I’ve done quite some web-work this week and will write more about that in my next entry, but for now… Photos! The good news is, I did take some, the bad news is that I only really took photos in the costume house Theaterkunst. I do have some blurry shots of the closing party, plus some nice moments of me and my roommates lounging about on our bunk beds, but I may get into trouble putting those online.

Here goes!

Foxy furs for the leading lady…

Details of these costumes  (sometimes the entire piece!) are often handmade or re-adjusted, because apparently our sizes change with time (we are heavier and taller than 40 years ago).

If you love accessories, you’ll love Theaterkunst. Row upon row upon row of scarves, gloves, glasses, jewellery, hats and umbrellas from every era imaginable.

What I noticed in particular during our tour in Theaterkunst were the colours, every period seems to have their own tones. The costumes of the late 1800′s and early 1900′s were dramatic but quite pale in colour, whereas post-war clothes seem to be very dark with browns, greys and burgundies predominating. The 70-ties, well… let’s not go there.

It was very, very hard not to ask whether I could buy or borrow some of the outfits. Imagine walking into a store and being able to buy an exact replica of a fifties dress with matching shoes, hat and bag in your size and in perfect condition! If only I were an actress, or a costume designer.

What I learnt though,  is the extent to which creative expression can go in costume design and the detailed attention put into historical accuracy. When we dressed our characters for Inglorious Bastards for instance, there were a million-and-one things to look out for. Where is the character in the story? What are they expressing by wearing those clothes? Which medals have they put on and why? There is so much you can say with a costume! But of course you need the budget for it too…

For more photos of the Berlinale Talent Campus you can go here: www.berlinale-talentcampus.de

And you can now also watch one of the opening talks “The Storytelling Trojka” online! www.berlinale-talentcampus.de

]]> http://elzemieke.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/theaterkunst-berlin-costume-house-photos/feed/ 0 elzemieke No animals were hurt during this production... Dramatic costumes for Costume Dramas Finding the right accessory Mad hatters Theaterkunst-Umbrellas http://elzemieke.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/berlinale-talent-campus-8-day-6/ http://elzemieke.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/berlinale-talent-campus-8-day-6/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:00:29 +0000 elzemieke http://blog.elzemieke.com/?p=197 ]]> Is there a life after the Talent Campus? I suppose if there wasn’t I wouldn’t be typing this right now, but still, life is pretty odd without a ‘Rise and Shine’ breakfast or a queue to stand in. The last Campus day was pretty cool. I went on an excursion to Germany’s largest costume house, Theaterkunst: www.theaterkunst.de,  got a guided tour of the building and test-dressed some of the characters of Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards (which was supplied with about 3000 costumes by Theaterkunst).

After that we had a session with members of the Talent Campus Team about opportunities and activities applicable to Alumni (all Talents are named ‘Alumni’ post Campus) and Campus services available to us. One thing I want to highlight in particular, which is the Online Community. Our current profiles and future projects will be viewable on this website (www.berlinale-talentcampus.de), which is great because that means we can keep in touch with each other and up to date with events, job & industry opportunities and international Talent Campuses (e.g. in Durban and Sarajevo:  www.berlinale-talentcampus.de). This is an invaluable extension of the programme, since without it this year’s theme: ‘Finding the Right People’ wouldn’t have carried the same weight.

Then, in the evening, the Closing Ceremony took place during which Camilo Sanabria was selected as the winner of the Score Competition (in German: berliner-filmfestivals.de) and we got to applaud the entire Talent Campus Team, who were invited on stage. And… what would a Closing Ceremony be without a Closing Party? Afterwards, we collected in HAU 2 to enjoy wine, snacks and music until the early morning hours. For me, the party seemed to  present one last opportunity to embarrass myself by tripping over bags, talking a bit too open-heartedly and trying to hug vaguely familiar body shapes. Even though I didn’t want to, I got drunk, made a bit of an ass out of myself and woke up four hours later with an emotional hangover.

People will tell you that everybody else was drunk too and that nobody remembers one person in particular, but deep down inside we all know that they’re lying. They’re just happy that it wasn’t them who told a complete stranger in the toilet queue how they just cocked up on trying to push their script in the face of a not-so-drunk producer, whilst doing one of those i-need-to-go-i-need-to-go-i-need-to-go dances. Touché! Alright, this is about all I can handle at the moment because I’m still hungover, my flat is still a mess and I haven’t got a scrap of food in the fridge.

Photos soon!!

The workshops and events have been really interesting, but I realise that after attending so many of them that I’ve become a very quick quality judge. Not all of the invitees seem happy to share their knowledge. I’ve seen a very reluctant Stephen Frears for instance, some people suggested his attitude had to do with being adverse to the intellectualisation of filmmaking. Pretty soon you’ll be able to watch the talk and judge for yourself on: tdb.berlinale-talentcampus.de

Regrettably, some talks or workshops were badly prepared, which leads to 90 minutes of aimless discussion vaguely relating to the subject matter. This is disappointing, there are often many different events taking place at the same time and you pick those that you think will be of most use to you. When the panel or guest is unprepared it makes the attendees feel unappreciated (though I find it just as annoying, even embarrassing, when audience members start leaving halfway through a talk).

The opportunities and scope of the events are amazing nonetheless, and of course I have to run off soon again to make it to the next event in time…

I will leave you with a few cool sites to check out:

(Presented on ‘The Indie Filmmakers Guide to Cross Media I and III’)

Every day two new videos report on the daily life of people living in Gaza (Palestine) and Sderot (Israel): gaza-sderot.arte.tv

Prison Valley is a web-documentary by David Dufresne and Philippe Brault on the prison industry in the crisis-stricken US: prisonvalley.arte.tv

Last but not least: “In the Pirkinning is a feature length science fiction parody from Finland”, www.starwreck.com

And two quotes:

Stephen Frears on a bad edit: “The film is not as good as the rushes”

Rusudan Pirveli (director of SUSA, www.berlinale.de) on the accusation that her approach to technology was ‘not cinematic’:

“Now is the era where only taste and talent matters, technology means nothing anymore”

This morning some of the Talents skipped our bus and travelled to the ticket counter independently 30 minutes ahead… Unfortunately their efforts were blighted by a hungry and aggressive crowd who pushed their way through the queue right onto their treasure island. I can’t blame them, I too got caught up in the stream and felt myself pushing to get in with everybody else. This was the last time for me though, it just takes the fun out of things. It’s not worth it.

But enough about queuing! Who and what have I seen? Well, I had a masterclass with the colourists of the Trier movie Antichrist (www.antichristthemovie.com, Stefan Ciupek and Dirk Meier), a fantastic ‘ten-to-one’ Meet the Expert session with the Dutch script editor Sandra Beerends (www.berlinale-talentcampus.de) and the artist Bettina Allamoda (www.kuenstlerstaette-bleckede.de) , an acting workshop called ‘Embodying the Character’ with the legendary Jean-Louis Rodrigue (www.alexandertechworks.com) and an amazing dinner in the evening (‘Dine & Shine’, see the pics: www.berlinale-talentcampus.de). During the dinner we sat among Experts in the industry and after each course we swapped tables and met new people. There were 400 guests in total, the food was amazing and at the end of it all we received a goodie bag from L’Oreal (Talent Campus sponsors)! This was, admittedly, slightly more useful for the female visitors but very thoughtful nonetheless.

I’m enjoying myself immensely so far but as I mentioned in my earlier posts it’s hard work. You’re on the go from 7am until 10pm or later, especially if you want to catch some of the film screenings in the evening. I also have the feeling that many participants set pretty high goals for themselves. Of course we all hope to find producers or make key-contacts to help us realise our work but I’ve increasingly come aware that although the Talent Campus is a great place to meet people, you will not necessarily fly home with a budget and a crew for your next film. I suppose you could say that you plant some seeds in the ground during the Campus, in the hope that some of those seeds will survive the tests of time and blossom. I know, it sounds corny, but it makes sense.

Okay, I have to run to my next talk. More news on day Berlinale Talent Campus day 4!

We had a briefing on the festival, a talk about German funding, a ‘speed matching’ (not dating, matching) event and an opening ceremony. On the schedule it looks like there’s enough time between the events, about an hour, but you never really rest because in between events you’re also mingling, talking, checking profiles and (excuse me for using the word) ‘networking’.

Speed matching seemed to be what most people dreaded most but it was actually the liveliest part of the day. Almost all Talents where there and we had three minutes per session to talk to each other, then the outer row moved to the next seat to meet another Talent.

For me it was great to discover that there aren’t just writer-directors here but also plenty producers, actors, DoP’s, etc. It was quite impressive to see everybody hand out business cards, flyers, even showreels… Talents are savvy! Nonetheless, come 6pm I’d had enough of everybody’s perspicaciousness. It’s really tough to keep a momentum going!

Tomorrow is going to be another jam-packed day with workshops, talks, Q&A sessions and more. But for now I think I’ll just kick back and have a good rest…

On the underground on the way to Potsdammer Platz I could already spot them, the bagged and tagged Berlinale visitors. I got exited… Once there however, the lack of sleep started to get the better of me. The service centre is a big place and it’s filled with visitors, guests, money people… The atmosphere is charged to say the least and my excitement soon turned into dread.

I realised that festivals are hard work! Guides, events, workshops, networking, ticket lines… people to meet and things to do! I decided to take it easy for the day, settle in and get a bit of rest before the warming up event that evening. The event would take place in the cafeteria of the Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie Berlin, it was written in German and nobody else I spoke to had received it. What was going on?

I arrived and soon realised that the warming up was actually for Germans (I got it too, because I live in Germany), oh gosh… Needless to say this was a good opportunity to practice my language skills! I had a good time and luckily there were also some people from Eastern Europe in relation to the Robert Bosch Stiftung (www.bosch-stiftung.de)

I got back at the hostel at around 11pm, popped some sleeping aid, plugged up with ear plugs and drifted off… Today is the first ‘official’ Talent Campus day and we just got our tickets, goody bags and ‘rise and shine’ breakfast. Next is a ‘Taking off’ briefing and later an opening ceremony. Let’s see how things work out today…

So, here we are then. It’s 2010. YouTube depicts the status quo of choice which is carried along on Google waves and digested by collective Twitter silences. Tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes remind us to feel guilty when we capitalise on subsidized low-cost flights. Our children aspire to be famous when they grow up and as long as we keep separating our garbage they may live to see themselves on the telly one day. I will leave it up to you to look at the bright side of life, and God only knows how much brighter things will get with the onset of global warming.

Despite feeling a little overrun by the current state of things – perhaps a case of the Winter Blues – there have been a few peeks in my personal life. One of which being invited to the Berlinale Talent Campus 2010,www.berlinale-talentcampus.de. This is an event organised for young filmmakers from around the globe which holds talks, workshops, networking events and loads more amazing activities to meet people, generate ideas and enjoy the Berlin Film Festival. It’s just fantastic and it will kick off in two weeks time. I. Can’t. Wait.

Another plus: this month will see the end of a two-year struggle against the odds of the (allegedly non-existent) British Film Industry: my short film Babydoll, www.babydolltheshort.co.uk, will be finished! With very little money and plenty of zest we embarked on Babydoll late 2007, hoping we would reach the finish line in the Spring of 2008. But the wheels of the independent film industry turn slowly, and barely at all for short films. Finally the moment has come to invite all those people who helped and supported the film to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Finally it will be over. Well, in a way it will only begin: next on the list is festival entry and distribution (for as far as you can speak of distribution for a début short). But the worst is over, I hope.

So, at the end of January our feature film, www.uncutthemovie.com, will be finished. Babydoll will be completed and I’ll be attending the Berlinale Talent Campus. Much to look forward to and much to leave behind… And I will leave you with a quote of Charles Dickens which I don’t quite understand, but seems audibly suitable:

“One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind”

Plus, I just can’t believe it will be 2010 in two weeks time! It can’t be right, can it? Ten years ago I celebrated the new millenium in someone’s bedroom (the party we had looked forward to for a month was cancelled at the last minute, the three of us ended up getting shitfaced in a tiny room in north Holland), I remember looking into the mirror and asking myself where I would be in ten years time… It turns out to be Munich, and everything is different. I hadn’t yet travelled or studied or done anything of any significance at all, and I was about to break my heart very, very badly over some unworthy guy I would meet that very Spring. It was a completely different life. But if I think too much about time and how it passes I lose hold of the thread of life, so I’d best put an end to it…

After I came back from London last month, I discovered there would be an Art fest in Kafe Kult on the 13^th (blogs.myspace.com/kafekunstfest), and they very kindly let me exhibit some of my stuff at late notice. I spent the two weeks running up to it working on five pieces simultaneously (managed to finish three) and was a very spaced out, very happy participant on the day.

There was some absolutely fabulous artwork, fashion, performance, film, music, and really good food. They had an old typewriter set in a corner and a recorder for you to manifest your zeitgeist on, a DIY station with fabric, a sewing machine and everything else you need to fire away a thought bubble, a guy selling Friction subscriptions, which I understood to be a mixture between politics and fiction, an enormous barbapappa for you to hide behind when trying on whatever you fancied, and lots, lots more. Fantastic, I wish it would happen more often!

It does make me realise how incredibly fast the last few weeks have gone by, and in a few days I’ll be off to Holland and then Ireland. I’m starting to believe that maybe living in Germany is exiting after all, maybe things have changed for the better, and maybe I can spare myself looking into the mirror this year and asking where I’ll be in 2020. After all, we have to live in the now, not in the then…

I flew into London a few days ago at very short notice to attend the cast and crew screening of our independent feature film Uncut (www.uncutthemovie.com), and it seems that ever since I walked out the door last Wednesday I’ve been on the go. I simply haven’t had a second to myself and it’s been absolutely fantastic. The screening took place the evening after I arrived, at BAFTA in central London, and was great to see all the people we worked with over the past three years and enjoy the film on the big screen together. Drinks, talks, photos and goodbyes afterwards… when I crawled into bed in the early morning hours I simply felt too tired to sleep. The next day I met with the director to discuss our second feature and shot an interview in an alley of Soho for the Making Off. On Friday I had some work to do on my own short (www.babydolltheshort.co.uk) and spent the day in a small flat based in Central London with a lovely editor/musician who had offered to help solve some technical issues. That evening I again ended up in Soho, ate falafel at one of my favourite places (the Maoz) and drank a glass of wine in a small Irish pub where they claim to pour the Guinness the ‘real way’.

Today being my last day here, I packed up my stuff early morning and headed straight for Atlantis, a great big art supplies store where I like to hang around and pick out expensive brushes (all made in Germany, as I discovered to my dismay). I jumped on the tube, transferred, transferred again, and again… Apparently, due to some sort of reconstruction or other, numerous tube lines weren’t running, some were delayed, people everywhere, miles to walk through the underground tunnels and a bloody plane to catch that very afternoon. Before long I was cursing underneath my breath, ready to take my anger out on the personnel – who are definitely guilty by profession -, trying to keep a sane smile on my face whilst underneath it all I was most definitely losing it. I finally reached Aldgate after an hour’s delay and then ended up getting lost in Bricklane alleyways, searching for the recently relocated Atlantis store. My frustration peeked when standing in the middle of the road shouting “For fuck’s sake, where the freaking hell am I?!”. In London, where the trains don’t run, the postal services are permanently on strike, and nobody knows where anything is. Get with it, love.

Right, forgot about that. Despite everything though, I managed to reconnect with my longstanding love for London. Sharing the streets at night with the prostitutes of yesteryear, in their worn velvet leggings and fake furs. Talking to an Italian who runs a 24-hour chip shop, who told me to write a script about him and all the freaks he meets at night. Spending the day with a friend of a friend who offers to help you out on one of many creative projects. Meeting the eye of an arrogant Soho youngster who is way to cool to even waste his time ignoring you. Drinking a beer or a coffee or a tea in an old English pub, served to you by the Chinese owner. London is such a vibrant, antagonistic, lively shit hole bursting with dreams of hopes and losses, forever building up what it’s breaking down. It feels more like my home than any other home I’ve ever known, and in a way I’m sad to leave. I don’t know what it is with this stinking, overcrowded city which makes me want to run and stay at the same time, but I do know that I’ll feel at peace when I walk through the quiet streets of suburban Munich. I suppose it’s better to move than to feel like you’re standing still. So I better get on that plane now before I miss out. Back to Germany and on to better times, hopefully…

In my first week I dared to exit the local Lidl by sneaking through the sensor gate in opposite direction, only to be publicly embarrassed by a mechanical voice shouting “ACHTUNG, kein Ausgang! ACHTUNG, kein Ausgang!”. Lovely stuff, they should have brought out the waterpistols. Naturally I tried to exit the store as if nothing had happened, hoping I would be able to restore my crushed confidence and inwardly shaking with fear of a reprisal. I’ve learnt my lesson, you won’t see me jumping the gates again. In the meanwhile I’ve also familiarised myself with the loonies inevitably found in every Aldi. They are the granny-trolley bearers of the budget aisles, the flaxen haired, grey skinned children’s nightmare-neighbours trotting about and muttering to themselves and asking you, of all people, where the hell the salt is whilst standing in the cookie section. By now, I’ve learnt to simply wipe off the segments of alien saliva and point to the nearest shelf-stacker. Sometimes I imagine it is the nature of Aldi itself that has driven these people to insanity, due to their forever changing lay-out and outlandish one-offs on kites, gel pack bicycle saddles and thermal underwear. Sort out your act, Aldi! All in all, my last visit to the V-Markt was the absolute pinnacle of supermarket insanity so far, as I observed two bewildered looking German men showing off their fake-tanned behinds in bright orange hot pants, whilst shaking their long blond hair from side to side. One off them even pulled down their panter-printed underpants to prove to an inquisitive 6-year old that he was not walking around in his underwear. I rest my case.

Luckily I had something to look forward to and take my mind off the disturbing realities unfolding themselves right before my very eyes. Namely… the chocolate confectionery workshop I took part in last Sunday. Applause! Yes, it was fantastic, and yes, within 30 minutes I found myself literally bathing in buckets of all-you-can-eat hot, melting chocolate. Ok, there were a few drawbacks, one being that we were grouped up with a couple and had to ‘teamwork’ with them during the first part of the workshop. Being natives they naturally spoke fluent German, which kind of gave them the upper hand, so we ended up with the male half telling us how to stir whilst being supervised by the female half. Eventually, through sheer group manipulation, we cleverly managed to ditch our team members and were free to commit gruesome sins in stir directions and alcohol quantities. I made chilli truffles, walnut truffles, tea truffles, pralines, nougat, even something called Nipples of Venus (unfortunately they’re not as good as they sound). At the end of the day all the chocolates were layed out on a big table for everyone to take their share. Our group members all stood in line kitted out with the full range of Tupperware finest, us not-so-well prepared foreigners were granted with plastic bags. I filled up five in total. So, in the next week I expect to gain a handsome stone or so as these homemade chocolates do have an expiry date on them… And yes, I will take orders.