God Bless Iceland (2009)

God Bless Iceland (58' & 70' & 100') was written by Titti Johnson and Helgi Felixson, the latter of whom also directed. A ma.ja.de. production made in co-production with Felixfilm (SE), Irisfilm (IS), SVT (SE), RUV (IS), and NDR; and in association with arte, YLE (FI) DRTV (DK) and TV2 (NO). Supported by the Nordic Film & TV Fond and IcelandicFilm Centre.
Under its original working title, "Point of No Return", I translated and/or corrected a few funding applications for this documentary, and later I also translated some of the voice-over commentary. (Please note, I did NOT do the subtitles; had I, they would've been cleaner and with fewer mistakes.)
Deckert Distribution, which distributes the documentary, gives the following summary: "The financial crisis has hit the core existence of no other country as hard as the small nation of Iceland: A country, that in the last years has been one of the most prosperous nations in the world, suddenly becomes a metaphor for the global crisis and a proof for the uncontrollability of raging turbo-capitalism.
"In the last months the world is shown a series of dramatic pictures: Outraged demonstrators in the centre of Reykjavik, finally the resignation of leaders in banks and government as well as the election in May 2009.

"God Bless Iceland tells the story of the financial crisis in Iceland, diving into the very real and daily confrontations of the calamity, which undermined not only the economy of Iceland but the very identity of the small island nation as well."

Trailer:

GOD BLESS ICELAND (2009) from ma.ja.de. on Vimeo.

Midsummer Night's Tango (2013)

Made in co-production with Illume Ltd. (Finland), Gema Films (Argentina), SF and 3sat, with the support of the MEDIA Progamme of the European Union, and funding by Filmförderungsanstalt – FFA, Mediaboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Finnish Film Foundation, and the Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales.

English Trailer:
 
Midsummer Night's Tango_Trailer from gebrueder beetz filmproduktion on Vimeo. 

Written and directed by Viviane Blumenschein. 
I translated two or three different treatment versions to this documentary cum road movie in 2011, when its working title was Cheek to Cheek – An Argentinean Discovers Finnish Tango / Wange an Wange – Ein Argentinier entdeckt den finnischen Tango.

The description of the final version, Midsummer Night's Tango, as found on Gebrueder Beetz: "Finns have a quirky sense of humour – and are a bit shy. But: Tango is THE folk music of the Finns. The documentary discovers the Finnish tango from the viewpoint of the singer Chino Laborde, the guitarist Diego 'DIPI' Kvitko and the bandoneonist Pablo Greco. The three Argentine musicians travel to Finland to find out whether Aki Kaurismäki is telling the truth when he asserts that tango music was invented in Finland."
Actually, "Argentinean tango" is a misnomer in the first place, as tango arose simultaneously on both sides of the Rio de la Plate in the lower income areas of Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, towards the end of the 19th century. 

For your listening pleasure,

the most famous "Argentinean tango" ever written: 

La Cumparsita, composed in 1916 by

the Uruguayan Gerardo Matos Rodríguez:

LOUISE NEVELSON – Creativity shaped my life

(ISBN-10: 3925782826, ISBN-13: 978-3925782824)

DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt, published this catalog to accompany their career review of the great American sculptor Louise Nevelson. The show ran from 5 June - 6 September 2014. The 120-page, bilingual (German and English) catalog included an introduction by Peter Femfert and texts by Louise Nevelson; Bruno Corà, the director of the Cassino Museo Arte Contemporanea; Dr. Christoph Grunenberg, the director of the Kunsthalle Bremen; Dr. Andrea Stoll; and Damiano Femfert.

The full piece: Untitled, 1982 (Photo: Die Galerie, Frankfurt)

The on-line journal Articulating had the following to say about the artist and show: "The work of American artist Louise Nevelson, one of the most significant sculptresses* of the 20th century, has left an indelible mark on the history of art. Despite the multitude of influences that shine through her art, Nevelson's work defies any specific art historical categorisation. The exhibition LOUISE NEVELSON - Creativity shaped my life in Frankfurt's DIE GALERIE is a retrospective journey of the artist's work in all its essential facets. [...]"

*I can't help but wonder: Does one really still refer to women sculptors as sculptresses? Most women I know would claim otherwise. What's your opinion?

Jew by Choice (2007)

(52 min., a documentary by David Bernet and Robert Ralston in co-production with Idan Regev Productions, WDR/arte, and The Second Authority [Israel]; a Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion.) 
Way back in 2006, I did a treatment for this documentary.

The synopsis, as found at Swiss Films: "It is difficult to say exactly what comprises a Jewish identity. It is even more difficult when Germans convert to Judaism. The documentary gently reveals the profound ambivalence that German converts face in making their decision. The portrayal of three protagonists, each in different phases of their lengthy process. Jew by Choice navigates the delicate zone of the German-Jewish relationship. For those on the outside, an almost incomprehensible emotional journey in search of security."

Jew by Choice from gebrueder beetz filmproduktion on Vimeo.

Six years later in 2012 I ended up doing the subtitles to Robert Ralston's Swiss feature-length TV movie, Ruhestörung / Vater, unser Willegeschehe (2011).

The Seamstresses / Die Näherinnen (2010)

(Documentary film, 26 min., by Biljana Garvanlieva, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Berlin)

Just to get an idea of how long some films are in production: I translated a treatment of this award-winning documentary for Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Berlin way back in 2007, three full years before it was finally released.

Doc Alliance offers the following summary of the short: "Eriela, Beti and Vesna are seamstresses in the small town of Stip. If they wanted to afford one of their handmade blouses, it would cost them a month's salary. While the women are fully employed, their men are less fortunate and find themselves unemployed after the collapse of communism. A situation with a lot of potential conflict for the couples. The men find it hard to be dependent financially on their women, when they used to proudly provide for the family. Alongside the textile industry, the film tells the parable of the children of Macedonia after the collapse of communism and takes a look behind the curtains of globalization."

Trailer:

Trailer - THE SEAMSTRESSES / DIE NÄHERINNEN / SHIVACKITE from Manuel Zimmer on Vimeo.

The Importance of Grammar, Part III

Bury My Heart in Dresden / Begrabt mein Herz in Dresden (2012)

(Documentary film, 90 min, written & directed by Bettina Renner, produced by ma.ja.de.filmproduktions)

In 2010, I translated a short treatment to this documentary film on the Lakota Sioux Edward Two Two (1851 to 27 July 1914), who lies buried in the Neue Katholische Friedhof (New Catholic Cemetery) in Dresden.

The film was screened in Vancouver, among other places, where on 9 May 2013 Yolande Cole wrote the following in The Georgia Straight:

"The documentary  Bury My Heart in Dresden provides a captivating look at the Lakota Sioux people of South Dakota. [...] Today, the community deals with issues including alcoholism and violence. In one scene, a police officer for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation refers to the 'cultural genocide' that he says has left the community with just this remote stretch of land. [...] In contrast to the current life of the Lakota people is the depiction of the late Lakota Sioux man Edward Two Two. Two Two was employed to join a 'human zoo' in Hamburg, Germany, to portray the traditional way of life of the Lakota people as part of a 'Wild West' show. He died and was buried in Dresden in 1914. By switching between interviews with current residents of Pine Ridge reservation and the historical accounts of Two Two, a compelling story emerges of a man who felt more at home in a country where his traditional culture was romanticized, than the 'conquered home' of his ancestors."