GERMANY
DESPERADOS ON THE BLOCK
2009 – 35mm – colourd - 85’
Direction: Tomasz Emil Rudzik
Screenplay: Tomasz Emil Rudzik
Cinematography: Sorin Dragoi
Editing: Christoph Hutterer
Set design: Cinzia Fossati
Costumes: Christina Heidelmeier
Cast: Patricia Moga, Andreas Heindel, Lizhe Liu, Korinna Krauss, Helen Woigk
Producer: Fritz Böhm, Sven Nuri
Production: Toccata Film con / with TEO-Film
World Sales: Toccata Film, Bauerstrasse 34, 80796 München, Germany, Tel.: +49 89 45 22 22 -30 /-70, Fax: +49 89 45 22 22 -45, email: info@toccata-film.com , www.toccata-film.com
SYNOPSIS
Their paths cross in the elevator of an anonymous student block in Munich: Clara, Motek, and Sin are three strangers in Germany, longing for acceptance and warmth, searching for a spark of the feeling we call “home”. A deaf-mute guy from Latvia invites a girl to spend a day with each other without speaking. A Romanian girl tries to catch God’s attention by testing the limits of the Ten Commandments. A Chinese guy finance his studies as a tutor in math of a teenage rebel.
THE DIRECTOR: TOMASZ EMIL RUDZIK
Tomasz E. Rudzik was born 1979 in Cieszyn, Poland. At the age of eight he moved to Cologne, Germany and graduated from highschool in 1998. From 1998 to 1999 he became a DJ in a senior day care to absolve his civil service. He studied culture & theatre and polish studies in Berlin from 1999 to 2001. From 2001 to 2009 he attended the Munich Film & Television Academy.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
For more than 3 years, I was a resident of the “Block” myself. My door is one of 630 doors, in one of those 19 floors. After a year had passed, I realized that I didn't know any of the people behind of those doors. Everybody was either living entirely on his own or in very small groups. I wanted to change that, so I decided to do elevator trips all day long – my method of getting in touch. Soon, I started to knock at three doors per day in addition, in order to break through that wall of anonymity. This was the beginning of many friendships. Some of them last until today. Of course, it was also the beginning of a great compilation of various stories, often very touching. Most of foreign student's stories evolved around loneliness and feeling estranged in Germany. It was heartbreaking to observe how some of my neighbours grew very inventive to overcome their homelessness... For my first feature I decided not to journey to other continents. Instead I went with the stories I discovered right outside my room. Stories that were there to be told – for those who look carefully – and listen.
FILMOGRAFIA
2001 Die Schattenboxer (short)
2002 Flaschendreh (short)
2003 Tote Indianer (short)
2004 Garage Love (short)
2005 Der Spaziergang (short)
2009 Desperados on the Block
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
2009 Film Festival Max Ophüls Preis
2009 San Sebastian
2009 Mostra Int. de Cine – Sao Paulo
2009 Fünf Seen Filmfestival: Newcomer Award
2009 Mediencampus Bavaria: Award for the Best Thesis Feature
