10/05/2007

Following in the footsteps of her older sister and partner Alexandra, German “Producer on the Move 2007” Meike Kordes was steeped in cinema from an early age. Education and experience came to complement her natural inclinations: after a course in film financing and studies at the Konrad Wolf School in Potsdam, during which she participated in over 20 films, she worked as a line producer for several renowned directors. Since founding her own outfit in 2003, the Berlin-based Kordes & Kordes, she has been handling sales, financing and organization. The company’s first feature, Four Minutes [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película], has put it on the map.

Cineuropa : What led you to decide to create your own production outfit?
Meike Kordes : It comes to a promise my sister and I made to each other fourteen years ago. It did not come out of the blue : at age 14, Alexandra was already directing films and handling the camera, so I became a 10-year-old actress. Since my sister was so prolific – she also wrote lots of screenplays – as her little sister, I had to organise things, so I became a producer. Kordes & Kordes has existed for four years now, and everything is going very well.

What qualities must a project have to catch your attention?
Alexandra and I agree that, above all, we have to love the main character and feel in touch with him. I am not set on a particular genre, so long as this condition is satisfied. If the hero of a film did not make my heart beat, I would be a bad producer for that project (laughs).

With its success and many prizes (including the VGF Award for best production at the Bavarian Film Awards), Chris Kraus' Four Minutes (interview) seems a true turning point for you. How did you join the project? Was it difficult to produce? What new doors do you think this success opens up for you?
This film was our first feature for the cinema, and it was not easy. We had a budget of only €1.3m yet ended up needing €1.6m, and finding those extra €300,000 was very difficult. But we loved the movie, and had wanted to work with Chris for nine years, since we met when I was working for Rosa von Praunheim. I was the line producer for Chris' first feature, Sherbentanz, but I could not produce it yet. Four Minutes was a long-awaited collaboration. And it was hard. At first, no one in Germany wanted to see it- the Berlinale did not want it, neither did Munich, it was crazy. Thus, we decided to premiere it in Shanghai, where it was voted Best film. It was screened in America, started collecting prizes and soon, 15 territories bought the rights (now they are 40). After this success, Germany showed interest again and we won Bavarian Film Prizes as well as the Golden Lola. It is amazing how reception in Germany shifted from cold to enthusiastic, and my initial shock turned into joy. I really hope Germany will give me more credit now, for my next movies, although they still won't be mainstream.

Are you working on new feature projects? Do you have international perspectives involving co-producing with other European countries?
I am producing Kraus' new film, Poll, and for this film we will need to find European co-producers to shoot abroad, maybe in Poland or Latvia. We are also working, as minority co-producers, with the American producer Dean Silvers on an adaptation of Isabel Allende's Eva Luna, and we might need another co-producer on that as well. Being part of "Producers on the Move" is a wonderful opportunity to meet great people, and meeting directly like this is the best way to determine whether or not you have a common vision.

Bénédicte Prot Meike Kordes Producer on the Move 2007 - Germany Marchant dans les pas de sa soeur aînée et partenaire Alexandra, la productrice "on the Move" allemande 2007, Meike Kordes, a baigné dans le cinéma dès son plus jeune âge. Les études et l'expérience sont venues compléter ses inclinations naturelles : après un cours de financement de films et un cursus à l'Ecole Konrad Wolf de Potsdam (pendant lequel elle a pris part à plus de 20 films), elle a collaboré comme directrice de production avec plusieurs réalisateurs en vue. Depuis qu'elle a fondé se propre maison de production berlinoise, Kordes & Kordes, en 2003, elle s'y occupe des ventes, du financement et de l'organisation générale. Le premier long métrage cinématographique de sa société, Four Minutes [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película], a fait entrer Kordes & Kordes dans le paysage du cinéma international.

Cineuropa : Qu'est-ce qui vous a amené à créer votre propre maison de production ?
Meike Kordes : C'est parti d'une promesse que ma soeur et moi nous sommes faite il y a quatorze ans. Ce n'était pas un coup de tête : à 14 ans, Alexandra faisait déjà des films et maniait la caméra, alors j'ai joué les actrices dès l'âge de 10 ans. Comme ma soeur était très prolifique – elle a aussi écrit beaucoup de scénarii – en tant que petite soeur, puisqu'il fallait bien organiser les choses, je suis devenue productrice. Kordes & Kordes a maintenant quatre ans, et tout va très bien.

Quels qualités doit avoir un projet pour éveiller votre intérêt ?
Alexandra et moi sommes d'accord sur le fait qu'il faut avant tout que nous aimions le personnage principal et que nous nous sentions des affinités avec lui. A partir du moment où cette condition est satisfaite, je n'ai pas de préférences particulières en termes de genre. Si le héros d'un film ne faisait pas battre mon coeur, je ne serais pas une bonne productrice pour ce projet (rires).

Avec son grand succès et ses nombreux prix (dont le Prix VGF de la meilleure production aux Prix de Bavière), Four Minutes, de Chris Kraus (interview), semble vraiment constituer un tournant pour votre société. Comment avez-vous entrepris ce projet ? A-t-il été difficile à produire ? Quelles portes pensez-vous que ce succès vous ouvrira ?
Ce film est notre premier long métrage pour le cinéma, et cela n'a pas été facile. Avec un budget d'1,3M €, nous avons finalement eu besoin de 1,6M et trouver ces 300 000 € supplémentaires n'a pas été une synécure. Ceci étant, nous adorions ce projet et souhaitions travailler avec Chris depuis neuf ans, depuis notre rencontre alors que je travaillais pour Rosa von Praunheim. J'ai été directrice de production pour le premier long métrage de Chris, Sherbentanz, mais je ne pouvais pas le produire moi-même. Four Minutes est donc le fruit d'une collaboration longtemps attendue, mais cela a été difficile. Au début, personne en Allemagne ne voulait voir le film ; la Berlinale n'en a pas voulu, Münich non plus. C'était fou. Alors, nous avons décidé que le film ferait sa première à Shanghaï, où il a été élu Meilleur film. On l'a projeté aux Etats-Unis, et très vite, 15 territoires en ont acheté les droits (ils sont maintenant 40). Au vu de ce succès, l'Allemagne s'est intéressée à nous et nous avons même fini par remporter plusieurs Prix de Bavière et le Lola d'or. C'est fou comme la réception du film en Allemagne est passée de froide à enthousiaste et comme, de choquée, je suis devenue folle de joie. J'espère qu'on me fera désormais davantage confiance en Allemagne, pour mes prochains films, quoique je ne peux pas garantir qu'ils seront des oeuvres grand public.

Avez-vous de nouveaux projets en route ? Envisagez-vous de produire au niveau international, notamment avec des partenaires européens ?
Following in the footsteps of her older sister and partner Alexandra, German “Producer on the Move 2007” Meike Kordes was steeped in cinema from an early age. Education and experience came to complement her natural inclinations: after a course in film financing and studies at the Konrad Wolf School in Potsdam, during which she participated in over 20 films, she worked as a line producer for several renowned directors. Since founding her own outfit in 2003, the Berlin-based Kordes & Kordes, she has been handling sales, financing and organization. The company’s first feature, Four Minutes [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película], has put it on the map.

Cineuropa : What led you to decide to create your own production outfit?
Meike Kordes : It comes to a promise my sister and I made to each other fourteen years ago. It did not come out of the blue : at age 14, Alexandra was already directing films and handling the camera, so I became a 10-year-old actress. Since my sister was so prolific – she also wrote lots of screenplays – as her little sister, I had to organise things, so I became a producer. Kordes & Kordes has existed for four years now, and everything is going very well.

What qualities must a project have to catch your attention?
Alexandra and I agree that, above all, we have to love the main character and feel in touch with him. I am not set on a particular genre, so long as this condition is satisfied. If the hero of a film did not make my heart beat, I would be a bad producer for that project (laughs).

With its success and many prizes (including the VGF Award for best production at the Bavarian Film Awards), Chris Kraus' Four Minutes (interview) seems a true turning point for you. How did you join the project? Was it difficult to produce? What new doors do you think this success opens up for you?
This film was our first feature for the cinema, and it was not easy. We had a budget of only €1.3m yet ended up needing €1.6m, and finding those extra €300,000 was very difficult. But we loved the movie, and had wanted to work with Chris for nine years, since we met when I was working for Rosa von Praunheim. I was the line producer for Chris' first feature, Sherbentanz, but I could not produce it yet. Four Minutes was a long-awaited collaboration. And it was hard. At first, no one in Germany wanted to see it- the Berlinale did not want it, neither did Munich, it was crazy. Thus, we decided to premiere it in Shanghai, where it was voted Best film. It was screened in America, started collecting prizes and soon, 15 territories bought the rights (now they are 40). After this success, Germany showed interest again and we won Bavarian Film Prizes as well as the Golden Lola. It is amazing how reception in Germany shifted from cold to enthusiastic, and my initial shock turned into joy. I really hope Germany will give me more credit now, for my next movies, although they still won't be mainstream.

Are you working on new feature projects? Do you have international perspectives involving co-producing with other European countries?
I am producing Kraus' new film, Poll, and for this film we will need to find European co-producers to shoot abroad, maybe in Poland or Latvia. We are also working, as minority co-producers, with the American producer Dean Silvers on an adaptation of Isabel Allende's Eva Luna, and we might need another co-producer on that as well. Being part of "Producers on the Move" is a wonderful opportunity to meet great people, and meeting directly like this is the best way to determine whether or not you have a common vision.