FILM HIT IN CANNES WITH PANASONIC CAMERAS

For the first time since 1993, a German film has premiered at the legendary Cannes film festival, receiving praise from audience and critics alike. Titled The Edukators, the complete film was shotusing two DVCPRO50 AJ-SDX900 camcorders. It was shown at Cannes having been transferredto a 35mm print. The Edukators is director Hans Weingartner’s second film; his first The White Roar was nominated for the German Film Prize. Like many of his young contemporaries, Weingartner had to make do with a small budget. Rather than using supplementary lighting and expensive sets, the film was shot on-location utilising natural light conditions and local scenery in Berlin and the Austrian Alps. The cameras used were matched by Viteg, Panasonic’s local sales partner in Neu Anspach, Germany. Weingartner had already come to appreciate the advantages of digital cameras while shooting his first film. “It was important to shoot again with the hand-held camera. It allows both camera operators and actors to move freely through the space available.” The AJ-SDX900’ s flexibility made it the perfect choice for the film. Indeed, the compact camcorder has become a favourite of budget film directors. Its 16:9 picture format, 25p mode and Cine-Gamma function provide a genuine film-look, which only a highly trained eye can distinguish from classical film lighting. Camera man Matthias Schellenberg is also full of praise:“The AJ-SDX900 is unrivalled in its class in terms of 25p recording. The power of the pictures took me by surprise – and can be directly compared to 16 mm film without fear of criticism.” Background The Edukators was produced by y3 film (Germany) in co-production with coop99 (Austria) and co-operation with German public broadcasting corporations SWR and arte. The film was financed by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs, the Film Board Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany), the Vienna Film Fund (Austria) and Cine Tirol (Austria). Storyline Jan, Peter and Jule are three carefree young rebels, united in their dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and in their determination to change it. “The rightful educators”, Jan and Peter, send the moneyed elite in their city a mysterious message: “The good years are over“. But complications set in when sensitive Jule falls in love with both men, and several daredevil operations put the three in danger. When a raid goes wrong, a completely unintended kidnapping leads the three young idealists into direct confrontation with the generation that holds the reins of power. Good bye, Lenin! star Daniel Brühl plays the main role. Cinema screening dates for the film are soon to be announced.