Absurdistan Germany / Azerbaijan
2008, 87min.
Prod.: Veit Helmer, Linda Kornemann, Script: Zaza Buadze, Veit Helmer, Gordan Mihic, Dir.: Veit Helmer, Dir. of Phot.: Giorgi Beridze, Compos.: Shigeru Umebayashi, Prod. Design.: Erwin Prib, Sound: Martin Frühmorgen, Immo Trümpelmann, Edit.: Vincent Assmann
Cast: Kristyna Malérová, Max Mauff, Nino Chkheidze, Ivane Ivantbelidze, Ani Amiridze, Ilko Stefanovski, Assun Planas, Otto Kuhnle, Hijran Nasirova, Hendrik Arnst, Olga Nefjodova, Adalet Zyadhanov, Matanat Atakishiyeva, Azelarab Kaghat, Michaela Bandi, Blagoja Spirkovski-Dzumerko, Dace Bonate, Elhan Guliyev, Julietta Koleva, Helder Costa, Monica Calle, Kazim Abdullayev, Firangiz Babyeva, László Németh, Sarah Bensoussan, Mubariz Alixanli, Khatuna Ioseliani, Nurradin Guliyev, Elena Spitsina, Radomil Uhlir, Suzana Petricevic, Rafiq Azimov, Nelli Cozaru, Vlasta Velisavljevic, Gisela Fritsch.
Somewhere between Asia and Europe lies the god-forsaken desert village of Absurdistan, which a total of 14 families somehow manage to call home. For the village, the biggest problem is water, but for the village women, the biggest problem is their lazy men, who won't lift a finger to remedy the situation. Here, the young Aya and Temelko, friends since birth, have reached the age where their friendship has turned to love. Unfortunately, the date that Aya's grandmother has determined to be ideal for their "first time" lies 4 years in the future, and to make matters worse, they must first bathe together…When Aya stubbornly tells Temelko that he must solve the water problem before he can come anywhere near her, the village women also take up the cry "No water, no sex", leaving the good-for-nothing men scratching their empty heads. Soon a crazy war of the sexes breaks out and they divide the town in half with barbed wire…
Awards
Best Production Design (Erwin Prib, German Film Awards, 2008); Special Award (Veit Helmer, Bavarian Film Awards, 2008).
Production Company
Veit Helmer-Filmproduktion
Address: Kastanienallee 55, 10119 Berlin, Germany
Tel.:+49 30 217 77 77
E-mail: veit.helmer@arcor.de
www.veithelmer.com
| Helmer, Veit Veit Helmer (born 1968, Hannover, Germany)
Writer-director-producer Veit Helmer shot his first film at the age of 14. He studied film at the Munich Film School HFF. Helmer became known for off beat short films. He co-wrote the film Brothers Skladanowsky directed by Wim Wenders, premiered in Venice 1997. His first feature film Tuvalu (2000), starring Denis Lavant had been invited to 62 festivals, including San Sebastian, London, Chicago, Berlin and Karlovy Vary. His second feature film Gate to Heaven, starring Miki Manojlovic and Udo Kier was released in 2003. His documentary Behind the Couch – Casting in Hollywood had its world premier at the FF Hof in 2005. He became member of the European Film Academy in 2002. He gives lectures at film schools in Beirut, Tbilisi, Djakarta, Tashkent and Bogota. Helmer lives in Berlin.
Filmography
Tour d'amour (1989), Close Enough to Touch (1992), The Window Cleaner (1993), Tour Eiffel (1994), Surprise! (1995), Tuvalu (1999), Gate to Heaven (2003), Hundeleben (2004), Boom (2005), Behind the Couch: Casting in Hollywood (2005), Absurdistan (2008).
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