Graphic designer Stephanie is in the middle of a creativity crisis. A time tunnel takes her back to the studio of artist John Heartfield. She embarks on an adventurous journey through his extraordinary life 100 years ago.
The German painter, graphic artist, photomontage artist and stage designer, John Heartfield, who was born in Berlin in 1891, was one of Europe's most important artists according to Bertold Brecht.
Rosa Luxemburg personally handed Heartfield, a Communist from the very beginning, the party's manifesto in 1918. George Grosz and Kurt Tucholsky were among his closest friends and artistic companions.
In protest against German warmongering, Heartfield anglicised his name. For the Nazis, the inventor of political photomontage soon became one of the most dangerous enemies of the state. He spent years on the run in Europe, and later failed to find a safe home even in socialist East Germany.
Plagued by a creativity crisis and self-doubt, graphic artist Stephanie becomes fascinated by John Heartfield's work, which she discovers in an exhibition. A time tunnel transposes her to a studio where the artist, now a cartoon character, takes her on a journey through his eventful life.
A close friendship develops between the two colleagues. And Stephanie starts to work with paper and scissors again.
Author & director & animation director: Katrin Rothe
DoP: Thomas Eirich-Schneider
Cast: Stephanie Stremler and Manuel Harder
Music: Micha Kaplan and Thomas Mävers
Editing: Hannes Starz and Katrin Rothe
Assistant director: Katharina Biro
Storyboard & Main Designs & Artwork: Lydia Günther, Tonina Matamalas, Caroline Hamann, Gyula Szabo
Design secondary characters: Konrad Weiße (D)/ Benjamin Swiczinsky (A)
Puppet fabrication & costume: Anne-Sophie Réamy, Werner Kernebeck, Lisa Sinram
Rud puppetry and voices: Michael Hatzius and Dorothee Carls
Animators: Lisa Neubauer, Lydia Günther, Jonathan Schwenk, Malte Stein, Mandy Müller (D)/ Amélie Cochet, Kerstin Zemp, Igor Kuzmic (CH)/ Wolf Matzl, Birgit Scholin, Rosanne Janssens (A)
Production manager: Bettina Morlock (D)/ Susanne Berger (A)/ Sereina Gabathuler (CH)
Editors: Rolf Bergmann (rbb), Carolin Mayer (rbb/Arte), Urs Augstburger (SRF), Gabriela Bloch Steinmann (SRF)
Producers: Gunter Hanfgarn, Andrea Ufer, Ralph Wieser, Sereina Gabathuler, Werner Schweizer
Production companies: HANFGARN & UFER, Mischief Films, Dschoint Ventschr
Funded by: BKM, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Filmförderungsanstalt, DFFF (D)/ Österreichisches Filminstitut, Fisa, Filmfonds Wien (A)/ BAK, Zürcher Filmstiftung, Studienbibliothek (CH)
TV stations: RBB, Arte, SRF
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T: +49 163 472 4111
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Filmproduktion
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D-10823 Berlin
T: +49-30-8485 5000
Mail: info@hu-film.de
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