Private Project

The Westerwald Secret

A father and son tale.

The fifty year old, cranky Hajo lives with his grown-up, beloved son Hasso deep in the forrest of Westerwald, where he is ever since struggling to shield them from the temptations and distractions of the outside world. Their living is made by his incidental sellings of the deceased grandfather's paintings. Underneath the strong bond between father and son, which seems to have shaped the boy Hasso into a living copy of himself, Hajo, however, has no idea how far advanced and consequent the escape plans of his only living relative already are.

  • Karl Bruchhäuser
    Director
  • Carl Bruchhäuser
    Director
  • Karl Bruchhäuser
    Writer
  • Carl Bruchhäuser
    Writer
  • Karl Bruchhäuser
    Producer
  • Carl Bruchhäuser
    Producer
  • Karl Bruchhäuser
    Key Cast
    "Hajo"
  • Carl Bruchhäuser
    Key Cast
    "Hasso"
  • Friedemann Leis
    Director of Photography
    Dear Future Children
  • Deborah Leis
    Setdesign
  • Ellena Bruchhäuser
    Costume and Props
  • Kristof Schlösser
    Editing
  • Carl Bruchhäuser
    Editing
  • Nils Steinkamp
    Sounddesign and Mixing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Das Westerwald Geheimnis
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 16, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Sony FX9
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Stockholm
    Sweden
    July 20, 2022
    Stockholm
    Best Actor/Carl Bruchhäuser
  • Los Angeles
    United States
    October 18, 2023
    Los Angeles
    Best Cinematograph/Best Drama
  • London
    United Kingdom
    Best Narrative Short
  • Santa Monica/Los Angeles
    United States
    Los Angeles
    Best Actor/Karl Bruchhäuser
  • Berlin
    Germany
    Best Thriller/Best Editing
  • Tokio
    Japan
    Sensei Tokio
    Best Leading Actor/Carl Bruchhäuser-Best Supporting Actor/Karl Bruchhäuser
  • Berlin
    Germany
    Best Ensemble/Karl&Carl Bruchhäuser
  • Washington
    United States
    Best Ensemble/Carl&Karl Bruchhäuser
  • Vancouver
    Canada
    Best Short
Director Biography - Karl Bruchhäuser, Carl Bruchhäuser

Karl Bruchhäuser grew up in the rural Westerwald region in the midst of a family of artists, where he abandoned his apprenticeship as a carpenter after school to attend the Mainz Drama School.
From there, various theater appearances, artistry and vaudeville acts led him to the role of his lifetime so far, the Caveman (Defending the Caveman). He played the solo Broadway play in more than 15 German cities in over 1400 performances. Towards the end of this era, together with his closest friend and colleague Karsten Kaie, he brought the Irish hit play Stones in his pockets, entitled "Die Statisten" and directed by Simon Delaney, to German stages. For the development of Kaie's solo programs Karl acted as director several times. Meanwhile, Karl can increasingly be seen in front of the camera, recently in German hit productions, such as "Lindenstraße" or "Es ist nur eine Phase Hase".
The Westerwald Secret is Karl's first film, as a filmmaker.

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Director Statement

Move yourself, move others, and let yourself be moved.