Greetings from snow-bound Berlin. Instead of tearing through the Berlin winter running after the likes of Renee Zellweger I am doing what any sensible person would do in these circumstances - spending a lazy morning drinking excellent coffee chez Göttsching.Here's some news of what Ilona Ziok (Missus Manuel), my dear filmmaking friend, and Manuel are up to.
On Sunday at 5pm Ilona has the world premiere of her latest documentary - Fritz Bauer - Death by Instalmets. It's a blinder. I had a sneak preview. German State Attorney General Bauer devoted his life to rooting out the Nazis gone to ground in the political and legal system just after the war. He helped get Eichmann brought to Israellfor trial and had the honour of the "Valkyrie" plotters posthumously and officially restored. Strangely enough, he ended up dead in his bathtub with his arms folded peacefully across his chest... It's a wonderful but chilling documentary that leaves you with surges of impuissant anger against evil institutionalised on the system....Here's the website.
Then at 9pm they have organised a Carl Laemmle evening (that's him on the left). Laemmle founded Universal Studios and they are showing Hiawatha (1909) his first film with a soundtrack specially composed by Manuel. This soiree will take place at the famous ufa Fabrik, the birthplace of German cinema. For those of you who are in Berlin or roundabouts, you can find details here.
Many directors during the Nazi era left the ufa to go to... Hollywood!!!
Bisous from Berlin, FP.
