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In Berlin und Umgebung sowie in Nebra entsteht derzeit der Thriller „Das dunkle Vermächtnis“, den MadeFor Film für die Ard produziert.

Felicitas Woll und Torben Liebrecht am Set von „Das dunkle Vermächtnis“ (Credit: Ard Degeto Film/MadeFor/Aki Pfeiffer)

Nach einem Drehbuch von Thomas Sieben inszeniert Ziska Riemann noch bis 22. Juli in Berlin und Umgebung sowie in Nebra den Thriller mit dem Arbeitstitel „Das dunkle Vermächtnis“.

Felicitas Woll spielt darin die Fotografin Kim Wenrich, die aus Hamburg in ihre Heimatstadt Nebra in Sachsen-Anhalt zurückkehrt. Ihr Vater Paul (Elmar Gutmann) steht im Verdacht, seinen ehemals besten Freund Arko (Walter Plathe), mit dem er vor vielen Jahren die „Himmelsscheibe von Nebra“ aus der Bronzezeit, die als die älteste bisher bekannte Himmelsdarstellung gilt, gefunden hatte, erstochen zu haben.

Um den Fall zu lösen, ist Kommissar Ritter (Torben Liebrecht) auf Kims Hilfe angewiesen. Von ihr erhofft er sich, zu erfahren, wie aus den beiden...

If you love watching movies about extremely unstable young women who are prone to acts of violence and self-destruction, you’re going to simply adore the three trailers embedded below. Instead of creating three separate articles for three movies that essentially share the same theme, I figured I’d simply lump all three together in one place for your collective viewing pleasure. Lisa Aschan’s “She Monkeys” tells the story of Emma and Cassandra, two girls who begin a tumultuous relationship, while Aldo Tardozzi’s “Spots” (aka “Fleke”) is about Lana and Irena, two girls who begin a tumultuous relationship. Ziska Riemann’s “Lollipop Monster”, meanwhile, chronicles the adventures of Ari and Oona, two girls who begin a tumultuous relationship. Thus, a themed post was born. All trailers have been embedded below. Source: Quiet Earth function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf?...

The Lollipop Monster Teaser Trailer. Ziska Riemann‘s Lollipop Monster (2011) teaser trailer stars Ziska Riemann, Jella Haase, Sarah Horvath, Nicolette Krebitz, and Sandra Borgmann. Lollipop Monster‘s plot synopsis: “Meet Ari and Oona, the two 15 year olds at the centre of Lollipop Monster. They both hail from dysfunctional families though they deal with problems very differently: Ari acts out for attention, sleeping with older men while Oona bottles up her feelings choosing to take out her anger with cutting. The two are opposites who find some sense of normalcy in their friendship until “something happens that threatens their friendship at its very roots.”

It should be interesting to see how the psychological issues of the two girls are explored, especially since its root is the same for the both of them. How will Ziska Riemann deal with Oona’s cutting, keeping her age in mind?

Watch the Lollipop Monster teaser...

Henry David, Sasson Gabai, Sarah Adler in Yossi Madmoni's Restoration Judi Dench, John Turturro, Goran Bregovic: Karlovy Vary 2011 Honorees Grand Prix – Crystal Globe Restoration / Boker Tov, Adon Fidelman Directed by: Yossi Madmoni Israel, 2010 Special Jury Prize Gypsy / Cigán Director: Martin Šulík Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011 Best Director Award Pascal Rabaté for the film Holidays by the Sea France, 2011 Best Actress Award Stine Fischer Christensen for her role in the film Cracks in the Shell / Die Unsichtbare Directed by: Christian Schwochow Germany, 2011 Best Actor Award David Morse for his role in the film Collaborator Directed by: Martin Donovan Canada, USA, 2010 Special Mention Ján Mizigár for his role in the film Gypsy / Cigán Directed by: Martin Šulík Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011 Jocelyn Pook for the music of the film Room 304 / Værelse 304 Directed by: Birgitte Stærmose Denmark, Croatia, 2011 East Of The West – Films In Competition East of the West Award...

So, you normally don't hear about what women are directing in horror, sci-fi, and fantasy? That's because other assholes don't write about it. Only this asshole does. And there's a lot of new films projects you'll want to check out, if you're a real fannerd.

Aside from German-language release Lollipop Monster by Franziska Riemann and Larysa Kondracki's thriller in mainstream theaters, The Whistleblower, there's a bunch of shit to check out this summer.

Also in theaters is director/writer Miranda July's fantasy film The Future (see our review) opening on August 5th, 2011. This is July's second feature as director, the first being Me and You and Everyone We Know, which everyone who loves arty movies said was amazing. There's a talking cat and romance and a goregous beauty to The Future. Watch the stunning trailer:

At the end of August, 2011, FrightFest UK in London is screening Emily Hagin's...

Ziska Riemann's new punk-rock teenage angst movie, called Lollipop Monster, is about two German girls, Ari and Oona, that rebel against their unhappy home lives and "hunt" through the "jungle" of the city.

Throughout the film, the girls listen to their favorite rock band, and its leader, the voodoo-ish "Baron," while the music acts as a backdrop to their imaginary hunting trips through the jungle.

I love this kind of post-trainspotting, rebel-girl, Ghost World kind of music-driven film, especially when (as in this one) there appears to be a violent and bloody ending. The director, Riemann, has a background in animation, so I'd expect some of that in the film, as well as lots of music - she makes her own and directs her own music videos. Check out the stunning photos which show the awesome colors and characters by which the girls are surrounded.

This film will be out in Germany August 25th,...

Another tale of girls causing trouble. A combination I can't get enough of. Meet Ari and Oona, the two 15 year olds at the centre of Lollipop Monster. They both hail from dysfunctional families though they deal with problems very differently: Ari acts out for attention, sleeping with older men while Oona bottles up her feelings choosing to take out her anger with cutting. The two are opposites who find some sense of normalcy in their friendship until "something happens that threatens their friendship at its very roots."

I have a soft spot for these troubled teen dramas though Ziska Riemann's debut appears to stray a little from the formula by incorporating some interesting visual styles including music videos and what appears to be amateur footage. Will be interesting to see how these fit into her story.

Trailer after the break.

Nader and Simin, a Separation and the other winners of the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival have been announced. The 61st Annual Berlin International Film Festival, often called the Berlinale, is “one of the world’s leading film festivals and most reputable media events.With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide. Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world.” The full listing of the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival winners is below.

Golden Bear for Best Film

Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader And Simin, A Separation) by Asghar Farhadi

Silver Bear – The Jury Grand Prix

A torinói ló (The Turin Horse) by Béla Tarr

Silver Bear – Best Director

Ulrich Köhler for Schlafkrankheit (Sleeping Sickness)

Silver Bear – Best Actress

to the actress-ensemble in Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader And Simin, A Separation) by Asghar Farhadi

Silver Bear – Best...