Titel Kino 2/2002 - german films

Anansi
From Ghana to a deserted coast – from Morocco to Spain – out of desperate need, a group of West
Africans dare the perilous journey to Germany. But their path to the promised land of satellite dishes and
a better life is strewn with obstacles.
In West Africa, the name ”Anansi“ means spider – a well-loved trickster. This ancient mythical character
represents the survival strategies of a people who secure a future for themselves in spite of the most
repulsive conditions.
The main character – Zaza – is played by George Quaye, Ghana’s much adored womanizer in the weekly
soap Taxi. His friend Sir Francis – the wise cracker – is played by Maynard Eziashi, who earned a Silver
Bear at Berlin in 1992 for Mister Johnson and also starred in the film Ace Ventura. Reggae superstar Shaggy
supported the project from the beginning and contributed the title song Why Me Lord. Roman Bunka’s
vivid soundtrack carries the spirit of this road movie – oscillating between laughter and tears. Anansi is an
odyssey full of wonders and sacrifices, African mystic and a love that surpasses all borders.
Genre Drama Category Feature Film Cinema Year of Production
2001/2002 Director Fritz Baumann Screenplay Fritz
Baumann Director of Photography Arturo Smith Editor
Christian Lonk Music by Roman Bunka Production Design
Carsten Lippstock Producers Alena & Herbert Rimbach Production
Company AVISTA FILM, Munich, in co-production with
Brainpool TV, Cologne, Calypso Filmproduktion, Cologne, in cooperation
with ARTE, Strasbourg, BR, Munich Principal Cast George
Quaye, Jimmy Akingbola, Naomie Harris, Maynard Eziashi, Danny
Sapani Casting Daniela Tolkien, Munich, Sam Jones, London Length
80 min, 2,188 m Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.85 Original Version
English Dubbed Version German Sound Technology Dolby
SRD With backing from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, BKM,
Filmbuero NW, FilmFoerderung Hamburg, MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg,
Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Filmfoerderungsanstalt (FFA),
MEDIA German Distributor Pegasos Film, Frankfurt
World Sales:
CINEPOOL · A Dept. of Telepool Europaeisches Fernsehprogrammkontor GmbH
Dr. Cathy Rohnke, Wolfram Skowronnek
Sonnenstrasse 21 · 80331 Munich/Germany
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www.telepool.de · email: rohnke@telepool.de, skowronnek@telepool.de
Fritz Baumann was born in 1950 in Brannenburg.
From 1973-1977, he studied at the Academy of
Television & Film (HFF/M) in Munich. Since 1976, he has
been working as an independent producer, director,
recording supervisor and film editor. His films include:
Mord (1974), Die Pensionierung (1975), Die
Begegnungen (1976), co-direction on Let’s Not
Talk About It (1978) and Dein Kopf ist ein
schlafendes Auto (TV, 1981) with Werner Penzel,
So frei wie der Loewe (1984), D’jubel Wies’n
(documentary, 1985), Woman (documentary, 1989),
The Journey of the Lion (Die Reise des
Loewen, 1993) – winner of the Silver Plaque at Chicago
in 1993 and the New York Times Film Critics’ Award in
1994, Eisen (TV, 1996), six documentary episodes of
Bonn packt (TV, 1999) and Anansi (2001/2002),
among others.
42 Kino 2/2002
Jimmy Akingbola, Naomie Harris (photo © AVISTA FILM)
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