The 5th edition of the UNERHÖRT! Musikfilmfestival in Hamburg takes place from May 11 - 13.
We concenrate this year's programm again on the whole genre "musicfilm". So, besides the documentaries we will screen feature films, videoclips and all the other interesting formats.
The centre will be the b-movie, which is in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel, the district where UNERHÖRT! has it's roots.
Further information will follow, the deadline for film entries will be announced here soon. Of course, we also take any application that is sent earlier now into our plannings.
UNERHÖRT! Beste Musikdoku 2011
Benda Bilili! is the UNERHÖRT! Best Music Documentary 2011
The "UNERHÖRT! Best Music Documentary 2011" is:
Benda Bilili!
The jury of experts, namely Ale Dumbsky, Ruben Jonas Schnell and Holger True, gave the following explanation for their choice:
The film Benda Bilili! from director team Renaud Barret and Florent de La Tullaye follows the band "Staff Benda Bilili!" from Kinshasa. For more than five years they document the musicians and their fate which sounds like a collection of clichees. Homeless, disabled and in an African country which barely recovers from civil war.
We were impressed that the team managed to be at the right spot at the right time. The endurance to finish such an endeavour was finally rewarded with the big success of the band in Europe. This also gives the film a nice climax.
From a technical point of view the documentary is very well done, both with respect to camera, photography and editing. However, what really stands out is the excellent dramatic composition. The viewer is quickly pulled into the story and the lives of the main characters. The scenes in the burned down house or the many episodes from the life on the streets of Kinshasa are very impressive. Finally we were touched by the big success the band can celebrate in Europe. Barret and de La Tullaye managed to tell this unconventional story in a very authentic way.
This is why we reward the film with the prize "UNERHÖRT! Best Music Documentary 2011"
Honourably mention for Taqwacore
We would also honourably mention the film Taqwacore by director Omar Majeed. Similar to Benda Bilili! Majeed managed to pick up the camera at the right time. This is why we can take part in the genesis of Islam punk. The film captures the development of a new musical movement very well. Thereby the audience can experience Islam in a way that is very different from the experiences of everyday West-European life.
UNERHÖRT! 2011
We are on our marks ... only a couple of days until the start ...
