Videothek
Wolfgang cannot imagine a world without video stores. Ever since he was a child they have been places of community and discovery. Today he is the owner of Silvias Videoladen, his very own store.
Even though the business of renting films has been steadily shrinking for years, Wolfgang doesn’t mind the writing on the wall. In his store, everything looks like it did when he began to work there, with old humming lights and labyrinthic paths.
However, his efforts alone cannot stop the sands of time. It has been a while since he has been able to afford helping hands at the store. Even major film distributors cannot be relied upon to deliver the posters Wolfgang would use to advertise their own films. Seemingly undisturbed by the dire situation, he still shows up every day and welcomes everyone who finds their way to him with a jaunty smile.
Wolfgang’s optimism seems unbroken, much like the love towards cinema that he shares with his clients. Some of them have become friends over the years and others even drive over ten miles to rent the newest releases from him.
And even if in the end it’s not enough, Wolfgang will be there.
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Stephan BernardesDirector
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Jordanis PapadopoulosWriter
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Stephan BernardesWriter
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Jordanis PapadopoulosProducer
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Wolfgang EstersKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Portrait, Retro, Nostalgia, Film, Dramedy, Cinema, Passion, Pop, Culture, Fan, Nerd, Geek, Love, Social
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Runtime:19 minutes 48 seconds
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Completion Date:December 15, 2019
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Production Budget:0 EUR
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Country of Origin:Germany
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Country of Filming:Germany
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Language:German
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Shooting Format:digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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21st Munich International Short Film Festival - Bunter HundMunich
Germany
March 5, 2020
World Premiere
International Competition - Finalist for the Audience Award -
3rd First City Film FestivalLeavenworth, Kansas
United States
March 28, 2020
(postponed to 2022)
Official Selection -
43rd International Grenzland Filmtage SelbSelb
Germany
April 16, 2020
German Premiere - (postponed to April 2021
Audience Award - 3rd Place -
6th Lyons Film FestivalLongmont, Colorado
United States
April 4, 2020
(postponed to October)
Official Selection -
19th Tiburon International Film FestivalTiburon
United States
April 18, 2020
(postponed to December 2020)
Official Selection -
1st Apox Film FestivalLosinj
Croatia
October 4, 2020
Croatian Premiere
Official Selection -
7th Construir Cine International Labor Film FestivalBuenos Aires
Argentina
May 8, 2020
South American Premiere
International Documentary shortfilm competition -
6th Minikino Film Week - Bali International Short Film FestivalBali
Indonesia
September 6, 2020
Asia Premiere
Official Selection -
17th Cheongju International Short Film FestivalCheongju
Korea, Republic of
August 24, 2020
Korean Premiere
Official Selection -
1st Not So Happy Film FestivalVästra Ämtervik
Sweden
July 3, 2020
Sweden Premiere
Jury Award - Best Film -
8th Ariano International Film FestivalAriano
Italy
July 27, 2020
Italy Premiere
Official Selection -
10th Farcume - International Short Film Festival of FaroFaro
Portugal
August 15, 2020
Portugal Premiere
Official Selection -
16th Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film FestivalIzola
Slovenia
August 26, 2020
Slovenia Premiere
Video on the Beach Section -
7th Kurzfilmwanderung LeipzigLeipzig
Germany
September 9, 2020
Official Selection -
2nd Close:Up Edinburgh DocufestEdinburgh
United Kingdom
October 14, 2020
(postponed unti further notice)
Official Selection -
2nd 3in1 International Film FestivalAlmeirim
Portugal
November 24, 2020
Official Selection -
5th Dalmatia Film FestivalPirovac
Croatia
December 1, 2020
Special Jury Award / Official Selection -
8th Hammer KurzfilmnächteHamm
Germany
November 28, 2020
Official Selection -
11th Baku International Short Film FestivalBaku
Azerbaijan
November 18, 2020
Azerbaijan Premiere
International Competition -
12th Angaelica FestivalPasadena
United States
November 10, 2020
(postponed to December 2020)
Official Selection -
Petit Plan: EuropaAthens
Greece
February 1, 2021
Greek Premiere
Official Selection -
1st Cefalù Film FestivalPalermo
Italy
May 30, 2021
Official Selection
Distribution Information
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Jordanis PapadopoulosCountry: WorldwideRights: All Rights
Stephan Bernardes is a Brazillian-German filmmaker born and raised in São Paulo, where he made his first steps in the film industry. After moving to Germany in 2011, he studied art history and sociology at the University of Düsseldorf, focusing his research in documentary film history and theory. From 2016 to 2018 he worked with producer Marcelo Busse on several fictional and documentary projects including the German-Canadian production The Whale and The Raven, which was the opening film of the 2019 edition of the DOK.fest Munich Film Festival. He is currently working on his master’s degree in film production at the renowned film academy Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Videothek is his directorial debut.
In a time in Germany where video stores have been steadily closing for years, a film like ours seemed urgent. Videothek is on its surface a portrait of a man, but this journey is based on empathy and emotion, not exposition of content. The video store doesn’t reflect just this store, but that one store the viewer knows from their hometown, the one they can still almost smell. Wolfgang clearly stands for a deep love for cinema and relentless optimism. On the other hand, also a deep attachment to nostalgia and an unwillingness to let go. Our aim was to make a film that carried both sides, the comedy and the melancholy. It is in the spaces we’ve left open that the viewer can reflect his own imagination. Like Luciano Barisone once told: documentary filmmaking is filming the visible to portray the invisible.