Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Students Win at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
"A film that does not make it easy for its spectators, and a film that was not easy for the film-makers, either". The jury described their decision for the short film "Thirty-nine" with these words, for the documentary focuses on the eating disorder of a little sister, who stands centre-stage.
The title gives the first hint to the problem of the 15-year-old protagonist – reaching the ideal weight of 39 kilograms. And Patrick Richter and Jessy Asmus reveal in an impressive and almost merciless manner how earth-shattering that number can be to the life of an entire family.
Richter first made a film at home for a semester project. Encouraged by the instructor to work further on the substance of the story, he filmed the everyday life of his girlfriend's sister, who has an eating disorder, and her family for almost 9 months—a balancing act in many regards. "How far can one go when one as a film-maker finds his topic in an intimate environment, and when does one turn off the camera?" asked not only the jury members, but also the young film-maker.
Richter and Asmus avoided confronting the material for a good two years. It disappeared into a drawer, raw and uncut. When Patrick Richter got closer and closer to finishing his studies, the omens at home had changed so much that he ventured jointly with Jessy Asmus into the cutting room and made "a home video that pushed the boundaries of documentary film" (jury statement).
The film developed as a co-production of the Faculties of Media and Art and Design.
Patrick Richter was advised by Prof. Wolfgang Kissel and Dipl. -Mediengest. Olaf Nenninger (Faculty of Media). Jessy Asmus was advised by Dipl. -Des. Ulrike Mothes (Faculty of Art and Design) in an independent study.
Altogether 6,600 works were submitted this year over, 1428 of which were submitted for the German competition. The Oberhausen Short Film Festival is the oldest and most renowned festival for short- and experimental film and enjoys an outstanding international reputation. Numerous careers have found their beginnings in Oberhausen throughout the festival's long history. Directors such as Roman Polanski, Werner Herzog and Martin Scorsese showed there early works there.
Members of the jury of the German Competition:
Alice Koegel (Stuttgart), David Steinitz (Berlin), Dirk Schaefer (Berlin)