BERLIN BABYLON (2001)
World Premiere: International Berlin Filmfestival 2001
Cinema release: 27. September 2001
Director: Hubertus Siegert
„BERLIN BABYLON is a unique document of a very special era in Berlin.“
Meinhard von Gerkan, Architect
SUMMARY
The film BERLIN BABYLON tells the story of a city that wants to reclaim its destroyed structure with all its efforts and overcome the shadows of the past.
Berlin's situation was unique: in a time of upheaval, everything seemd open and possible. The builders set to work.
What should last? What will be demolished, what will be rebuilt? And who decides?
SOUNDTRACK
The film's soundtrack is by the Berlin band Einstürzende Neubauten. In the film, their music is woven into an interplay of classical music.
"Modernity and history collide in BERLIN BABYLON. And that should also be reflected in the music. The oldest piece of music in the film is by Beethoven, the youngest composer is Luigi Nono. And of course Wagner also features - how else can you tell the story of the Third Reich? And all this together with the Einstürzende Neubauten - the result is an incredible dynamic." (Hubertus Siegert)
MAKING OF THE FILM
It is a stroke of luck that director Hubertus Siegert found himself in the right places at the right time and captured what will never be seen again: A Berlin full of voids, scars and wounds of the past, which architects and politicians want to redesign, renew and finalise in the shortest possible time. The film shows decay and change, the horror of destruction and the fascination of reconstruction.
Siegert on the film: "I was interested in three perspectives. Firstly, the fascination of the sudden transition from one structural state of the city to another. The film tries to slow down this rapid epoch. Secondly, I was amazed by the Babylonian character of the whole Berlin endeavour. It seems to be a fable of civilisation since Babylon that at any time builders, master builders and construction workers, are ready to immediately fill a city centre perceived as empty with buildings of all dimensions. Thirdly, in the old-new Berlin there is a presence of German history in astonishing excesses, a sensitive aura that also includes unloved epochs such as the Nazi era or Communist East Germany, an aura that is considered completely useless and is therefore subject to the organising access of urban planning. You have to hurry to experience the city unvarnished before it is completely face lifted - and built over."
World premiere: Berlinale 2001, Opening film of Panorama Documentary
German cinema release (Piffl Medien): 27. September 2001
"Quoting Walter Benjamin's Angel of History (spoken by Angela Winkler), the camera, hovering calmly over the city, sees this activity as a ruined building of the future, as a Babylon that threatens to fail not at the hands of God, but because of its own history of conflict.“
Peter Beicken
Shooting at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz
Filming of inner-city underground railway construction
Architect Meinhard von Gerkan and the Berlin Mayor Eberhard Diepgen
Local Project developer Claus Bachmann
Sony Centre basement construction
The Reichstag right in the middle of nowhere
300 m above the ground refurbishing the Fernsehturm of the Communist era
The Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate
REVERBERATIONS TO THE FILM
„BERLIN BABYLON by Hubertus Siegert tells the most about Berlin at the turn of the millennium, and it will most likely be one of those documents that will be viewed with both fascination and dismay for a long time to come. From 1996 to 1999, Siegert documented the gigantic projects and observed the protagonists of the great construction fever, who were allowed to fail at the great task with a completely free hand: To give Berlin a new image.“
Berliner Morgenpost
„BERLIN BABYLON's subtle cynicism and documentary value will make it even more valuable. Future generations will be amazed at the audacity with which mediocre minds were able to put their seal of approval on this city.“
TIP
„Zitty-Topfilm! Das Berliner Bauwesen als Hort der Mittelmäßigkeit. Ein Panoptikum des Größenwahns, der Fehlplanungen und Eitelkeiten – eine beeindruckend gefilmte Dokumentation.“
Zitty
CREDITS
Written, directed and produced by: Hubertus Siegert
Camera: Ralf K. Dobrick, Thomas Plenert
Steadycam: Tilman Büttner
Editing:: Peter Przygodda, Anne Schnee
"The Angel of History": Angela Winkler
Original music: Einstürzende Neubauten, produced by E.N. and Boris Wilsdorf
Music consultant: Thomas Krinzinger
Assistant director: Ede Müller
Spacecam helicopter: Anton Klima
Production management: Nora Wischnat
Sound design: Alexander Saal, Daniel Dietenberger
Mixing enginee: Martin Schinz
Distribution and sales: S.U.M.O. Film
BERLIN BABYLON (2001)
World Premiere: International Berlin Filmfestival 2001
Cinema release: 27. September 2001
Director: Hubertus Siegert
„BERLIN BABYLON is a unique document of a very special era in Berlin.“
Meinhard von Gerkan, Architect
SUMMARY
The film BERLIN BABYLON tells the story of a city that wants to reclaim its destroyed structure with all its efforts and overcome the shadows of the past.
Berlin's situation was unique: in a time of upheaval, everything seemd open and possible. The builders set to work.
What should last? What will be demolished, what will be rebuilt? And who decides?
SOUNDTRACK
The film's soundtrack is by the Berlin band Einstürzende Neubauten. In the film, their music is woven into an interplay of classical music.
"Modernity and history collide in BERLIN BABYLON. And that should also be reflected in the music. The oldest piece of music in the film is by Beethoven, the youngest composer is Luigi Nono. And of course Wagner also features - how else can you tell the story of the Third Reich? And all this together with the Einstürzende Neubauten - the result is an incredible dynamic." (Hubertus Siegert)
MAKING OF THE FILM
It is a stroke of luck that director Hubertus Siegert found himself in the right places at the right time and captured what will never be seen again: A Berlin full of voids, scars and wounds of the past, which architects and politicians want to redesign, renew and finalise in the shortest possible time. The film shows decay and change, the horror of destruction and the fascination of reconstruction.
Siegert on the film: "I was interested in three perspectives. Firstly, the fascination of the sudden transition from one structural state of the city to another. The film tries to slow down this rapid epoch. Secondly, I was amazed by the Babylonian character of the whole Berlin endeavour. It seems to be a fable of civilisation since Babylon that at any time builders, master builders and construction workers, are ready to immediately fill a city centre perceived as empty with buildings of all dimensions. Thirdly, in the old-new Berlin there is a presence of German history in astonishing excesses, a sensitive aura that also includes unloved epochs such as the Nazi era or Communist East Germany, an aura that is considered completely useless and is therefore subject to the organising access of urban planning. You have to hurry to experience the city unvarnished before it is completely face lifted - and built over."
World premiere: Berlinale 2001, Opening film of Panorama Documentary
German cinema release (Piffl Medien): 27. September 2001
"Quoting Walter Benjamin's Angel of History (spoken by Angela Winkler), the camera, hovering calmly over the city, sees this activity as a ruined building of the future, as a Babylon that threatens to fail not at the hands of God, but because of its own history of conflict.“
Peter Beicken
Shooting at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz
Filming of inner-city underground railway construction
Architect Meinhard von Gerkan and the Berlin Mayor Eberhard Diepgen
Local Project developer Claus Bachmann
Sony Centre basement construction
The Reichstag right in the middle of nowhere
300 m above the ground refurbishing the Fernsehturm of the Communist era
The Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate
REVERBERATIONS TO THE FILM
„BERLIN BABYLON by Hubertus Siegert tells the most about Berlin at the turn of the millennium, and it will most likely be one of those documents that will be viewed with both fascination and dismay for a long time to come. From 1996 to 1999, Siegert documented the gigantic projects and observed the protagonists of the great construction fever, who were allowed to fail at the great task with a completely free hand: To give Berlin a new image.“
Berliner Morgenpost
„BERLIN BABYLON's subtle cynicism and documentary value will make it even more valuable. Future generations will be amazed at the audacity with which mediocre minds were able to put their seal of approval on this city.“
TIP
„Zitty-Topfilm! Das Berliner Bauwesen als Hort der Mittelmäßigkeit. Ein Panoptikum des Größenwahns, der Fehlplanungen und Eitelkeiten – eine beeindruckend gefilmte Dokumentation.“
Zitty
CREDITS
Written, directed and produced by: Hubertus Siegert
Camera: Ralf K. Dobrick, Thomas Plenert
Steadycam: Tilman Büttner
Editing:: Peter Przygodda, Anne Schnee
"The Angel of History": Angela Winkler
Original music: Einstürzende Neubauten, produced by E.N. and Boris Wilsdorf
Music consultant: Thomas Krinzinger
Assistant director: Ede Müller
Spacecam helicopter: Anton Klima
Production management: Nora Wischnat
Sound design: Alexander Saal, Daniel Dietenberger
Mixing enginee: Martin Schinz
Distribution and sales: S.U.M.O. Film
S.U.M.O. FILM
Marienstraße 27
D-10117 Berlin
office [at] sumofilm.de
SPICE FILM
Marienstraße 27
D-10117 Berlin
office [at] spicefilm.de
S.U.M.O. FILM
Marienstraße 27
D-10117 Berlin
office [at] sumofilm.de
SPICE FILM
Marienstraße 27
D-10117 Berlin
office [at] spicefilm.de