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.

  • Stephan Bernardes
    Director
  • Jordanis Papadopoulos
    Writer
  • Stephan Bernardes
    Writer
  • Jordanis Papadopoulos
    Producer
  • Wolfgang Esters
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Portrait, Retro, Nostalgia, Film, Dramedy, Cinema, Passion, Pop, Culture, Fan, Nerd, Geek, Love, Social
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 15, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    0 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 21st Munich International Short Film Festival - Bunter Hund
    Munich
    Germany
    March 5, 2020
    World Premiere
    International Competition - Finalist for the Audience Award
  • 3rd First City Film Festival
    Leavenworth, Kansas
    United States
    March 28, 2020
    (postponed to 2022)
    Official Selection
  • 43rd International Grenzland Filmtage Selb
    Selb
    Germany
    April 16, 2020
    German Premiere - (postponed to April 2021
    Audience Award - 3rd Place
  • 6th Lyons Film Festival
    Longmont, Colorado
    United States
    April 4, 2020
    (postponed to October)
    Official Selection
  • 19th Tiburon International Film Festival
    Tiburon
    United States
    April 18, 2020
    (postponed to December 2020)
    Official Selection
  • 1st Apox Film Festival
    Losinj
    Croatia
    October 4, 2020
    Croatian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 7th Construir Cine International Labor Film Festival
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 8, 2020
    South American Premiere
    International Documentary shortfilm competition
  • 6th Minikino Film Week - Bali International Short Film Festival
    Bali
    Indonesia
    September 6, 2020
    Asia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 17th Cheongju International Short Film Festival
    Cheongju
    Korea, Republic of
    August 24, 2020
    Korean Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 1st Not So Happy Film Festival
    Västra Ämtervik
    Sweden
    July 3, 2020
    Sweden Premiere
    Jury Award - Best Film
  • 8th Ariano International Film Festival
    Ariano
    Italy
    July 27, 2020
    Italy Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 10th Farcume - International Short Film Festival of Faro
    Faro
    Portugal
    August 15, 2020
    Portugal Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 16th Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival
    Izola
    Slovenia
    August 26, 2020
    Slovenia Premiere
    Video on the Beach Section
  • 7th Kurzfilmwanderung Leipzig
    Leipzig
    Germany
    September 9, 2020
    Official Selection
  • 2nd Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest
    Edinburgh
    United Kingdom
    October 14, 2020
    (postponed unti further notice)
    Official Selection
  • 2nd 3in1 International Film Festival
    Almeirim
    Portugal
    November 24, 2020
    Official Selection
  • 5th Dalmatia Film Festival
    Pirovac
    Croatia
    December 1, 2020
    Special Jury Award / Official Selection
  • 8th Hammer Kurzfilmnächte
    Hamm
    Germany
    November 28, 2020
    Official Selection
  • 11th Baku International Short Film Festival
    Baku
    Azerbaijan
    November 18, 2020
    Azerbaijan Premiere
    International Competition
  • 12th Angaelica Festival
    Pasadena
    United States
    November 10, 2020
    (postponed to December 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Petit Plan: Europa
    Athens
    Greece
    February 1, 2021
    Greek Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 1st Cefalù Film Festival
    Palermo
    Italy
    May 30, 2021
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Jordanis Papadopoulos
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Stephan Bernardes

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.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

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.