At the very beginning, Ulrich GREGOR (*1932) reads the beautiful poem KOMM MIT MIR IN DAS CINEMA / COME WITH ME TO THE CINEMA (1937) by Else LASKER-SCHÜLER. A wonderful start to an enlightening documentary!
Since the end of the 1950s at the latest, the couple Ulrich and Erika GREGOR (*1935) have been closely linked to cinema with an unshakable love and have become a formative institution in Berlin and all of Germany. It all started with the FRIENDS OF THE DEUTSCHE KINEMATHEK association and continued with the founding of their own cinema ARSENAL, which has become a model for art house cinemas all over Germany. From 1971 onwards, the really big step: The Gregors founded the FORUM DES INTERNATIONAL YOUNG FILMS, a very important section within the BERLINALE. Numerous interviews show how influential this lovely couple has become for film reception in German-speaking countries. ACADEMY AWARD nominee Wim WENDERS (2024 for PERFECT DAYS), Jim JARMUSCH, ACADEMY AWARD nominee Michael VERHOEVEN (1991 for THE NASTY GIRL), Doris DÖRRIE, EUROPEAN FILM AWARD winner (h.c.) Margarethe von TROTTA, Edgar REITZ, Helke SANDER, ACADEMY AWARD winner Volker SCHLÖNDORFF (1980 for DIE BLECHTROMMEL) and Jutta BRÜCKNER have their say. CINECITTA diva Senta BERGER acts as the narrator with her expressive voice.
Basically, the GREGORs' eventful lives reflect important aspects of German film history. It tells of the negative attitude towards "Papa's Cinema", which is seen as a seamless continuation of the Nazi film policy. There is talk of supposed progress and new beginnings after the Oberhausen Manifesto of 1962! But it is also about the discovery of new film worlds, which are being made known to a German audience for the first time in the Gregors' program. This later culminates in Hong Kong cinema and Bollywood films becoming popular in German-speaking countries through the FORUM at the BERLINALE.
A magical moment occurs when the camera witnesses a telephone conversation between the GREGORs and the Hungarian ACADEMY AWARD winner Istvan SZABO (1982 for MEPHISTO). This makes it noticeable what discoveries we film fans owe to cinema enthusiasts like Erika and Ulrich GREGOR.
This documentary creates a worthy monument to two upstanding champions of world cinema!
