2011-01-21BM International Press Book

PRESS BOOK
Berlinale Forum 2011 Screening dates:
13.02.11 14:00 at CinemaxX6 (Press Screening)
15.02.11 21:30 at Delphi-Filmpalast (International Premiere)
17.02.11 15:00 Arsenal
18.02.11 19:15 Cinestar 8
20.02.11 11:00 Cinestar 8
Press dossier Brownian Movement © Circe Films Amsterdam 2010
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
logline
A couple is facing crisis after the woman has taken some of her male patients to a rented
apartment.
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
synopsis
At the hospital where she works, Charlotte (Sandra Hüller) carefully selects male patients
to have sex with in an apartment she has rented in town. The secret moments she
spends with a variety of unusual men, give Charlotte a fulfilment she cannot find in her
one-child marriage with Max. When Max finds out what Charlotte has been up to, their
marriage breaks down. Charlotte and Max desperately try to save their relationship. After
Charlotte has been evicted from her profession, the couple moves to India to start a new
life. But even her newborn twin babies cannot prevent Charlotte from longing for the
past, when she gave free reign to her passion inside.
Press dossier Brownian Movement © Circe Films Amsterdam 2010
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BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
director’s statement
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT is named after Robert Brown, who discovered the physical
phenomenon in 1827. It describes the random movement of, for instance, dust particles
in air that suddenly become visible if rays of sun shine into the room. The explanation of
motion like this is that extremely small particles undergo collisions with the many
molecules of the gas or fluid in which they are floating.
I see Brownian Movement as an existential principle. You do not always know why your
life takes a certain turn or suddenly goes off in a new direction. Could invisible forces be
bumping into you, making you take a new route? Maybe looking at them in another way
will reveal the things you cannot explain.
Brownian Movement investigates the power and the vulnerability of a relationship
between two lovers. The film is about intimacy in the sexual relationship between man
and woman. The film is also about acceptance, about love. The question is whether a
man and a woman actually can see one another for what they are. Whether they can
settle for this and whether they can resign themselves to the fact that they cannot share
everything.
a story in three parts
In the first part, action is pivotal. Action with empirical research as its goal. Charlotte
does scientific research in a teaching hospital. She works in a laboratory; she sees the
world through a microscope. At the same time, she does research into her sexual urges.
In an almost identical, uninvolved, scientific way. As an experiment. She looks at the
woman she is when she is with her husband and child. She looks at the woman she is in
her furnished apartment. She registers. She seeks neither conclusions nor explanations.
She does not judge; there is no morality. In the second part, contemplation takes over
from action. Action has stopped; a status quo exists. Silence after the storm. Both
Charlotte and Max try to realise what has happened. Therapy forces them to look closely
at things. Find words for them. Focus on a rational explanation, without the explanation
actually arising. Charlotte has stopped working and has to appear before a medical,
disciplinary tribunal. In the third part, forgiveness and acceptance are the themes. Life
goes on. How does life go on? Charlotte has become a mother again. They have moved
to India in connection with Max’s work. Now only details reveal Charlotte’s and Max’s
relationship. The question is whether they will be able to accept the other for what he or
she is.
The first part takes place within the modern life of the West. Charlotte and her husband
are expats. They are people living away from their direct origins, in the context of a
larger, connecting entity, the West. They are people with careers and money, working in
areas only accessible from a certain position of affluence. Scientific research, renovating
modern architecture, signs of historical awareness. The second part takes place in a
vacuum. Words get sufficient space to express themselves fully; but they become
contrived, are spoken in vain. The manipulability of a human being takes a central
position, as the means and the end. Finally, they have only themselves. What does this
mean? Together in the furnished apartment, the bankruptcy of a relationship, the
boundary. What then?
The third part is the sequel. What happens afterwards, if you don’t give up. Enhancing
visibility by isolating the elements from their natural surroundings. Two Western
foreigners in the overwhelming multiplicity of India. Colours, sounds, nature and culture
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interwoven. Can Charlotte and Max see each other more clearly for what they are in this
world?
I attempt to tell my stories by using archetypes, by exaggerating relevant details and by
abstraction. Only the absolutely necessary is shown, as minimally as possible. To make
everything as sharp and clear as can be for the observer: this is important; focus on this;
now the story is being born. Realism and naturalism are not the highest attainable
qualities here. They are important to the extent that the observer must be able to believe
and must feel convinced that he can trust the images. It is not the exceptional aspect of
the story that is really interesting, but the acuity with which it is rendered. The more
precise, the more clearly visible, the more useful for an observer seeing himself.
Reflected in another, he sees himself, how he differs, how he thinks differently, what he
thinks he is.
Nanouk Leopold, December 2010
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Biography director Nanouk Leopold
Nanouk Leopold (1968) studied at the Visual Arts Academy
in Rotterdam and at the Dutch Film & Television Academy in
Amsterdam. Her graduation film WEEKEND won the Tuschinski
Award at the Dutch Film Festival and the Kodak Prize at the
München Film Festival. Her feature film debut ÎLES FLOTTANTES
was selected for the Tiger Award Competition at IFF
Rotterdam 2001. In 2002 she made LA GRANDE GUERRE, a tvadaptation of a theatre play for AGAT Film/Arte. Leopold’s
second feature GUERNSEY was selected for the Quinzaine des
Réalisateurs in 2005; her next feature WOLFSBERGEN
premiered in 2007 at the Forum section in Berlin. BROWNIAN
MOVEMENT is her most recent film and was selected for IFF
Toronto in 2010 and again was part of the Forum selection of
the Berlinale in 2011. Her upcoming film IT’S ALL SO QUIET
(BOVEN IS HET STIL) is based on the internationally acclaimed
novel by Gerbrand Bakker. Filming will take place in the
winter of 2011/2012.
Filmography Nanouk Leopold
2010
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT. Feature, for Circe Films, 100 min. 35mm. Screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival 2010, Visions section. International Forum of New
Cinema, Berlinale 2011
2007
WOLFSBERGEN. Feature, for Circe Films, 93 min. 35mm. Won 2 Golden Calves at the
Netherlands Film Festival (best camera, best male actor in a supporting role). Winner
of the AudienceAward at the Festival du Cinéma Nordique, Rouen 2008. Winner of Jury
Award Teplice IFF
Screened at the International Forum of New Cinema, Berlinale 2007 (Special mention
Caligari Film Prize), Toronto International Film Festival 2007, Pusan International Film
Festival, International Women's Film Festival Dortmund, IndieLisboa - Lisbon
International Independent Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Durban International
Film Festival, Auckland and Wellinghton International Film Festival, Era Nowy
Horyzonty, Melbourne International Film Festival, Espoo Cine International Film
Festival, Copenhagen International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival,
London International Film Festival, Viennale Film Festival, Denver Film Festival,
Marrakech International film festival, Goteborg International film festival
2005
GUERNSEY. Feature, for Circe Films, 92 min. 35mm. Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Cannes 2005. Nominated for Golden Calf Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay,
Best Actress, Best Actor and for the Dutch Film Critics Award at the Netherlands Film
Festival Utrecht. Winner of Golden Calf Best Director, Best Actress, Dutch Film Critics
Award. Best Dutch Film of the Year
Screened at the Brussels Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Filmfest Hamburg,
Esonne European Film Festival, Pusan International Film Festival, Chicago International
Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, the Hamptons International Film Festival,
Denver Film Festival, Budapest Film Festival, Cairo/Alexandrie Film Festival, Women
with Vision International Film Festival, Mar del Plata Film Festival, Cleveland Film
Festival, Bucharest Film Festival, Sonoma Valley Film Society, Crossing Europe Linz,
European Film Festival, Poland, Alba Regia winner of the Golden Orb), Museum of the
Moving Image New York, Yerevan, Facets Chicago, Melbourne, Edinburgh, Beiroet
2002
LA GRANDE GUERRE. TV-adaptation theatre play by Hotel Modern, for AGAT Film/Arte,
50 min.
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2000
ÎLES FLOTTANTES. Feature, for Circe Films, 85 min. 35mm. Selected for the Tiger
Award Competition IFF Rotterdam 2001. Nominated Prize of the Film Critics 2001,
Utrecht. Prize City of Utrecht 2001. J. Jordaan Award from Art Foundation of
Amsterdam (2002)
Screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary International Film
Festival, Flanders International Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Berge
International Film Festival, Kiev International Film Festival, São Paulo International
Film Festival Mostra, Pusan International Film Festival, Stockholm International Film
Festival
1999
MAX LUPA. TV film, for VPRO television, 45 min., Beta sp shot on 16mm, fiction.
1998
WEEKEND. Graduation film, 16mm, 27 min. Tuschinski Award for best student film
Dutch Film Festival Utrecht. Kodak Award on Munich Film Festival. Bologna Student
Film Festival
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Filmography producer Stienette Bosklopper, Circe Films Amsterdam
2011
HEMEL, IN BETWEEN. Sacha Polak, feature, 90 min., delegate producer. Co-production
with Bella Cohen Films, VPRO Television, Jaleo Films (SP).
2011
DE JUEVES A DOMINGO. Dominga Sotamayor, feature, 90 min., co-producer. Coproduction with Forastero (CL), Cinestacion (CL), Umedia (FR)
2011
OUR GRAND DESPAIR. Seyfi Teoman, feature, 100 min., co-producer. Co-production with
Bulut Film (TU), unafilm (DE). Competition Berlinale 2011.
2010
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT. Nanouk Leopold, feature, 100 min., delegate producer. Coproduction with COIN Film (DE), Serendipity Film (BE), VPRO Television, world sales
Films Distribution. Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival 2010, Visions
section. International Forum of New Cinema, Berlinale 2011
2010
HET HEMELSE LEVEN OP AARDE. Jesse de Jong, experimental film, 80 min., delegate
producer. Co-production with JESSEFILMS. Bright Future, IFF Rotterdam 2010
2009
FACE. Tsai Ming-Liang, feature, 138 min., co-producer. Co-production with JBA
Production (FR), Homegreen Films (TW), Le Musée du Louvre, ARTE France Cinéma,
Tarantula (BE) world sales Fortissimo Film. Official Competition Cannes 2009
2009
RUTA DEL JACA. Kris Kristinsson, feature 72 min., delegate producer. Co-production with
Kristinsson Film. Screened at the Netherlands Film Festival 2009
2009
THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD. Radu Jude, feature, 90 min., co-producer. Coproduction with Hi-film (RO), world sales Films Boutique. Forum, Berlinale 2009, Winner
Cicea Prize. FIPRESCI Award Sofia IFF & IndieLisboa
2008
CALIMUCHO. Eugenie Jansen, feature, 93 min., producer. Co-production with HUMAN
Television, world sales Fortissimo Film. Dutch Film Critics Award at the Netherlands Film
Festival 2008. Forum, Berlinale 2009
2008
NOWHERE MAN. Patrice Toye, feature, 90 min, co-producer. Co-production with La Parti
(BE), Friland (NO), world sales Funny Balloon. Venice Days, Montréal IFF
2007
WOLFSBERGEN. Nanouk Leopold, feature, 93 min., producer. Co-production with
Cosmokino (BE), VPRO Television. World sales Films Distribution. Forum, Berlinale 2007,
Special Mention Caligari Film Award, Toronto IFF 2007, 6 nominations and winner of 2
Golden Calves at the Netherlands Film Festival 2007 (best camera, best male actor in a
supporting role). Winner of the Audience Award at the Festival du Cinéma Nordique,
Rouen 2008, Winner of Jury Award Teplice IFF.
2005
GUERNSEY. Nanouk Leopold, feature, 92 min., producer. Co-production with Cosmokino
(BE), VPRO Television. Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, Cannes 2005. Winner of 2 Golden
Calves (Best Director, Best Actress), “Best Dutch Film of the Year”, Dutch Film Critics
Award at the Netherlands Film Festival 2005. Best Film Alba Regia Festival.
2000
ÎLES FLOTTANTES. Nanouk Leopold, feature, 85 min., producer. Co-production with
Motel Films the Netherlands, VPRO Television. Tiger Award Competition IFF Rotterdam
2001, Nominated Prize of the Film Critics 2001, Utrecht, Prize of the City of Utrecht 2001,
J. Jordaan Award from Art Foundation of Amsterdam 2002.
1998
ONE MAN AND HIS DOG. Annette Apon, feature, 87 min., producer. Co-production with
NPS Television. Opening Film Festival du Nordique, Prize Best Actor Ramsey Nasr (Silver
Dolphin) Troia.
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Short resumes cast
Sandra Hüller was born in 1978 in Suhl (Germany). She graduated in 2000
from the School of Dramatic Arts “Ernst Busch” in Berlin. In 2006 she became
well-known through her portrayal of ‘Michaela’ in Hans Christian Schmids’,
REQUIEM. For her filmdebut, she won the Silver Bear in 2006 and was nominated
for best European actress at the EFA’s. Roles in MADONNEN van Maria Speth and
ANONYMA van Max Farberbock followed. In 2010 she was proclaimed
‘Schauspielerin des Jahres’ for her rol in Parzival (Schauspiel Hannover) and
Virgin Queen (Berliner Volksbühne). She plays the lead role in ÜBER UNS DAS ALL
(Jan Schomburg), which is selected for the Panorama section of the Berlinale. In
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT by Nanouk Leopold she plays the lead character, Charlotte.
Dragan Bakema was born in 1980 in Appelscha. In 2005 he graduated from
the theater school in Arnhem and left for New York soon thereafter. He followed
courses at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Many big
theater productions followed, like NAAR DAMASCUS with Toneelgroep Amsterdam
(directed by Piere Audi), PLATANOV (Alize Zandwijk) and RICHARD DE DERDE
(Andreas Kriegeburg). He played in several short and feature-length films. In
2003 he was awarded the Best Talent Award for his role in LOVERBOY by Lodewijk
Crijns. For his roles in ZWARTE ZWANEN (Colette Bothof, 2005) and HUNTING EN ZN.
(Sander Burger, 2010) he was nominated for a Golden Calve at the Netherlands
Film Festival. Recently he played in drama series DE TROON and IN THERAPIE.
Besides acting he has written the screenplay for OLIVIER ETC and HUNTING EN ZN.
together with Sander Burger. In Brownian Movement he plays the male lead
character, Max.
Short cv crew
Frank van den Eeden (BE) was director of photography in BROWNIAN MOVEMENT and is currently
working on L’ENVAHISSEUR (Nicolas Provost). He was also DoP of UNSPOKEN (Fien Troch, 2008) and
DOSSIER K. (Jan Verheyen, 2009).
Elsje de Bruijn (NL) did production design in GUERNSEY, WOLFSBERGEN and BROWNIAN MOVEMENT by
Nanouk Leopold. She has just finished HEMEL, IN BETWEEN by Sacha Polak (Circe Films). Earlier she
did production design in TBS (Pieter Kuijpers, 2008), LEPEL (Willem vd Sande Bakhuyzen, 2004) and
ERIK EN HET KLEIN INSEKTENBOEK (Gidi van Liempt, 2004).
Katharina Wartena (F) has edited all films made by Nanouk Leopold. She studied at the
Netherlands Film- and Television Academy and earlier worked on documentaries by Klaartje
Quirijns. She also edited SLEEPING SICKNESS (Ulrich Köhler,2011) which will screen in Competition
at the Berlinale.
Harry de Wit (NL) is known as a composer/performer and designer of electro-acoustic
instruments. He works together with Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Het Zuidelijk Toneel, the Nationale
Toneel. Choreographers De Wit collaborated with are Hans van Manen, Ton Lugterink, Beppie
Blankert, Pauline Daniëls, Laurie Booth, Lucinda Childs, Ted Brandsen, Shusaku Takeuchi, Giorgio
Barbario Corsetti en Steve Paxton. Harry de Wit also did sound-design for ÎLES FLOTTANTES, BROWNIAN
MOVEMENT and several other feature-length films and documentaries.
Andreas Hildebrandt (DE) did sound-design in BROWNIAN MOVEMENT. Earlier films are SOUL KITCHEN
(Fatih Akin, 2009), AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE (Fatih Akin, 2007), DIE UNERZOGENEN (Pia Marais, 2007)
and several others.
Ulrike Scharfschwerdt (DE) did costume-design in BROWNIAN MOVEMENT. Earlier work includes DIE
BESUCHERIN (Lola Randl, 2008) and the tv-show BLOCH (2007-2009).
Herbert Schwering (COIN Film, DE) produced DIE BESUCHERIN (Lola Randl, 2008), DAS WEIßE
RAUSCHEN (Hans Weingartner, 2001), CRASH TEST DUMMIES (Jörg Kalt, 2005) and LOVE AND OTHER
CRIMES (Stefan Arsenijevic, 2008). He currently works on DIE ERFINDUNG DER LIEBE (Lola Randl).
Press dossier Brownian Movement © Circe Films Amsterdam 2010
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Ellen de Waele (Serendipity Films, BE) co-produced NADINE by Erik de Bruyn, DE VLIEGENIERSTER VAN
KAZBEK by Ineke Smits and BROWNIAN MOVEMENT. She produces documentaries and short films. In
2011 Circe Films will co-produce her film 82 DAYS IN APRIL by Bart van den Bempt.
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BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
Key cast & crew
Cast
Sandra Hüller
Dragan Bakema
Charlotte
Max
Crew
Director and screenplay
Cinematography
Producer
Co-producers
Production Design
Montage
Original Music
Sound Design
Casting
Costume Design
Make up
Line Producer
Production Supervisor
Controller
Nanouk Leopold
Frank van den Eeden SBC
Stienette Bosklopper
Herbert Schwering
Ellen de Waele
Elsje de Bruijn
Katharina Wartena
Harry de Wit
Andreas Hildebrandt BVFT
Shaheen Baig
Ulrike Scharfschwerdt
Monika Münnich
Lisette Kelder
Ilse Ronteltap
Frank Klein
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT is a coproduction between Circe Films, Coin Film, Serendipity Films,
Bella Cohen Films and VPRO Television. The production is supported by the Dutch Film
Fund, Eurimages, Filmstiftung NRW, Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Deutscher
Filmförderfond, CoBO-Fund, Rotterdam Media Fund, MEDIA Programme of the European
Union, 3 SAT/ZDF. World sales by Films Distribution in Paris.
Technical specifications
Genre
Language
Subtitles
Running time
minutes at 25 fps
Aktes
Format
TV format
Distributor the Netherlands
Distributor Germany
World Sales
Drama
English, French
partly, English
100 minutes at 24fps
World premiere
International premiere
10 September 2010 IFF Toronto
13 February 2011 IFF Berlin
96
6
35mm Cinemascope, Dolby Digital
2.35-1 (op 16:9)
Cinéart
Filmlichter
Films Distribution
Press dossier Brownian Movement © Circe Films Amsterdam 2010
10
BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
Address producer
Circe Films BV
O.Z. Achterburgwal 77
1012 DC Amsterdam
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)20-6253591
F +31 (0)20-6250025
E [email protected]
www.circe.nl
Distributor Benelux
Cinéart Nederland B.V.
Herengracht 328-III
1016 CE Amsterdam
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)20-5308848
F +31 (0)20-5308849
E [email protected]
www.cineart.nl
Distributor Germany
Filmlichter
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 7-9
Cologne 50672
Germany
T +49 (0)221-12094887
F +49 (0)221-12094893
www.filmlichter.de
[email protected]
World Sales
Films Distribution
34 Rue Louvre
75001 Paris
France
T +33 153-103399
F +33 153-103398
E [email protected]
www.filmsdistribution.com
Press Agent
Petra Schwuchow
Limelight PR GbR
10963 Berlin
T +49 (0)30-263969811
F +49 (0)30-263969877
E [email protected]
www.limelight-pr.de
Press dossier Brownian Movement © Circe Films Amsterdam 2010
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BROWNIAN MOVEMENT
Sandra Hüller
Nanouk Leopold
Dragan Bakema
Stienette Bosklopper
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