05/09/2002

In a report published by Austrian daily, “Der Standard”, German film director Volker Schlöndorff criticized his country’s film industry. “German film production is controlled by two media groups, the former Kirch Group and Bertelsman. Both invest only in television,“ said the 63-year-old director of The Tin Drum who went on to say that German producers seem reluctant to make big films, and newly graduated directors only manage find work in television even though there is no shortage of money given that Germany invests millions of Euros in American films.
. Volker Schlöndorff was speaking at the Venice Film Festival where he presented Ten Minutes Older – The Cello, an ensemble film he made together with Bernardo Bertolucci, Mike Figgis, Jean-Luc Godard, Michael Radford, Jirì Menzel, Istvàn Szabò and Claire Denis. Schlöndorff’s episode is set in East Germany and he said that he enjoyed the experience, “It is wonderful to be able to prepare something in such a short time. This is the ideal way to remain in shape between big productions”.
Volker Schlöndorff said that the subject of his next film is Pope Joan, said to be the only woman ever to have been elected to the Papacy. The German director said he would be casting an actress with outstanding star quality for this costly production.

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