Two Filmstiftung-backed films in the Berlinale’s Competition

• Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot“: Philip Gröning Filmproduktion, L Films, Bavaria Pictures and WDR
• ¨Daughter of Mine¨ („Figlia mia“): co-production by Cologne’s Match Factory Productions
• Director Laura Bispuri in the Berlinale Competition for the second time
• 68th Berlin International Film Festival from 15. – 25.2.2018

The Berlinale has just announced that two Filmstiftung-backed productions „Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot“ by Philip Gröning and ¨Daughter of Mine¨ („Figlia mia“) by  Laura Bispuri have been invited to screen in the Competition of the festival’s 68th edition. The Berlin International Film Festival is being held from 15 – 25 February, 2018 and is one of the leading international film festivals. The complete programme will be announced on 6 February, 2018.

„Good news as the year comes to a close! Philip Gröning’s new feature film will be shown in the Berlinale’s Competition, and Laura Bispuri is in the line-up for a second time with a Filmstiftung-backed co-production“, says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. „We congratulate Philip Gröning Filmproduktion, Cologne’s Match Factory and both film crews, are pleased about the invitation to screen in the Competition and are looking forward to the rest of the festival programme from Dieter Kosslick.¨

„Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot“ by Philip Gröning

After his successful monastery documentary ¨ Into Great Silence¨(„Die große Stille“),  Philip Gröning has made another fiction feature film, „Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot“, which was shot in large part in NRW and backed by the Filmstiftung NRW with a total of 457,000 Euros. Other funders are MFG, BKM, FFA, DFFF and Eurimages. About the film: a service station in the countryside. Summer. Robert and Elena are preparing themselves for Elena’s A-Level examination. They are twins. A weekend about incest and philosophy. 48 hours. Time, nature, the act of thinking. Slipping gently into hell. Gröning wrote the screenplay with Sabine Timoteo. Josef Mattes, Julia Zange, Urs Jucker, Stefan Konarske, Zita Aretz, Karolina Porcari and Vitus Zeplichal appear in the co-production by Düsseldorf-based Philip Gröning Filmproduktion with L Films (France), Bavaria Pictures as well as WDR and BR.

Daughter of Mine¨ („Figlia mia“) by Laura Bispuri

Sardinia. A daughter, Vittoria, torn between two mothers: Tina, who raised her with love, and Angelica, the biological mother who instinctively wants her back. Three women grappling with their wounds, feelings and relationships to one another. A story about an imperfect motherhood and a lost childhood. The cast includes Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu and Udo Kier. The film was produced by Vivo Film (Italy) and Colorado Film (Italy), Bord Cadre Film (Switzerland) and Cologne’s Match Factory in co-production with ZDF – Das kleine Fernsehspiel and Arte. The Filmstiftung supported the film with 125,000 Euros. International sales are being handled by The Match Factory.
A large part of the postproduction – including the sound design – is currently underway in Cologne.Laura Bispuri had previously taken part in the competition for the Golden Bear and the Prize for Best Debut at the 2015 Berlinale with her Filmstiftung-backed debut „Vergine giurata“ („Sworn Virgin“). Match Factory Productions had also co-produced this film, and The Match Factory handled world sales.