Timeline & Milestones 1965 Super 8 format is launched 1966 280.000 S8 cameras sold in West-Germany 1968 First mention of Super-8 films publicly shown in Germany: Februar 1968, at Festival „Hamburger Filmschau“ In May 1968 film director Edgar Reitz writes in magazine Film about his work with S8 1969 Filmemacher Cooperative in Hamburg produces S8 films (Klaus Wyborny, Hellmuth Costard, Kurt Rosenthal a.o.) 1970 Title issue of the most important german periodical of the time, Filmkritik (München): „Alles über Super 8“ with contributions by filmmakers Alf Brustellin, Vlado Kristl, Edgar Reitz, Ula Stöckl, Gretl Brand, Hellmut Haffner, Rainer Ostendorf ... (by the way: the Hamburg group is not represented = german regionalism) Some interesting arguments for S8 in this publication: - the loss of authority by filming with the small S8 camera (rather with a ‚big’ 16mm or TV camera) is a benefit because film and filmmaker gain authenticity - Super-8 debunks/unmasks the manipulative character of cinema - S8 is a medium of enlightenment, that is able to reflect reality faster, better and more precise comment: these are professional filmmakers, therefore they have different motivations and reasons to use S8 (for ex. mobility rather than cost and easy access) – unlike the non-professional young filmmakers without film education, which later grabbed their father’s camera and which we identify as the S8 movement; The above mentioned filmmakers are directors, who are part of the „New German Cinema“. However, they backed out of S-8 soon – because of the technical problems, especially with synch sound (some ‚modding’ was tried, but not very successful). Also: it coincides with the arrival of public film funding in the wake of the Oberhausen Manifesto (‚Papa’s Kino is dead“) and there was no economic reason for using a small gauge. Further directors using S8 at that time were: Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders ... 1972 1,6 million S8 cameras in german households / 11 mio S8 cassettes sold in West-Germany 1973 Only Alf Brustellin und Edgar Reitz continue and organize Super-8-Evenings in Munich pubs. In November 1973 they present S8-films by Agnes Varda, William Klein, Chris Marker und Michel Polac in the Paris cinema „Le Ranelagh“ 1971-1976 While New German Cinema was finally succeeding – there is a noteful ‚gap’ in S8 filmmaking. Until the next generation (people born in the late 50s and in the 60s) became active. 1976 Berlin Filmmakers Cooperative „Das andere Kino“ founded among others by Rainer Lutter, who was part of „Filmwerkschau“ and later participated in „Gegenlicht“ AG kommunale Filmarbeit (national association of Kommunale Kinos / public, nonprofit cinemas) + Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek discuss and organize S8 screenings Foundation of Open-Air-Filmfest Weiterstadt (first S8-Festival in Germany) late ’70s/early ’80s – a new (or second) wave of S8 filmmaking in Germany After the RAF (german terrorist movement) years of stagnation, paranoia and paralysis in the ’70s: Politicization of S8 filmmaking activities in the wake of change in society – following the concept of ‚Gegenöffentlichkeit’ (Alexander Kluge) Gegenöffentlichkeit is hard to translate: counter information’, a true public media sphere (opposed to official media, like television, private print media); counter culture, alternative culture (opposed to mainstream/entertainment culture, culture industry and their institutions) Super 8 fit perfectly in this philosophy, because it provided access to filmmaking and put media in the hands of the people In this time and out of that context independent S8 filmmaking started in Germany: young people without film education, but with ambitions to reach a public with their films in differently defined, democratic participatory media and cinema culture ... the motives and motivations are as wide as the term media culture - counter culture. It could mean (among other things) such diverse intentions as: no more films following the ‚grande ecriture’, no more narrative films / non-glossy films / anti-TV / anti-art / anti-institutional / anti-state / anti-state communism (East-Germany) / just for fun / parties and free beer for everybody / free housing / loud music / industrial music / graffiti / street culture / grassroots politics / spontaneity / participating in social movements (for peace / anti-nuclear) or the opposite: not participating in social movements, political parties or associations (not even a S8 federation;-) 1977 Founding of the initiative „Filmwerkschau“ (with regional branches in south and north-west Germany as well as Berlin), comment: partly as cutting the cord and breaking away from the (huge) german federation of amateur filmmaking () 1978 Foundation of S8 Filmfestival „Experi & Nixperi“, Bonn Organizers: local S8 film group (Frank Zander) and „Kino in der Brotfabrik“ (non-profit cinema in a cultural center, headed by Stefan Drößler (today director of Filmmuseum München) ps. I cooperated with Stefan D. in the very first independent feature length S8 program for distribution, financed by the student union of Bonn University 1979 - „Filmwerkschau“ launches the first german S8-film distribution catalogue - nationwide meetings of various S8 filmgroups comment: a network of about 200 independent S8 filmmakers from all regions (there were groups or individual in almost every city) 1980 3 million S8-Cameras in german households / 19 million S8 cassettes sold (in all Europe 50 million) comment: this explains why there have been so many S8 filmmakers in Germany and why independent filmmaking with S8 was so strong in Germany compared to other counties worldwide (next in Europe: UK, France, Netherlands or maybe Italy and Spain) 1980 (until 1985) GEGENLICHT was founded as the distribution branch of S8 filmgroups and individual filmmakers in West-Germany and Berlin – many of them related to „Filmwerkschau“ + film groups in the ecological, peace and anti-nuclear movements (strong in Hamburg and the Ruhr District) + individuals from metropole music and arts scenes (New Wave etc.) A printed distribution catalogue was published and an office opened in Berlin comment: most of the films are documentary shorts (up to 40 mins) about political events: squatters in Berlin / anti-nuclear demonstrations („battlefield films“) / ecological issues; some animation films, some narrative fiction + undefinable film forms (socalled experimental) ... ... a problem, which was not really discussed or reflected upon was that there were only a few cinemas renting these films; most rentals/locations were from befriended groups for informal screenings/venues ps. „Super 8 cinema without cinema“ is an issue for all types of S-8 films (amateur or not). The industry, which pushed S8, only cared about projectors and roll-up screens for living rooms;-) and for cinemas it was not profitable. The latter is a common problem with all short films (including 16mm, 35mm, video or DCP) – they are usually only screened in festivals. That’s why there are so many short film festivals (almost 100 in Germany today). 1981 Exhibition „Die neuen Wilden aus Berlin“ in Luzern (CH) with S8 filmmakers Yana Yo, Christoph Doering, Knut Hoffmeister, Wolfgang Müller ("Die tödliche Doris") comment: „neue Wilde“ is the art market label for a new wave of artists (mostly painters) Foundation of festival „Osnabrücker Experimentalfilm-Workshop“ (later and until now: „European Media Art Festival“) by students of Prof. Ingo Petzke (experimental filmmaker) Foundation of „Koordinationsbüro der 8mm-Filmemacher“ (KOB 8) Beginning of the newsletter KOB-Info (4-8 pages each issue, ‘hand-made’ and photocopied) later: KOB 8 curated S8-programs internationally + distribution of S8 films (since the mid 90s also video) S8 festival Berlin: "Alle Macht der Super 8" (‚interfilm 0’) with films by Blixa Bargeld, Roza Spak, Christoph Doering, Yana Yo, Sascha von Oertzen, Andy Unruh, Rosa von Praunheim and Tabea Blumenschein, as well as music and art events in various locations comment: most of the films come from West-Berlin, West-Germany, Austria, Danmark, Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. Spain and the USA are also represent Organizers: Gib-8-Kino, Gegenlicht, U.V.A. 1982 S8 festival Berlin: „interfilm 1“ ... including a retrospective of Marielouise Aleman (Argentine) 1983 interfilm 2 "Film statt Berlin" among others films by Uli Versum, Gérard Courant, Christoph Janetzko ... Organizers: Gegenlicht + Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek (Arsenal) comment: after intermissions „interfilm“ reappeared, organised by a slightly different group of people, mostly related to the cinema „Eiszeit“ 1983/84 Release of film „Die Mission – Film vom Frieden und seinem Krieg“, S8, 101 min, col, sound Directed by Jochen Baier, Günter Borrmann; Script: Jochen Baier, Günter Borrmann, Norbert Kerkhey Camera: 14 teams from all over Germany Distributor: Gegenlicht Ruhr District branch/office Essay film (partly documentary, partly fiction). At the center of the film is the NATO Summit in Bonn 1982 (with R. Reagan) and a demonstration with about 600.000 people – the documentation of the events is embedded in a discourse about war and peace ... one of the very few feature length S8-films in Germany 1984 George Orwell;-) Major filmgroups: U.V.A (Berlin), Oyko (Berlin), Die Anarchistische Gummizelle (AGZ) (Düsseldorf), Uli Sappok, Bertram Jesdinsky and others Schmelzdahin (Bonn), Jürgen Reble, Jochen Lempert, Jochen Müller Notorische Reflexe (Berlin), Christoph Doering, Knut Hoffmeister ... VEB Brigade Zeitgewinn, Tödliche Doris (Berlin) Wolfgang Müller etc. Alte Kinder (Bielefeld), Christiane Heuwinkel (now: museum curator), Maija-Lene Rettig (now editor for ARTE TV in Paris), Matthias Müller (continues to make films / established artist and Prof. at Media Art Academy Cologne KHM) 1985 „The last ten years of German 8mm film making have seen repeated fundamental changes in the filmmakers thematic interests as well as in their creative methods. After the aesthe- tic depature form the amateur home movie, young filmmakers soon started to break the conventions of mainstream cinema – first by adopting it in parodistic ways, then – in the period from 1979 – 1982 – by taking an interest in subject and issues which were neglected by mainstream cinema as well as the offical mass media. A direct-cinema-style became almost synonymous with 8mm film. The distribution experiences with these often only journalistically orientated films, and discussions with more experimental minded ar- tists, lead at the end of this period to a common critical disbelief in film’s ability to reflect realtiy directly. An additional collision between this 8mm tradition and a new generation of filmmakers form the metropoles who were often painters or musicians, brought new impulses. A new urban expressionistic view of post-modern society formed the base for todays 8mm film productions as it is presented in this programme.“ (Reinhard W. Wolf, Catalogue 2nd Leicester Filmfestival 1985) 1985 Foundation of „No Budget Filmfestival“ Hamburg now: Internationale Kurzfilmtage Hamburg + Short Film Agency + Short Film Distribution Foundation of S8 Festival „Filmzwerge“, Münster KOB 8 (me) collects data from independent filmmakers about their S8 films (approx. 400 to 500 films listed) comment: all of these are films publically shown; non-professional, but also non-amateur (home movies) SONY introduces Video8 1987 and later documenta 8, Kassel "d'Super'8" Super 8 arrives in the museum and the galleries ;-) 1989 SONY launches the first digital (color still) camera ProMavica MVC-5000 (which enables CNN to send images from the Tiananmen uprising via phone lines). Berlin: Fall der Mauer / chute de mur End of West-Berlin (and its specific art scene) End of S8 mass production ... later In 1994 I discontinued the newsletter KOB-Info. From the about 150 subscribers (of which about 20 were not german) more than 30 Germans are still filmmakers and/or video artists today. 2/3rd are working elsewhere in media and culture. All of the international subscribers are still active in film and media. In the beginning of the 90s there were 33 german film festivals allowing S8 film entries (in 1970 only 3) In 2004 the percentage of S-8-films in Short Film Festivals in Germany was 2-3% Production formats of all german short films in the year 1995: 4,15% / in 2003/2004: 1,64% from about 1.000 short films entered to festivals (Source: Short Film Study 1998 respectively Short Film Study 2005, ed. by Reinhard W. Wolf) Today I know of about 10 filmmakers/artists in Germany who still shoot on S8 film.