating him …
german films quarterly in production
4 · 2008 28
“This Is Love” producers Lars Kraume,
Matthias Glasner, Juergen Vogel
(photo courtesy of Just Publicity)