Our group formed at the Deutschen Film- und Fernsehakademie
Berlin (dffb) in 2005. We shared an enthusiasm for docu-
mentaries and succeeded in obtaining Andres Veiel as our
lecturer. Inspired by Veiel’s investigative spirit, his
psychological sophistication and dogged perseverance, we
started to develop our own very personal documentaries that
went far beyond the scope of the seminar. With the group as
our greenhouse, our films grew into unique specimens, some
on exotic and some on familiar territory.
In due time, each of us – whether characterised by childlike
stubbornness or strategic planning – developed our own per-
sonal style and inspired the others with our inventiveness.
With Super-9 we want to stay on the route that we have
taken, also beyond the walls of the film academy, and form
our own structure. The consciousness and conscience of the
group motivate us to keep investigating unpaved roads and to
take the risk that comes with a long, tough development
process. Within the established production structures, it is
difficult to produce ambitious film projects requiring
extensive research. And films such as ours seldom get
released on the cinema circuit. But from the numerous
festivals where our films were shown, we know that an
interested audience exists, and is thirsty for films that
offer unique, personal perspectives.
Instead of complaining about the problems in the film in-
dustry, we want to create better conditions ourselves! This
is the spirit in which we produced our completed films, in
which we published a book with behind-the-scenes reports on
our projects, and in which we are now staging this festival.
