DER DEUTSCHE KINDERWUNSCH? (2017)
THE GERMAN DESIRE FOR HAVING CHILDREN?
social spot
director/script: Merle Grimme camera: Felix Pflieger & Thomas Spitschka editing: Merle Grimme interviews: Merle Grimme & Felizitas Hoffmann research: Felizitas Hoffmann sound: Michael Prechtl/Rabelle Erian producer: Salome Tomasek production: wirFILM Bertolone & Ehlayil GbR & University of Television and Film Munich (HFF Munich)
Everyone wants children. And once you have children, everything will work out OK. A promise that is not always fulfilled and not for every woman. The film addresses the questions: Why does a woman (not) want children? What effect does it have on her and on her role in society?
Produced for the Short Film Competition of ZEIT Legacy Study
Sponsored by: Federal Foreign Office
In cooperation with: DFA Production - The German Film Academy, infas and WZB
Awards:
Jury Award - ZEIT Vermächtnisstudie, sponsored by Federal Foreign Office
TAKING TIME (orig. MAL ZEIT) 2015
short documentary film, 16mm
director/script: Merle Grimme camera: Felix Pflieger editing: Merle Grimme sound: Charlotte Funke music/sounddesign: ISOLA MUSIC excecutive producer: Marie Freund & Nicolai Fitzgerald production: University of Television and Film Munich (HFF München)
The separation of work and rest periods is getting lost in our society. It's all about efficient schedules. The world of food has been adapted by the principle of efficiency: On every corner waits something for you that you can eat to go. In a capitalist world, food is reduced to a simple source of energy, without spending too much time with it.
The documenatary "MAL ZEIT" observes the capitalization of food, the hectic way of eating and the resulting loneliness through calm and quiet tableaus.
100 YEARS OF ARRI (2016)
concept & compilation: Henning Rädlein producer: Nicolai Fitzgerald, Henning Rädlein, A-Ran Bang, Natasza Chrosicki, Kathy Chung, Forest Liu, An Tran editors: Merle Grimme, Aleksej Berkovic RGC, Gregg Bishop, Leslie Eckert, Thomas Erichsen, Christoph Hutterer, Sophie Kill, Zenon Kristen, Florian Leitl, Pierre Martinet, Nathan Morris, Adee Ng, Margret Run, Petra Scherer, Frank Schönfelder, David Scott Smith, Hikaru Suzuki, Bryan Tanori, Yuye Wang, Xepa Creative (HK) Ltd, Min-Jung YEO, Ze Yuan
production: ARRI
Editor for several interviews and short ad's for ARRI's 100th anniversary. (Gernot Roll, Rolf Steinmann, Chris Menges, Dr. Johannes Steurer, Marc Shipman-Mueller, Gerhard Fromm, etc.)
ZELLOPHAN - LE-THAN HO (2014)
music video
director: Christopher Aoun co-director: Merle Grimme camera: Christopher Aoun
NEUGIER / CURIOSITY (2013)
short film, fiction
director & screenwriter: Merle Grimme camera: Manuel Gehrke editor: Merle Grimme sound: Florian Brüggemann producer: Merle Grimme production: University of Hildesheim
cast: Isabel Schwenk
A young woman gets stuck in her one-night stand's apartment. Boredom leads her to experiment with the male gender. What is male? How does it feel to be a man? And can a woman pee while standing?
HORTENSIEN HOTEL (2011)
short film, fiction, 16mm
director & screenwriter: Merle Grimme assistant director: Konstantin Bock camera: Thomas Tittel lighting designer: Marco Müller sound: Jana Stah, Alexej Ulinici editor: Lana Kloodt producer: Elena Parwan production: University of Hildesheim
cast: Ireen Kirsch, Jonas Minthe
Most films end when a romantic relationship begins. Hortensien Hotel begins when the love ends.
DIGEL POWERST 2016
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Felix Pflieger camera assistant: Daniel Schäfer editor: Merle Grimme music/sounddesign: ISOLA MUSIC
production: INKcorporated & Merle Grimme
Windsor Spring/Sommer 2015
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Marco Müller assistant camera: René Zander editor: Konstantin Bock music/sounddesign: ISOLA MUSIC
production: INKcorporated & Merle Grimme
CLASHING DIFFERENES (2023)
feature film & miniseries
@clashingdifferences
#clashingdifferences
House of Womxn has a diversity problem. Or so the all-white board members have been told. Forced to take action with the threat of being removed from the International Women’s Conference, the board hires Paula — a lesbian with her own closely-held thoughts around privilege —to assemble the perfect mix of marginalized people to develop the organization’s all-inclusive manifesto.Among those enlisted include an Asian divorcee fighting for custody of her gender-neutral child, a Black woman tired of being taken advantage of, and a disabled immigrant. Forcing queer folks to cohabitate for a weekend for the sake of solidarity certainly has its pitfalls. As their different viewpoints on race, feminism, and other hot-button issues threaten to derail the entire weekend, they find themselves dealing with a much more dangerous threat.
At a time when many organizations seem to view diversity as checking the right boxes for show rather than genuinely being inclusive, filmmaker Merle Grimme’s Clashing Differences uses humor to take a frank look at nuanced, layered, and complex topics like labor exploitation, colorism, and intersectionality.
(written by program note writer Angelique Smith, Frameline Festival)
AWARDS:
BIG AUDIENCE AWARD – FIRST STEPS AWARD / German Film Academy
BEST SCREENPLAY - NEW GERMAN CINEMA @ 40th Int. Filmfest Munich
AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST FEATURE FILM @ Afrika Filmfest Köln
DON QUIJOTE PREIS – BESTER SPIELFILM @Queer Filmfest Weiterstadt
FESTIVALS:
Int. Filmfestival Munich, Germany
Raindance Film Festival, London, UK
Frameline Festival, San Francisco, California, USA
Outfest Festival, LA, California, USA
Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Vancouver, Canada
AGLIFF Austin’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Austin, Texas, USA
Newfest - The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, NY, USA
Hamburg Int. Queer Film Festival, Hamburg, Germany
Pop Kultur Festival, Berlin, Germany
Out On Film Festival, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Oslo / Fusion Int. Film Festival, Oslo, Norway
Afrika Filmfest Köln, Köln, Germany
Int. Filmfest Braunschweig (Out of Competition), Braunschweig, Germany
AfryKamera, Warsaw, Poland
African Diaspora Int. Film Festival, NY, USA
Q-Fest University of Wisconsin, USA
Slovak Queer Film Festival, Bratislava, Slowakia
Freiburger Lesbenfilmtage, Freiburg, Germany
NOMINATIONS:
Best Director (Merle Grimme), Best Screenplay (Merle Grimme), Best Production (Miriam Klein), Best Actor (Safak Sengül, Rabea Lüthi) – New German Cinema – 40th Munich Int. Film Festival, Germany
Best Debut Film – Bunte New Faces Award (Merle Grimme)
Best Feature Film for Television – Jupiter Award
CAST
Rabea Lüthi – SUS
Thelma Buabeng – KISHA
Şafak Şengül – CENA
Jane Chirwa – FLORA
Minh-Khai Phan-Thi – SIMONE
Lisa Hrdina – PAULA
Christine Wilhelmi – HANNAH
GUESTS
Inka Friedrich, Anna Stieblich, Eva Bay & Tucké Royale
SUPPORTING CAST
Timm-Christian Schindel, Bartholomäus Martin Kleppek, André Blüthmann
Screenwriter & Director & Producer Merle Grimme Cinematographer Diara Sow Editor Andi Pek Music Jared Meier-Klodt Johannes, Stegemann, Nima Sene Costume Designer Ulé Barcelos, Dilara Ozkan Production Designer Stephanie Schober Art Director Bartholomäus Martin Kleppek Hair & Make up Titi Amoako, Jenny Arlt, Layana Flachs Casting Director Stephanie Maile Casting (Online / Social Media) Brenda Geckil Gaffer Janne Ebel Sound Nic Nagel Foleys & Sound Design Jonas Lechenmayr Kai Unger Sound Mixer Woepf Lechenmayr Line Producer Ann-Kristin Bardi Unit Manager Philip Ostendorf, Kevin Nerlich Concept for Anti-discriminatory and Inclusive Producing Merle Grimme Anti-discrimination Representative Patricia Redzewsky Workshop „Rassismuskritisch denken lernen“ Tupoka Ogette, Stephen Lawson Workshop „Critical Whiteness“ Jule Bönkost Workshop for Empowerment & Embodiment Coach Pasquale Virginie Rotter Adivsor on Inclusion und Accessibility Katharina Pape Specialist consulting Anti-discrimination clause Sonja Laaser, Nora Auerbach Consulting Diversity & Inclusion Diversity Arts Culture, Eylem Sengezeris, Cordula Kehr Script Consultant Hannes Oppermann Director's Coach Nastaran Tajeri-Foumani 1st AD Mai Trang Nguyen 2nd AD Nima Sene AD Postproduction Lorena Junghans Script/Continuity Dessirie Böhnke, Kiara Fakhoury Accounting Ina Stahnsdorf-Novotny Production Management ZDF Vanessa Manako, Catharina Treber Production Assistant Eylin Ammon Unit Manager Preproduction Monika Kowolik Production Assistant Preproduction Emma Stiehm Casting Assistant Rosa Mylord On-Set Unit Manager & Titel Design Timm-Christian Schindel On-Set Unit Management Assistant Ana Wybkea Gutschke Set-Runner Emilia Paloma Happi Driver Nora Lüders, Salomon Appiah, Marcel Singer Steadycam-Operator Lasse Liebelt B-Cam Rabea Lüthi Assistant Camera Nadja Krüger Data Wrangling Greta Markurt, Antoinette Dyksman Key Grip Michel Klares Sound Assistant Fanny “Thera” Harisch, Magdalena Jacob. Costumer Sophia Schramm, Valentin Mici Standby Props Aylin Englisch Set Dresser Dirk Ehrhardt Props Driver Bartosz „Pinky“ Jedras Production Design Intern Wilke Donker, Jan Michalsky Helping Hand Production Design Heike van Benthum Set Graphic Designer Anna Kawka Additional Hair & Makeup Daniela Berner, Marie-Luise Adler, Eleonore Ising Best Boy Arne Weiss Lightning Technician Jenny Röders, Aurelia Langhanke, Regina Wiebe, Elisa Daniel, Daryna Snizhko Catering Patrick Degbe, Alexander Kipke, Kay Rachui Assistant Editor Cho de Koningh, Philip Bell Sound Editor Fidi Franek ADR Recordist Jan Meyerdierks ADR Inhouse Producing Johannes Weiht Music-Supervision Klaus Frers, Barbara S. Weber Imaging Supervisor Kenneth Hecker-Stiller Project Manager Imaging Katharina Deltow Technical Supervisor Imaging Patrick Heck Color Grading Jeffrey Yaworski DI & Conforming Engineer Jasper Brandt. Mastering Engineer Kay Schuchert, Tobias Weber VFX Philip Nauck Making Of Spill the Ts Collective & Team Legal consulting RA Dr. Christopher Borgmann ZDF Security Manager Frank Heider Security Team Coordinator René Benz Location Franziska & Thomas Machts Sanitary, Water Tank, Generator André Blüthmann Set Tent Oliver Michalsky Equipment Camera, Lightning & Grip Ute Baron, Christian Fischer Covid Testing Tobias Heinemann Captioning Blondah Fritaud Insurance Marco Quast Bank Anna Wolff HFF Project Supervisor Prof. Karin Jurschick HFF Project Counselor Nora Moschüring, Anna Brass, David Spaeth HFF Line Producer Christine Haupt HFF Assistant Line Poducer Stefanie Tölk HFF Production Secretary Daniel Zitzer HFF Accounting Margit Werb-Alraun Project Counselor Solmaz Sohrabi ARTE Editorial Ann-Sophie Müller, Stéphanie Maure ZDF Editorial Lucia Haslauer ZDF/ARTE Editorial Simon Ofenloch, Martin Gerhard Producer Mimi Klein, Gabriela Sperl
A a little. film production and sperl film + fernsehproduktion Production Co-Production ZDF Das Kleine Fernsehspiel in Cooperation with ARTE, University of Television and Film Munich (HFF Munich)
Funded by FilmFernsehFonds Bayern und Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
REGRETTING MOTHERHOOD (2017)
short documentary essay film
director/script: Merle Grimme & Felizitas Hoffmann camera: Felix Pflieger & Thomas Spitschka editing: Andreas Baltschun sound: Michael Prechtl/Rabelle Erian excecutive producer: Marie Freund/Julian Anselmino
production: DREIFILM & University of Television and Film Munich (HFF Munich)
As in many countries, motherhood is something sacred to the German people. This makes it almost impossible to question the status quo, for women to speak openly and honestly about what it means to be a mother. In 2015 a conversation opened up throughout the country, about 'Regretting Motherhood'. This is the first documentary approaching this important debate, giving women a platform to talk freely and anonymously about their feelings and experiences.
Festivals/Screenings/Talks: creativ laboratory-fem:power Oldenburg 2018 |Göttingen Centre for Genderstudies (GCC) 2018 |dortmunder tresen festival 2018| University of Hildesheim "What We Mean By Feminism" 2018 |bi'bakino Bi'bak 2017|Filmschool Fest Munich 2017 |24th Etiuda&Anima 2017 |Kraków (Poland) |10th filmzeitkaufbeuren 2017 | |11th Fünf Seen Festival 2017 |23rd International Short Film Week Regensburg 2017 | Berlinale Empfang der Filmhochschulen - Pitch 2016
Nominations: DOK.fest - DOK.forum - marketplace 2017 | Projects Young
Filmmakers Award 2016 | Das Goldene Glühwürmchen – Int. Fünf Seen Filmfestival
IM FILMDING DRIN / INTO FILMMAKING (2014)
short documentary
director/script: Merle Grimme editor: Merle Grimme camera: Thomas Tittel, Daniel Menzel, Merle Grimme production: University of Hildesheim
cast: Timm-Christian Schindel, Daniel Menzel, Thomas Tittel, Loifor (band)
A young filmmaker's struggel to get into the film business without film school. Will he ever be independent or will he get stuck in producing ad's and music videos to pay his rent?
FESTIVAL TV - INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIK GRAF (2015)
Filmfest München
director: Merle Grimme interview: Merle Grimme camera: Felix Pflieger, Moritz Tessendorf editor: Merle Grimme sound: Mila Zhluktenko production: Filmfest München & University of Television and Film Munich
guest: Dominik Graf
WARTEN AUF X / WAITING FOR X (2013)
short documentary film
director & camera & editor: Merle Grimme, Helena Eckert, Fanny Langner production: University of Hildesheim
The experiment: What happens if several artists of different art fields have to work on one piece of art without knowing or meeting each other?
Festivals & Screenings & Publications:
Zeitzeug Festival 2014 | conference: Making-of in Hildesheim | Pubication: Making-of-Lexikon.de: making-of-lexikon.de/#text=warten-auf-x
DIGEL Spring/Summer 2016
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Adrian Campean editor: Merle Grimme music/sounddesign: Isola Music
production: INKcorporated & Merle Grimme
Windsor Fall/Winter 2015
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Merle Grimme camera assistant: Adrian von der Borch editor: Konstantin Bock music/sounddesign: Isola Music
production: INKcorporated & Merle Grimme
s.Oliver 2014
video invitation
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Christopher Aoun steadicam operator: Peter Schmehl assistant camera/focus puller: Marco Müller editor: Konstantin Bock music/sounddesign: ISOLA MUSIC
production: 222 NYC LLC (New York)
DIGEL MOVE Spring/Summer 2016
director/concept: Merle Grimme camera: Felix Pflieger editor: Merle Grimme music/sounddesign: Isola Music
production: INKcorporated & Merle Grimme