Green bits and bites

Delicious regional fruit, a ban on the use of plastic, and a nearby set. At the Berlinale Competition, the audience can discover several films that have been produced sustainably. During the principal photography of 3 Tage in Quiberon by Emily Atef, the lead actress Marie Bäumer only had to take a few steps to get from her hotel to the set. “We shot more than two-thirds of the film on the principal location”, says Karsten Stöter, producer of this moving drama about three emotionally charged days in the life of film star Romy Schneider.

 

For this picture, a glass pavilion on the Baltic island of Fehmarn was turned into a hotel where guest rooms, a bathroom, and a lobby were built. Thanks to a 4×10 meter photo backdrop, the view from the balcony overlooked the same sea and rocky beach as did the original location in Quiberon. The Costume and Make-up Departments were located nearby in the hotel where the actors were staying. The short distance from the set to the hotel saved time, money – and was climate-friendly. Shooting 3 Tage in Quiberon required neither generators nor a car pool, so the production qualified for a Green Shooting Card.

 

 

A focus on green film production is also on the agenda at several Berlinale industry discussions: the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, and the Berlinale Audi Lounge. „Our society is changing its perspective by taking greater account of the economics of ecology. The transition to clean energy and the ban on diesel fuel, plastic, and pesticides are already key issues in political discourse“, notes Festival Director Dieter Kosslick, a slow-food connoisseur who is committed to sustainable food production. „That‘s also an issue for the film and media industry, which, in several countries, has already begun adopting best practices.“

 

The Berlinale Competition features Figlia Mia (Daughter of Mine), a film by Italian director Laura Bispuri that was sustainably produced in Sardinia „We had a democratic set“, elaborates the producer Marta Donzelli. „No trailers or limousines were provided for the actors.“ Alba Rohrwacher and Valeria Golino enjoyed that. „Most of the time, we rented a large house as a location which also housed the production office and the Costume, Hair and Make-up Departments. „We car-pooled and provided the actors with bicycles, so they could move freely in throughout village.“

 

 

The Italian producer is also presenting the documentary Lorello e Brunello in the Culinary Cinema section. The film portrays twin brothers who run a small farm in Tuscany which is facing bankruptcy due to the falling price of agricultural products in the global market. Industrial food production and greenwashing methods used to falsely market products as sustainably produced is the theme of the documentary Green Lies by Plastic Planet director Werner Boote. In The Game Changers, U.S. filmmaker Louie Psihoyos interviews elite athletes, soldiers from special operations groups, and scientists on the question of whether meat is a necessary source of protein for our body. „The films we‘re showing have real bite“, says Dieter Kosslick, wryly making his point.

 

Photos: © Peter Hartwig/Rohfilm Factory, Piero Chiussi/ Berlinale, Litle Dream Entertainment

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