Section: What remains of history

JOHNNY & ME: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME WITH JOHN HEARTFIELD

JOHNNY & ME: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME WITH JOHN HEARTFIELD

Katrin Rothe
DE/AT/CH, 2023, 104 Min

Plagued by a crisis of meaning in her life, graphic designer Stefanie stumbles through a magical time tunnel directly into the studio of photo collage pioneer John Heartfield and discovers the political power of art. A visually powerful journey through ideologies and contemporary history.

In a hybrid form of animation and documentary, director Katrin Rothe takes us into the world of the innovative photo collage artist John Heartfield. Graphic designer Stefanie is in the middle of a creative crisis and meets animated Heartfield, who guides her through the turbulent times of the First World War, the rise of National Socialism and his own years in exile. Frustrated by the lack of moral in her industry, Stefanie conducts an imaginary dialogue with the pioneer of the political photo collage and learns about the challenges and suffering that Heartfield had to endure due to his political beliefs and his art, such as the persecution by the Nazis and the Central Party Control Commission of the SED (state party of the former GDR). With ingenious animations, Katrin Rothe explores Heartfield's innovative and succinct use of slogans and photo collage to convey powerful political messages and contrasts them with today.

Drehbuch
Katrin Rothe
Kamera
Thomas Eirich-Schneider
Ton
Lukas Brandes
Schnitt
Hannes Starz
Ausstattung
Lydia Günther, Tonina Matamalas, Anne-Sophie Raemy
Musik
Micha Kaplan, Thomas Mävers
Darsteller
Stephanie Stremler, Manuel Harder, Michael Hatzius, Dorothee Carls
Produzent
Gunter Hanfgarn
Produktion
HANFGARN & UFER
Co-Produktion
Sereina Gabathuler, Werner Schweizer / Ralph Wieser
Katrin Rothe

Katrin Rothe - Katrin Rothe

Film Director&Author

"Scrolling back and forth in people's stories. Humanly close, visually innovative: with every film a new journey, that's what distinguishes me as a director and writer."

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