KINO: The German Film Magazine

And The Oscar Goes To... THE COUNTERFEITERS

Nazis sell. This year's Oscar for best foreign film proved that old maxim. The winner, the German-Austrian co-production THE COUNTERFEITERS, tells the true story of the Nazi's massive counterfeiting operation in a concentration camp outside Berlin. Director Stefan Ruzowitzky has managed to find a new perspective on the story of the Holocaust. KINO met with the director in Vienna.High School Fascism -- A German Take On The Classic Youth Novel

Todd Strasser's novel THE WAVE has been a classic of youth literature for more than 20 years. It's based on a true story: In 1967 a high school teacher in California demonstrated how easy it is to convert normal kids into fascist devotees. The book was made into an Emmy-winning TV movie in 1981. Now German director Dennis Gansel has moved the story to Germany for his terrifying take on the same story. THE WAVE stars Jürgen Vogel in the role of the teacher.SHORTCUTS


MEMORY, RESPONSIBILITY AND THE FUTURE -- The Goethe Institute has held its second annual short film festival, featuring movies from around the world. This year's theme was the international charter of human rights.

OSSIS' ELEVEN -- A crime comedy about a group of small-time crooks who are a few doughnuts short of a dozen. They plan a caper to steal a fortune in old Deutsche Mark coins.

ACCORDING TO THE PLAN -- A tragicomedy about three sisters who battle minor and major catastrophes as they plan their mother's birthday party.

ABSURDISTAN -- Director Veit Helmer used amateur actors and shot in Kazakhstan for his off-center fairytale about a group of women who impose a sex ban until their husbands fix the village water pipes. Money For International Films -- The World Cinema Fund


The World Cinema Fund (WCF) was set up at the Berlin Film Festival five years ago. Since then, the WCF hands out around 500,000 Euros annual to finance movies in countries with small or non-existing film industries. KINO took a closer look at one of films backed by the fund. Turkish director Semih Kaplanoglu premiered his drama EGG at the Cannes Film Festival last year. The drama is the first in a planned trilogy and the World Cinema Fund is backing the sequel. KINO was on set with Kaplanoglu in Turkey.Interview With Producer Bettina Brokemper

Bettina Brokemper is the co-producer of the Turkish film SÜT - MILK. KINO host Ute Soldierer has a one-on-one talk with her.