Installation views

Schaubühne Berlin, 2003–2004 © Arno Declair

Electronic City
2003/2004
several videos of various duration
for theatre play Das System 1. Electronic City, written by Falk Richter,
and directed by Tom Kühnel at Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin, 2004
Colour, sound
Shot on HD
Aspect ratio 16:9

Rosefeldt’s video collaboration for Tom Kühnel’s Schaubühne adaptation of Falk Richter’s Electronic City augments the play’s restaging as a critique of the script itself. The issue of globalisation – symbolised by Richter’s transient love story – is inverted to reveal how the mechanics of such processes are possessing cultural production. Globalisation is no longer the focus of Kühnel’s interpretation, moreover the attention shifts to how it is presented in society. On stage are filmmakers of Electronic City, discussing how best to stage the script. They become caricatures of the contemporary cultural industry, who capitalise on current social and political issues and turn them into products of cultural production. The live acting on stage is periodically interrupted by Rosefeldt’s videos which depict the film-set in question: the production of Electronic City. Populated by the same theatre actors, the videos appropriate the discussions on stage and what emerges is a film within a film within theatre. Rosefeldt’s characters in his mise-en-scène also appear to be dramatizing: their melodramatic, on-set arguments result in chaos and disaster. The three dimensions of performance further exaggerate the artificiality surrounding such industries, leaving the audience unsure as to where the sincerity begins, ends – or if it was even there in the first place.

E. Lapper

Film Credits Making, Making Of and Making Of the Making Of of "Electronic City"

Jule Böwe (Journalist, Superstar, Model)
Bruno Cathomas (Film director, Gaffer, Superstar, Model)
Jenny Schily (Filmmaker, Film Director, Superstar Juror)
Linda Olsansky (Filmmaker, Superstar Juror)
Felix Römer (Filmmaker, Superstar Juror)

and as Superstars:
Robert Beyer
Lars Eidinger
Ulrike Eidinger
Stephanie Eidt
Christina Geiße
André Szymanski

Dance Instructor: Mirko
Puppeteer & Double: Horst Kiener
1st AD: Oliver Bierschenk
Dramaturgy: Jens Hillje
Conception Film & Video: Tom Kühnel and Julian Rosefeldt
Text: Falk Richter
Music: Malte Beckenbach
Production Designer: Jan Pappelbaum
Assistant Production Design: Katrin Hieronimus
Trainee Production Design: Lena Weiß
Set Decorator: Rene Nieblich
Props & SFX: Wolfgang Reuter
Costume Designer: Anja Meier
Assistant Costume Designer: Claudia Rössler
Make-Up Artist: Renie Wetzel-Wagner
Director of Photography / Gaffer: Michael Gööck
Assistant DoP: Michael Wähner
Camera Making Of: Gunar Otto, Julian Rosefeldt, Tom Kühnel
Grip: Arne Jürgen Klein, Urs Zimmermann and Johannes Totz
Best Boy: Erich Schneider
Electricians: Jörg Winter and Arno Poumarat
Sound Recordist: Sven Poser
Assistant Sound Recordist: Jürgen Küster
Driver: Nornert Brockschmidt
Runner: Peter Kühlborn
Catering: Katrin Jaschul
Editor: Klara Mottlova
Production Manager: Tina Jaschul
Head of Production Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz: Tobias Veit
Office Management Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz: Sören Pahl

Thanks for their generous support to:
VCC Perfect Pictures AG, Cinegate Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, Ludwig Kameraverleih GmbH München, Kortwich Film-Ton-Technik, ARRI Media, FGV Schmidle GmbH, Ferropolis GmbH, cronaca film gmbh, Grundy Light Entertainment GmbH, Grundy UFA TV Produktions GmbH, SevenOne Intermedia GmbH.

Greatful Thanks to:
Bürgermeisteramt Burgkemnitz, Kurverwaltung Dierhagen, Ordnungsamt Dierhagen, Eiscafé "Blue Orange" Dierhagen, Café Fischland Restaurant Pension Dierhagen, Haus Windhook Dierhagen, Hotel "Am Moor" Dierhagen, Landgasthof Hubertus Burgkemnitz, Pension Schreiber Dierhagen.

Written, directed & produced by Julian Rosefeldt

Co-produced by Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin