18/05/2006

Bettina Brokemper, a native of Cologne, admits that she "always wanted to be a producer". After studying in Munich and Los Angeles, she gave the Hamburg-based outfit Neue Impuls the opportunity to open an office in Cologne, where she produced La fiancée syrienne by Eran Riklis.
Through the company Pain Unlimited, Brokemper was also the German co-producer for Zentropa films, such as Lone Scherfig’s Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and, most significantly, Lars von Trier’s Dogville [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Manderlay [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and she also worked with von Trier on Thomas Vinterberg’s Dear Wendy.
In May 2003, she co-founded, along with Stefan Telegdy and Helmut Hartl (Embassy of Dreams), Heimatfilm, the production company behind Low Profile (Falscher Bekenner) by Christoph Hochhäusler, which screened last year in Un Certain Regard to general acclaim. Leaving the laurels to others, the producer explains, "It’s important not to have a large ego if you want to be a producer. The creators are the others; I see myself as someone who makes their projects possible."

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Cineuropa: How would you define your mission as a producer? What makes you decide in favour of a project?
Bettina Brokemper: With our company (Heimatfilm), we aim at producing local stories for global markets. Our mission is to tell stories which will make the audience laugh and cry, appeal to their emotions and feelings – stories which offer genuine inspiration and at the same time provide ambitious entertainment.

Is Germany a good country to make films? How do you see the future of German cinema?
Germany is definitely a good country to make films at the moment. Recent developments in German cinema are encouraging and international recognition is gradually increasing. A well-trained and eager generation of young filmmakers (the 'Nouvelle Vague Allemande') is working on projects, which will reach the market in the near future. It is now of vital importance for the German public to no longer ignore German film because of its past.

After several collaborations with Zentropa, how would you describe your experience with co-production?
My experiences with co-productions have always been good. Co-producing often requires special effort, but it is an exciting and rewarding one. You keep on learning about places, people, and cultures, it is a bit like travelling without moving. Of course, it is important to team up with reliable partners to avoid frustrating experiences.

What do you expect from the Producers on the Move initiative?
It is an honour to be part of such an interesting scheme as Producers On the Move and I hope to benefit from their exceptional framework.