Losers and Winners – Work Is Just a Part of Life

Our films do not explain the world, they tell its stories.

We reflect the political in the personal and explore important social issues through individual experiences. Full of curiosity and with great respect, we turn the lens towards our protagonists – towards all of their special qualities and their faults, their charisma and their eccentricities. The stories themselves seek out the form that suits them best – unconstrained in terms of form, and without commentary. Classic storytelling in the tradition of narrative documentary film.

Ulrike Franke
Born in Dortmund in 1970. Studied theatre, film and television studies, Romance studies and art history at the University of Cologne. Worked on a number of television and feature films since 1992. Writing, producing and directing together with Michael Loeken since 1996. Numerous jury activities (Filmbüro NW, Gerd Ruge Scholarship, various festival juries…) and teaching activities (ifs köln, Filmhaus Köln, ISFF Berlin, ZDF Media Academy…). Project-related collaboration with artists from other disciplines (Rimini Protokoll, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Theater Dortmund…). Professor for documentary film d’auteur at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM) (in a part-time role) since 2017.

Michael Loeken
Born in Neviges in 1954. Studied theatre, film and television studies in Cologne. In 1981, wrote and directed the documentary ICH HATTE SCHON BEGONNEN, DIE FREIHEIT ZU VERGESSEN. Worked as a sound engineer on numerous documentary, feature film and cinema productions from 1982 to 1996. Writing, producing and directing together with Ulrike Franke since 1996. Teaching activities (ZDF Media Academy, ifs köln, Filmhaus Köln…) and jury activities (Filmbüro NW, German Editing Prize, Filmstiftung NW…). Project-related collaboration with artists from other disciplines (Rimini Protokoll, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Theater Dortmund…).