Karaoke

Synopsis

KARAOKE is the story about Liselotte, an elderly actress looking for a new role in theatre or film. In a series of scenes we follow her as she visits different casting-sessions. Without significant success, she interacts with the people around her. Her only hope remains an old friend Vera, to whom she has not spoken to for years.

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Cast: Renate Serwotke (lead actress)
Katharina Bek
Cora Chilcott
Franziska Dick
Astrid Gorvin
Gloria Iberl
Andrej Kaminsky
Anna Khan
Sybille Künstler
Sieglinde Oppert
Frieder Ott
Ingelore Pfennigs
Monika Reineck
Nicklas Wedin
Rita Wild
Gisela Zabel

Crew
Writer/Director/Editor: Carolina Hellsgård
DoP: Manuel Kinzer
Producer: Florian Gerstenberg/filmgestalten GbR
Sound: Robert Fuhrmann
Sound-assitent: Julius Eisel
Camera-assistent: Nils Linschiedt
Assistant director: Niklas Warnecke
Light: Luciano Cervio, Camilo Sottolichio, Nico Siebler, Hee-seong Han
Costume: Johanna Aust
Art-Design: Marie Roth
Make-up: Monique Bredow, Franziska Hüchelheim
Script & Continuity: Mattias Ljungström
Setassistance: Martin Lukas, Elke Brugger
Produktionsassistance: Kiron Kreuter, Linda Stuck
Director's Assistance: Sarah Paar
Scriptdoctor: Agnes Schruf
Music: Philipp Hoffmann
Sound Design: Niklas Kammertöns, Manfred Bickmeier
Soundmix DDFB: Alexandre Leser
Protools-Operator DFFB: Andreas Schönfelder
Digital Colourist: Philipp Großmann
Head of production DFFB: Martina Knapheide
Produced by Florian Gerstenberg
Catering: Sylvia Adams
Animal trainer: Gerlinde Regel

Produced by filmgestalten
Distributed by: International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
AG Kurzfilm, Kurzfilmkatalog
DVD Compilation "Germany Shorts in Cannes" 2008

Director's note

As a contrast to films about life change and transformation, I wanted to depict a life situation that does not change. In KARAOKE we follow the main protagonist, an elderly actress, as she desperately tries to get a role. The everyday and somehow banal situations, which she encounters, eventually amounts to a personal tragedy. KARAOKE is a film about aging and acting. On a more general level, the film reflects upon the search for identity and difficulties of finding ones place in society.

Awards

Regensburger Kurzfilmwoche, GWFF Production Award
1st. Prize, Short film category, Konstanzer Filmfestival
Short Subject Prize, FIAAP Festival, Portugal

Regensburg Kurzfilmwoche Award motivation:
Carolina Hellsgård‘s reduced staging shows the never ending energy of a human being loving her work. Often a look or a close-up of the wonderful leading actress Renate Serwotke is enough to conceive her character‘s struggle for dignity.

Screenings 2008-2009

Cinemayence "Best of Oberhausen Tour"
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany
MIT European Short Film Festival, US
Cannes Short Film Corner, AG Kurzfilm / German Films
LILI Gestalterinnenpreis, Berlin
Brooklyn International Film Festival, US
Circuito Off Venice International Short Film Festival, Italy
International Film Festival of Performing Arts, Portugal
Raindance Film Festival, UK
Konstanzer kurz.film.spiele_1.5, Germany
Regensburger Kurzfilmwoche, Germany
L'Alternativa - 15. Barcelona Independent Film Festival, Spain
FILMZ - Festival des deutschen Kinos, Germany
Glasgow Film Festival, UK

Press

Film review in Kameramann (German)
Download presskit (English)
Download presskit (German)