Absurdistan (2008)

Director:

Veit Helmer

Writers:

Veit Helmer (writer)
Gordan Mihic (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

20 March 2008 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An allegorical comedy centered on two childhood sweethearts who seem destined for one another until the women of their isolated village...

Plot Keywords:

Sex Strike | Childhood Sweetheart | Strike | Water Shortage | Village

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Kristyna Malérová	...	Aya
Max Mauff	...	Temelko (as Maximilian Mauff)
Nino Chkheidze	...	Grandmother
Ivane Ivantbelidze	...	Shooting Gallery Guy
Ani Amiridze	...	Shooting Gallery Guy's Daughter
Ilko Stefanovski	...	Guri - Temelko's Father
Assun Planas	...	Temelko's Mother
Otto Kuhnle	...	Barber
Hijran Nasirova	...	Barber's Wife
Hendrik Arnst	...	Landlord
Olga Nefyodova	...	Landlord's Wife
Adalet Zyadhanov	...	Policeman
Matanat Atakishiyeva	...	Policeman's Wife
Azelarab Kaghat	...	Baker
Michaela Bandi	...	Baker's Wife
Blagoja Spirkovski-Dzumerko	...	Cobbler (as Blagoja Spirkovski)
Dace Bonate	...	Cobbler's Wife
Elhan Guliyev	...	Bus Driver
Julietta Koleva	...	Bus Driver's Wife
Helder Freire Costa	...	Doctor (as Helder Costa)
Monica Calle	...	Doctor's Wife (as Mónica Calle)
Kazim Abdullayev	...	Shepherd
Firangiz Babyeva	...	Shepherd's Wife
László Németh	...	Postman
Sarah Bensoussan	...	Postman's Wife
Mubariz Alixanli	...	Watchmaker
Khatuna Ioseliani	...	Watchmaker's Wife
Nurradin Guliyev	...	Beekeeper
Elena Spitsina	...	Beekeeper's Wife
Radomil Uhlir	...	Butcher
Suzana Petricevic	...	Butcher's Wife
Rafiq Azimov	...	Carpenter
Nelli Cozaru	...	Carpenter's Wife
Vlasta Velisavljevic	...	Veteran
Gisela Fritsch	...	Grandmother (voice) (as Gisela Fritsch-Pukass)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jevgeni Beliaikin	...	Temelko (voice)

Directed by
Veit Helmer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Zaza Buadze		writer
Veit Helmer		writer
Gordan Mihic		writer

Produced by
Veit Helmer	....	producer
Linda Kornemann	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Shigeru Umebayashi

Cinematography by
Giorgi Beridze

Film Editing by
Vincent Assmann

Casting by
Pep Armengol
Suse Marquardt
Patrícia Vasconcelos

Production Design by
Erwin Prib

Art Direction by
Sergej Bulavin

Costume Design by
Serap Bahadir

Makeup Department
Madonna Chanturia	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alina Abdullayeva	....	assistant director
Fred Gasimov	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Alexej Ashkenazy	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Martin Frühmorgen	....	sound designer
Martin Frühmorgen	....	sound
Robert Jäger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bernd Popella	....	adr recordist
Carsten Richter	....	foley artist
Immo Trümpelmann	....	sound designer
Immo Trümpelmann	....	sound
Hanse Warns	....	foley mixer

Visual Effects by
Rudolf Germann	....	digital artist

Casting Department
Waléra Kanischtscheff	....	casting: Belarus: BY

Editorial Department
Philipp Großmann	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Music Department
Lars Löhn	....	composer: additional music

Thanks
Corinna Assmann	....	thanks
Valerie Assmann	....	thanks
Tobias Frühmorgen	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Veit Helmer Filmproduktion
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR) (co-production)
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) (co-production)
• Arte (co-production)

Distributors

• First Run Features (2009) (USA) (all media)
• Bontonfilm (2008) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Farbfilm-Verleih (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Tatrafilm (2008) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• 7e Art Distribution (2008) (Canada) (all media)

Other Companies

• BMW  sponsoring
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg  funding
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Sander4  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Germany:12 | Czech Republic:12 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Lahic, Azerbaijan

Company:

Veit Helmer Filmproduktion

The Key Word Here Is Absurd (and I would not want it any other way)

German director/writer,Veit Helmer's films are an acquired taste (much like Canada's Guy Maddin). His style of directing seems to lean toward the mainly visual (there is little to no dialog in his films),and in metaphorical terms,has a tendency to (at times)resemble some of the films of Czech film makers,Jiri Menzil,etc. In this gentle fable,'Absurdistan',the story takes place in the fictional village of Absurdistan,somewhere in a part of Russia that seems to have been forgotten by time (it's not supposed to be listed on any map),but still exists,none the less. Aya & Temelko are two young people who have been in love with one another since childhood. Aya's fortune telling grandmother predicts that the two should get together when two star signs merge. Sound simple enough? There is a problem in the village with the water supply (and the lazy,good for nothing men,who are content with just hanging out in the local teahouse all day while their women do all the work,including the work projects that the men start,but never seem to finish). When things get downright dire,what with the nearly total lack of water,the women stage a sex strike ultimatum on the men. It's up to Temelko to try & fix the water problem, so he can be with his beloved Aya forever. Veit Helmer directs & co-writes the screenplay (with the assistance of Zaza Buadze,Gordan Mihic & Ahmet Golbol). The cinematography by George Beridze makes nice use of what appears to be a arid,near desert environment. The cast is made up of mainly Russian actors who do their job well. If you enjoyed Helmer's film, 'Tuvalu' from a few years back, this will be another feather in your conical cap. Spoken (what little on screen dialog,outside of the narrative structure)in Russian with English subtitles. No MPAA rating,but contains flashes of nudity & sexual content.