HANNE BOENISCH "JOURNEY TO THE NORTHPOLE" (GERMANY, 1971/72)
The Sratch Orchestra with a.o. Cornelius Cardew, Keith Rowe and John Tilbury
Script and directed by Hanne Boenisch
Produced by the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film, München.
Germany (Munich, Bavaria) 1971 / 72
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Got this documentary from John Tilbury on Wednesday, 29 April 2009 at the Gasteig in Munich, for the first time.
We had invited him for a concert / lecture. During his lecture excerpts of the film were shown.
Afterwards he gave us two or three copies of the DVDr. He added we should 'spread it'.*
Hanne Boenisch has died only some weeks before John Tilbury's concert in Munich.
Around 2015/6 I talked with a friend about this film. He asked wether he could watch and maybe even use it for his lectures at a Munich high school.
I readily agreed and promised him a copy of my copy. But - alas - I did not find the DVDr. After several attempts to locate it I gave up.
It seems I had lost the film during a relocation some months before.
Later that year my friend made some inquires at the BR (Bavarian broadcast) as to wether they would loan him the documentary.
But it was revelead to him that they discarded or destroyed the film!
To my delight I got it again some days ago.
And following Tilbury's idea about spreading this rare documentary I'll offer it here.
Additionally I would like to give the interested reader a link to an interview with John Tilbury. This conversation was conducted after his book "Cornelius Cardew - a life unfinished" was published.
It is a fitting companion to the documentary - of course to read the book would be even better.
(Beware ;-) this film is only for bi-lingual viewers.
Cardew is heard for the most part talking in German, which he does quite fluently.
But there's a good portion of English to be heard during the 45 minutes .
* it should be clear that it is my responsibility to post the film here - Mr. Tilbury never asked or even encouraged me to do so.