AWARD OF THE 12TH WIM WENDERS GRANT
The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the Wim Wenders Foundation have jointly awarded the 12th Wim Wenders Grant. At the Philara Collection in Düsseldorf, six recipients were awarded prize money worth a total 100,000 euros. The grant enables them to independently realise their innovative project ideas and artistic visions, with which they aim to shape the future of cinematic storytelling. Wim Wenders himself decided on the awarding of the grants. He was supported in the evaluation of the projects and in the personal selection interviews by Filmstiftung Managing Director Walid Nakschbandi, Mirko Derpmann (Creative Director, Scholz & Friends Agenda) and Hella Wenders (filmmaker and co-managing director of the Wim Wenders Foundation).
Wim Wenders: “In its twelfth year, the jury committee for the Wim Wenders Grant of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW reviewed a total of 56 submissions from all over Germany, more than ever before. The range of projects was impressive again this year, both in terms of the wealth of topics and the willingness to break new ground in storytelling. What all six selected projects have in common is that their creators are pursuing something that will require a great deal of inventiveness. We are convinced that this work will be worthwhile.“
GRANT HOLDERS
‘Amica’ by Fitore Muzaqi (NRW/Cologne) Coming-of-age drama as a short-form mini-series
Fourteen-year-old Nora develops a friendship with the chatbot from the AMICA app, until she soon loses touch with reality and, motivated by the chatbot, commits increasingly extreme actions. With her mini-series, Fitore Muzaqi wants to spark a critical discussion about the effects of AI on mental health, social isolation and interpersonal relationships among young people.
‘A Million Monkeys Dream of Tigers’ by Arata Mori (Berlin) Poetic experimental documentary with thriller and crime elements
As part of Japan’s ‘lost generation’, the filmmaker wants to explore what would have become of him if he had not left Japan. Together with other people of his generation, Arata Mori creates alternative ‘selves’ through hypnosis and psychodrama. A real murder committed by a young film director of the lost generation prompts the filmmaker to make a film about it.
‚The Silence That Follows‘ by Ewan Waddell (Berlin) Experimental documentary
The film explores the innovative use of psychedelic-assisted trauma therapy in Ukraine and shows both the collective trauma and the healing process. As the war continues, veterans and civilians are trying out radical new treatment approaches using psychedelics. Using thermal imaging, night vision and infrared cameras, the film visualises trauma as an invisible frequency.
‘Vivre’ (working title) by Chiara Fleischhacker (Thuringia) Documentary biopic
Raymond Renaud, 101 years old, survived Buchenwald and looks back on his life with unwavering courage and love for humanity. In a documentary interweaving of the present and associative flashbacks, a portrait emerges of the power of memory, the beauty of simplicity and the courage to believe in the good despite everything.
‚Flowers from Erfurt‘ by Sonia Kennebeck (Hamburg) Fictional feature film inspired by true events
‘Flowers from Erfurt’ tells the story of three women, a mother and two daughters, and a family decision taken in East Berlin in 1982 that sets dramatic events in motion – with tragic consequences for the youngest daughter. The film focuses on relationships within the family against the backdrop of an overpowering authoritarian state. ‘Flowers from Erfurt’ deals with complex human emotions, the burden of memory and, ultimately, forgiveness.
‚Trabajadores invisibles – The Invisible Workers‘ (working title) by Jennifer Mallmann (NRW) Poetic documentary with animation
Under an ocean of plastic foil, female migrants in Andalusia work to provide fruit and vegetables for Europe. The film follows them in their everyday lives, between exhaustion, fear and quiet moments of dignity. The focus is on their voices, their perspectives, their experiences. The film gives space to what otherwise remains unheard and unseen. ‚Trabajadores invisibles‘ tells an observational and poetic story of systemic invisibility and asks how a system based on fear and silence can exist.
