Couv Cat 2009 - Eurodoc

2004 Chapter
THE LOST HERITAGE
LENGTH : 52 MIN EURODOC-PRODUCTION 2003-2004
DIRECTOR : MARTIN BIEBEL
PRODUCER : CARL-A. FECHNER
COMPANY : FECHNERMEDIA (GERMANY)
The German ‘Grand Canyon’ - a bizarre landscape; What used to
be an opencast mining field covers a territory ten times larger than
Europe’s biggest airport. This region in the former GDR, was
powered by a vital industry with thousands of miners ploughing
the grounds for brown coal up until twelve years ago. Today the
workers have lost their jobs and the ripped-open mining
landscape has literally petrified into a vast, empty desert. A desert
that has a beauty of its own; a unique moonlike landscape that
triggers contrasting feelings; it is a surreal surrounding – awesome
and extreme. And it is doomed. LAUBAG, a semi-federal
organization is determined to ‘domesticate’ this wild area through
a massive "back-to-nature"-program, intending to turn the
impressive remnants of human history into picturesque, innocent
lakes. In opposition to this plan there is a renowned institute, the
"IBA Fürst Pückler". What they strive for has the potential to
integrate not only the people, but also their identity and the pride
they take in it. What they see is the unique and fantastic chances,
which this manmade landscape holds for them.
Partners :
ZDF/arte - Martin Pieper
Publishing on VHS and DVD in german and english subtitled. We
own all rights for world distribution except Germany and France
and are open for broadcasting proposals.
FILMS
THE ROAD TO KERBALA
LENGTH : 69 MIN EURODOC-PRODUCTION 2003-2004
DIRECTOR : KATIA JARJOURA
PRODUCER : CHRISTINE DOUBLET
COMPANY : PROGRAM33 (FRANCE)
Baghdad, April 2004. As Iraq is daily shaken by current violence,
members of the religious Shiite community prepare to brave the
road to Kerbala to carry out their annual pilgrimage, which was
banned under Saddam’s dictatorship. This ritual ends the 40 dayperiod
of mourning which commemorates the death of
Mohammed’s grandson, Imam Hussein, who was beheaded in
680 AD.
Despite the risk and dangers of the situation, a young Lebanese
Canadian woman impassioned by Shiism, accompanies the
pilgrims on the road.
The Road to Kerbala captures her investigative journey on the 110
kilometre-walk from the Iraqi capital to the Shiite capital. Through
her vision and the narrative of her main character, a Shiite poet
and former political prisoner, we penetrate into the heart of the
long-oppressed Shiite community of Iraq.
Along the road, we experience religious and social rituals, political
demonstrations, encounters with American soldiers and the
peaceful countryside of Iraq.
This personal journey reveals an intimate view of this community,
which both embraces death and celebrates life in their new-found
freedom.
Partners :
Arte France
RTBF
TSR
Umam Production
Festivals :
FIPA 2005
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