Category: Uncategorised

Man at Beer Cafe

A short documentary from one of Susanne Björkman’s first radio assignments. A serendipitous recording of a lonely man in a ‘Beer Cafe’ in Malmö. As Susanne approached his table, he began a spontaneous monologue about his loneliness, which lasts the length of the song playing on the jukebox in the background.

Susanne Björkman was born in 1946, beginning her radio career at the Swedish Radio Company in 1971 and working exclusively in documentary form from 1976. She’s a garlanded feature-maker winning awards such as the Prix Italia, the Jörgen Ericsson Award and the Ikaros. In 1990 she became Sweden’s first professor in radio production at the Drama Institute in Stockholm. Susanne’s programmes are often portraits of people she has spent extensive time with, recording what happens in their lives. What is recorded is both an external and an internal process. The conflicts or themes that crystallise during the recording are often quite separate from the genesis of the documentary.

Papa, We’re in Syria

In February 2015, Joachim Gerhard has reached the city of Elbeyli on the border between Turkey and Syria and stands within sight of Kobane, a city under fire. He shouts in despair into his phone. He is trying to persuade his two sons Mike (18) and Klaus (25) to come back to Germany with him. For the last time but one, the 51-year-old hears their voices – distorted and hysterical. Soon afterwards a video appears – Mike and Klaus pose with an automatic rifle under a black Daesh flag and declare their father an enemy. Nevertheless, Joachim does not give up on his sons.

The voice messages from the father and the Gerhard brothers, and the video, are all original material.

Papa, We’re in Syria won the Prix Europa for Best European Radio Documentary in 2017.

Christian Lerch works as an independent author and audio producer for various German speaking public broadcasters and podcasts.

Gabriela Hermer works as an executive producer at rbb, Berlin. Before she started working at rbb, she was an independent documentary filmmaker and radio feature producer.

Papa, We’re in Syria features the voices of Bettina Kurth, Florian Lukas and Fabian Busch. The sound was by Bodo Pasternak and Bettina Mikulla; assistant direction by Oliver Martin; direction by Christian Lerch and production by Gabriela Hermer. It was a Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg production in cooperation with Westdeutscher Rundfunk.

 

 

Wait

‘Is this interview for me or for you?’

Two men share an intimate conversation exploring the desire to escape, vulnerability and giving your heart to a stranger.

Wait (Espera) won the Directors Choice award at the Third Coast International Audio Festival (2018) and was shortlisted for the Hearsay International Audio Arts Festival ‘Celebrate’ and GanBéarla awards (2019).

Sayre Quevedo is a multimedia documentary artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the creator and co-producer of Re:Construcción, a transnational exhibit that explores the legacy of the Salvadoran Civil War. His work has been featured on National Public Radio and Marketplace, among others.

Everyday Something Disappears

Resounding with music, humour and humanity this feature blends the story of a pianist documenting his own decline and the residents of a care home near the Dutch border of Essen. Musically interweaving reality and fiction we dive into the internal world of people who feel that they are beginning to lose themselves.

This feature won the Prix Italia, Premios Ondas and a Special Commendation at the Prix Futura in 1993.

The pianist’s diary extracts are taken from the novel ‘Out of Mind’ by J. Bernlef.

On Top

A personal look at the strange crossover between Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and parachuting.

Winner of the 2017 HearSay Festival ‘Create’ GanBéarla Award and Best Radio / Sound Art Award.

Narration, field recordings, sound design and mix by Maria Dønvang. Male voice – Peter Dønvang.

Maria Dønvang is a Danish radio producer searching for new connections and hidden poetry in ordinary life.

Stairway to Heaven, In Boxer Shorts

The sound of a night in bed with a couple doomed to say goodbye.

Winner of the 2017 HearSay Festival ‘Celebrate’ GanBéarla Award and the 2016 Korte Golf Radio Prize.

In remembrance of Bernard De Rycke, with special thanks to Bernard and his wife Machteld Van Vlaenderen.

Eva Moeraert worked for 11 years for the public broadcast company (VRT) in Belgium. Now she’s an independent producer and radio-teacher. Eva won the Korte Golf radio competition for short docs in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2015 and 2016 and The Hearsay Audio Prize in 2017.

Blindfold Yourself

What can happen if two complete strangers meet for the first time, in complete darkness? Having to form their first impression not through their sight, but through sound and touch?

Blindfold Yourself was shortlisted for the 2017 HearSay Festival ‘Celebrate’ GanBéarla Award.

It was recorded in November 2016, at the Hug workshop/performance, organized by British composer Verity Standen and the Prague association Voicescope.

Jiří Slavičínský is a radio documentary-maker based in Prague, working for Czech Radio. Besides the Czech Republic, his documentaries have been broadcast in Canada, Ireland, Slovakia and the US. He is currently editing field recordings from Mongolian steppe for his next feature.

The Creator of Fear

On the threshold of sleep a recurring nightmare is revisited.

The Creator of Fear was shortlisted for the 2017 HearSay Festival ‘Celebrate’ GanBéarla Award.

Interview, recording, sound design and mix by Ole Fugl Hørkilde. Featuring the voice of Ida Baden.

Ole Fugl Hørkilde is an independent audio documentary maker, teacher and curator. He is the co-founder of Københavns Radiobiograf (Copenhagen Radio Cinema) and the creative director of MIRP 2017 in Denmark.