Werner Schroeter

[Ted Todorov]

At the Film Comment Selects screening of Deux Film Comment writer Gary Indiana announced that he had been talking to Criterion about adding Werner Schroeter titles to the collection and that they were "very receptive".

[zedz]

I'd like to randomly speculate on behalf of the gorgeous Love's Debris / Poussieres d'amour: a handful of opera singers gather in an abbey to sing and talk about love. The music is exquisite, but it's the conversation I find most surprising and delightful: where else on film do you find grown men discussing their experience of romantic love?

(Though given the comments elsewhere about Indiana's performance at this screening, I won't hold my breath waiting for this to actually happen!)

[Ted Todorov]

(Though given the comments elsewhere about Indiana's performance at this screening, I won't hold my breath waiting for this to actually happen!)

It would appear he has his sober moments otherwise how did he manage to organise the Bulle Ogier retro, get her to come to NY, not get fired from Film Comment, etc. Lets hope he wasn't wasted when he spoke to Criterion...

Ted

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Wait a minute - what's all this about Gary Indiana and "his sober moments"?

[kazantzakis]

Apparently Indiana misbehaved during a panel discussion on stage with Bulle Ogier , following a screening of a shroeter film (Deux I believe) in NY...Something like that...I think Indiana is writing a book about Ogier, aint he?

[Anonymous]

Indiana's notorious for being a wasted evil queen most of the time, and has lived up to that reputation at least every time I've seen him.

[acquarello]

Sorry for dredging up an old post, but Indiana and I have been corresponding offline and I convinced him to post a rebuttal of sorts on the Deux screening at Lincoln Center in which he talks about the disconnect between what he and Ms. Ogier had agreed to format-wise, and what Lincoln Center had given them to work with (they wanted to be preceded by Fassbinder's The Third Generation rather than Schroeter's Deux, in which she had a more minor role). I remember more than one mention of the Fassbinder film, and I can see how this would have been a more relevant springboard to a discussion on acting and politics than something as opaque as Deux, which is apparently what Ms. Ogier had wanted to do.

FWIW, he didn't seem to have any updates on a possible Schroeter film for CC.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know why Werner Schroeter's films are not available on DVD? I would love the opportunity to see MALINA and DEUX again. Unfortunately, neither of these films are available on DVD in any country in the world.

I have sent numerous inquiries to Gemini Films in France about the possibility of releasing DEUX on DVD. They have yet to respond.

[hellboytr]

Does anyone know why Werner Schroeter's films are not available on DVD? I would love the opportunity to see MALINA and DEUX again. Unfortunately, neither of these films are available on DVD in any country in the world.

I have sent numerous inquiries to Gemini Films in France about the possibility of releasing DEUX on DVD. They have yet to respond.

There is an Australian scholar with whom i had a few e-mail correspondances in the past on Schroeter, Michelle Langford. By the way, her book "Allegorical Images, Tableau, Time and Gesture in the Cinema of Werner Schroeter" is about to be published! http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/ppbooks ... 1841501387

Anyway, she told me that she was "trying to persuade" a few DVD companies to issue Schroeter films on DVD =D> But Malina had been issued on VHS and VCD in more than one country, among them German, Portugal(most probably) and Turkey...

You can find quite a few Schroeter films online if you know where to look, Der Rosenkönig and Der Tod Der Maria Malibran -one of my all time favourites-

Very recent e-mail i got from Michelle Langford:

Dear all,
please see this forwarded message. I am appealing to interested people
to put in requests for them to transfer some of Werner Schroeter's films onto DVD. The more people respond, the more possibility of making the films available. Please forward to anyone else who may be interested.
Cheers,
Michelle

Dr Michelle Langford
Associate Lecturer
School of Media, Film & Theatre
The University of New South Wales
Sydney 2052 Australia

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marty Norden <norden@COMM.UMASS.EDU>
Date: 22 May 2006 12:27:33 PM
To: FILM-PHILOSOPHY@JISCMAIL.AC.UK

Hello, all. My colleague, Barton Byg, has asked me to forward the following message. If you have any questions, please contact Barton directly

thanks,
Marty Norden

Forwarded message

Greetings,

I'm following up on a call put out last winter: As many of you know, Goethe Institute and InterNationes supply German films in all formats at little or no cost for instructional use. The central office in Munich is now preparing their long-term plan for DVD productions with English subtitles and is interested in hearing the preferences of those who might use these materials in their teaching. Hiltrud Schulz in our office has volunteered to collect your suggestions and forward them to Munich.

Of course they are likely to produce DVDs of those films most likely to
be used by many people, but artistic and historical significance is an argument as well. I'd urge anyone interested to look over the offerings to see what is already in the New York film depository:

Any information on what is important to our work, and why, is
welcomed by the Goethe Institute. Even if a film is already listed (on 16mm for instance), there is always the chance the rights will lapse unless there is a clear wish for DVD transfer.

Please send your film "wish lists" to Hiltrud Schulz at the DEFA Film Library address below, by June 5.

Many thanks,
Barton Byg
Director, DEFA Film Library

Contact: Hiltrud Schulz
DEFA Film Library / University of Massachusetts
507 Herter Hall / 161 Presidents Drive / Amherst, MA 01003