TRIPLE PROJECTION from WAR IS MENSTRUAL ENVY, shown 8/2011 at the Macabro Festival, Mexico City

After attending 8th Directors Lounge film festival for more than a half nights, I have managed to get attached to it so much, that I already miss the weird animal trailer and the funny poodle dog poster, and the team and film selection and even the room for screenings itself. This festival has a truly good aura; entirely dedicated to film directors – mostly unknown, underestimated, underground or simply weird or even too brave to hide their mental ideas.

It is a paradise for smokers: – watch a film, enjoy your Berliner Pilsner and smoke a cigarette or a joint. I must admit that that vegetable soup made my barnman felt better than any kebab at that time of night.

And it is time for party! it does not metter that it is not Friday yet, it is time for party.

Strange music selection along with the films felt almost like a freak show for outsiders. As a film director you see your world being screened by others, as an audience you feel engaged with this world, and as a representer you feel honored to show this world. 

I felt like a part of this freak show, and it felt good to be an outcast. Free from prejudice, moral laws and social incompatibility. I suddenly understood what i have to film next.

The films which evoke emotions, are the real films. Out of all films only 1% left me indifferent. Great selection from silent movies to contemporary psychedelic art, visual pressure on my eyes. Again it felt good…

Andre Werner is THE man. This is the attitude he has to whole festival, what makes it so magic!

The closing night was the most special to me. At 6pm Sunday night DL has screened:

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

William S. Burroughs.

william s burroughs

Without being born in 60s or 70s it is rather hard to realise the importance of this figure. However, it is impossible not to know about him… He has made so many beginnings for so many roads, and said so many phrases which became golden key words for the 20th century. He was the figure to admire, to fear, to love and be near by! There are so many stories to tell about him! It is not easy to put such a long and bright life into 90 minutes of footage identifying the main characteristics of Burroughs’ entity. Dry sense of humor, lsd-6, heavy metal, shooting guns not heroin, soft machine, cats and naked lunch – this is William in a few words.

“love is the most natural painkiller what there is.”

Yony Leyser is a twenty-five-year-old filmmaker from Chicago, Illinois, and currently living in Berlin.

Yony Leyser. All rights reserved by Katja Avant Hard

Special guest after special guest. What a collection of inspiration! The man from the picture. 1 to 1.

Nick Zedd is dead. 

This is something what should be included in art film studies.

Nick Zedd

The year was 1984, and it was obvious that the world was nearing its end. New York City had become a devastating landscape. The crime rate was at an all time high, and thousands of brain dead zombies in business suits wandered the streets of the Financial District, deeming Wall Street a danger zone.

While the evil tyrants of the Hollywood Kingdom continued to brainwash society and sabotage cinema with the help of their robotic army fronted by Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald, cinematic outcasts Nick Zedd, Richard Kern, and Lydia Lunch decided to fight back by assaulting the enemies with such underground features as They Eat Scum, Whoregasm, and Thrust in Me.

The Cinematic Terrorists, headed by Zedd took no prisoners, and soon, the “Cinema of Transgression” had been declared. The war was on, and their film screenings would constantly be interrupted by violent outbursts, blackouts and even mini-riots.

To put it lightly, Nick Zedd is a pioneer. Not only did he reinvent the world of underground cinema, but helped to inspire an entire generation of courageous filmmakers who’ve decided to stand up against those evil, money hungry tyrants of Hollywood land.

In fact, to claim that John Water’s film “Cecil B. Demented” is actually based on Zedd and his career would not be to far from the truth. Zedd has been considered a cinema terrorist, and though his work has received critical acclaim, continues to be banned throughout the U.S. Nick Zedd has cemented his place upon the top of the list of American Cinema’s Most Wanted.

This is the cinema that later became TRASH CINEMA, however Zedd remained the same…within his transgression. And this is so special about him.

CFS – Have you ever gotten to the bottom of the Quentin Tarantino thing? Is he a fan of yours? What is “Zedd is Dead” all about? (Within Tarantino’s film “Pulp Fiction”, the line ‘Zedd is Dead’ is spoken throughout)

NZ – Once I followed him into the men’s room in a bar, introduced myself and asked him if the comment was directed at me and if so why. He said “No, but it could have been,” and told me he was a fan of my stuff. We were both drunk. At this point in the conversation he was pissing into a toilet and it seemed gay to be talking to him so I left.
Maybe I’ll have someone say “Tarantino is Dead” in my next movie.

Nick Zedd. All rights reserved by Katja Avant Hard

“Nick Zedd makes violent, perverted art films from Hell- he’s my kind of director!” John Waters

http://www.nickzedd.com/

All about THAT cinema:
Blank City Official Trailer

Of course this was not all, it was time to party..

With DJ Grammophon and his vintage turntable, being operated by white gloves..

DJ Grammophon. All rights reserved by Katja Avant Hard

HUGE thank you to everyone who made this festival possible. Long live Directors Lounge!

image taken from: http://benefitofplants.blogspot.com/2011/04/benefits-of-bean-sprouts-prevent-cancer.html

Berliners (and other Germans) like germinated bean sprouts. They like it green and fresh in general. In stead of greasy MCdonalds all over child’s face, you see a child on a train sucking a cucumber, and it makes you smile.

And it seems to be a tradition here, when coming to a dinner party(which of course in the end turns into a regular Friday night house party) everyone cooks and brings his/her own dish. Fear and clear. You usually will end up with clever salads, nice fresh breads, fish, fruits, cheese, vegetables (even fresh carrots!) and most likely olives. People even travel with soups on the metro! Living in Denmark|Copenhagen i saw(maybe you saw differently) an opposite picture. The host cooks nothing, even if he she is a birthday child, and the guests bring nothing, but the booze for themselves. This territory feels rather sharp, once taking somebody’s beer from a refrigerator makes you feel like a thief. Danes are territory oriented, it is very hard to step in to their private spaces, especially if you’re a foreigner. Danes won’t share their food and drinks with anyone. And this is normal, this does not make them greedy, this is a part of Scandinavian mentality.

Tuborg ad

Back to germinated bean sprouts:

Prevent Cancer
Nevertheless, benefits bean sprouts is not only contributing fertility,it also evident in research contains a substance that can crippling source of cancer, colon, pancreatic and leukemia.

According to research conducted,bean sprouts whether from type green beans, alfalfa and others contains many element beneficial phytochemicals.One is kanavanin that is a kind of amino acid. Kanavanin, alleged be able cripple source of cancer leukemia, colon and pancreas.

Good For Women
In addition, bean sprouts also have natural estrogen that function like estrogen synthesis.

Estrogen in bean sprouts can increase bone density and structure, and prevent bone loss (osteoporosis).Intake bean sprouts regularly by women can help them avoid from breast cancer,menstrual disorders, pre-menopausal symptoms, and disorders due to menopause.

With English it is once again a different picture: they have no problem with sharing. At home this is take away pizza, at work this a home made sandwich carefully wrapped in plastic or put in a plastic lunch box. This picture does not change from day to day. The English who would bring a banana or an apple to work i could count on fingers.

English Mcdonalds, especially in smaller cities, was a daytime nightmare for me…I FEAR MCDANALDS. Ketchup-mayonnaise battle and a burger which never fits into anybody’s mouth.

taken from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

English have no imagination on food, their roasted dinner is most acceptable. Once again simple to bits. Meat in the oven, and boilt vegetables.. English do not spend time on complicated recipes, even in London, paying £17 for a dish you see fries, a piece of chicken, ketchup, and the only thing which looks a bit more creative – is a salad with NUTS! 

I know a girl, and she is the only one, who managed to impress me with her cooking process and the food she was bringing to work. I guess we both were rabbits.. outsiders at the dinner’s table.

English will never agree on that, but my English lecturer DID, so this is a great achievement! And if you ask: so, what about cakes and muffins? English muffins WERE NOT invented in England. Shortbreads,  doughnuts,  and cakes contain more butter than anything else, their cream is simply disgusting.

picture taken from: http://cdn2.mixrmedia.com/wp-uploads/girlybubble/blog/2010/08/wasabi-peas.jpg

I like coming to work and be offered wasabi beans or dried fruits…

picture taken from http://www.jacks.ru

As about Latvians, they simple do not have food. Not literally, but the general income in the country is so low, that even main accountants start leaving for social care work in Germany. Counting cents, and living on 10-20 lats per month, is impossible. I am not talking about the lucky ones.

And the mental breakdown of the country stops me from generalising the image. The country is STILL split in TWO NATIONS: Russian and Latvian side. It feels likere there never will be peace in Latvia, and there never will be ONE nation. Sad faces, homophobia, anger, hate, distopia – this is what I see when I  come home… But i miss the food. We have stolen a lot of dishes from Germany and Russia. So, our kitchen is rather rich. We eat everything from German solyanka soup to tongue salads and hearts. Latvian traditional food is black beans cooked with onions and rather fat meat pieces, also ribs and Sauerkraut, which has also been taken from Germans. I guess we can be proud with our great variety of pancakes, there are several places where you could go and eat all kind of pancakes, with all kind of fillings, it will take you a few good turn ups to try all of them! And i think we are still terrible with pizzas and kebabs, this is something we still can not cook properly.

picture taken from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

Future Shorts

Future Shorts is coming to Berlinale and will be having a party! Meet Future Cinema, the creators behind Future Shorts Festival and Secret Cinema, with DJ and short films to feature. 

Date: 13th of February 2012
Time: 21.00
Location: Michelberger Hotel, Warschauer Straße 39 10243 Berlin, Germany

Club Gretchen logo

This is something i am looking forward to visit next month for a French DJ set Birdy Nam Nam, sounds like my place. Friday March 30th! 21:00h. 

 I guess I will be in Berlin until it can not surprise me anymore.

Club Gretchen

Get inspired! http://www.gretchen-club.de/

Step inside!

1001 nights at the cinema, all in eleven days. A romping, cinedalic party, the place to see films, rub shoulders with filmmakers and spectators, meet a global set around the bar… and see more films. What’s up and coming, with performances and music thrown in for good measure. This year topped off with a celebration with all the Berlin Film Festivals: Festivals United, The Official Festiwelt Party Wed., Feb. 15 – the night to party with all the movers and shakers of the Berlin (and beyond) film universe. Enough festivals to kill a rhino!

BERLINALE or Directors Lounge???

The 8th Berlin International Directors Lounge, the festival for contemporary media and film.
February 9 – 19, Naherholung Sternchen, behind the Kino International
U Schillingstrasse | Berolinastr. 7, 10178 Berlin-Mitte

Daily from 6pm, no admission till 10pm 
Opening reception Thurs., Feb. 9, 8pm
Festivals United | The Official Festiwelt Party Wed., Feb. 15

Join on FACEBOOK

Homepage: 
http://directorslounge.net/

Program:
http://berlinlounge.tumblr.com/

WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - A MAN WITHIN | Yony Leyser

Featuring never-before-seen archival footage of Burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with colleagues and confidants including John Waters, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Gus Van Sant, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Sonic Youth, Laurie Anderson, Amiri Baraka, Jello Biafra, and David Cronenberg, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: A MAN WITHIN is a probing, yet loving look at the man whose works at once savaged conservative ideals, spawned countercultural movements, and reconfigured 20th century culture. The film is narrated by Peter Weller, with a soundtrack by Patti Smith and Sonic Youth.

photo by Katja Avant-Hard

Transmediale 2012: 30.01.-5.02

Shiny gold press kits, shiny gold posters and the topic: in/compatible

How does a modern face fitted into contemporary society look like? Is is a touch screen face? Does it flicker? Does it glitch? Is it loud? Does it speak 8-bit and 16-bit langues? Is it censored and copyrighted?

Do you fit in modern society?

————————————————————————————————————-

 On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.

Peter Steiner

————————————————————————————————————-

Going to Transmediale for the 1st time I was curious to see what topics they will be discussing, and issues they will be solving and analysing. I guess 10 years ago Transmediale was dealing with different topics than now; and it is obvious that the festival curators are working their asses off on geting the latest topics up with the best quality representers.

The audience is young; so the festival has to make sure the language their use is accessible. Noise seemed to be a dominant element: exhibitions rooms roared, performers made explosive sounds and the earplugs were given too (young ears should be preserved!), and of course glitch was widely represented by many different artists in different retrospects.

Pure noise, dirty noise, quiet noise, loud noise, visual noise, sonic noise… Glitched Simpsons, scratched DVDs, broken data, unfixable screens, microwaves on fires, old good Come To Daddy video… Noise feels peaceful and relaxing. Within few minutes i learned how to enjoy noise.
The trailer is filmed with low quality cam, putting an impact on media sources we use(of course not all of us are 5D MK2 users).

The screenings were concentrating on Youtube generation addicts, which were quite well selected, informative in a way and also shocking. People live “real lives” on Youtube: crying, laughing, putting make up on, telling stories… Scary digital maniacs freaking out their thoughts through a web cam. That is why Vimeo put quality emblem right away.

As about the quality of Transmediale 2012. I should admit curation still is the hardest part. It is hard to be clear, representative, meaningful and interesting at the same time. Mixture of accents also sometimes can be a problem, BUT not if the speaker is excellent. Many panels had a great potencial but were not open fully.

The speaker has to be able to surprise the audience and keep their attention for longer than 10 minutes. This is not easy, and not because this out psychology, but because the audience these days knows too much( i am talking about a particular audience with a particular point of interest).

I truly enjoyed Jodi Dean speech about Occupy LiveWallst movement. http://occupywallst.org/ She was very self-confident with a strong point of view, brave to disagree with anyone in the audience. She was passionate in her speech, providing a chain of visual material which has empowered her presentation. However, i still have a question… Going against capitalism, screaming about the disbalance, what economical and political solution does this world wide revolution offer? They fight for democracy. But at the moment these are slogans, posters and sharp-witted political art.. So, what solution do you offer? You surely do not want communism back saying that Marx was right? Please feel free for commenting here.

from Facebook Occupy page

Occupy Wall Street. Taken from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

the 99%

taken from: http://www.globalpost.com/

Taken from Occupy Facebook page

Joshua Light show, fully analog equipment and the biggest projector in Europe (if I believe the Transmediale director words) was outstanding, meditative and very original for these digital days. I should not describe the effects, as words will have no meaning here…

I just will add that i attended the 2nd show with Oneohtrix Point Never(us), and the guy was really good. Of course, this is show music best enjoyed with visuals.

|

Images from the backstage 2 days before the shows: Tons of equipment was brought from America to Berlin!

|

Joshua light show. Photo by Katja Avant-Hard

Joshua light show. Photo by Katja Avant-Hard

Saturday was a sex day, dealing with online problems. Chinese are big fans of Japanese porn, of course, because in their own country it is banned and everyone who attempts to go over it gets blacklisted or put in prison. Porn is more exciting when you can not access it as easy as in Europe. Gay comics and Futanari are highly appreciated. School girls being fucked by men in suit. They make this noise between pain and pleasure, and until she reaches orgasm noone really understand if she cries or enjoys it.

All this enlightenment comes from Katrien Jacobs (Belgium); and she seems to be the only practitioner and analist in chinese porn paranoia.

Chinesedigitaltimes.net is the only webpage which writes about everything happening in China

Article by Katrien Jacobs

Ok. and here is the song which was made against the computers with chips stoping porn on your pc.

Futanari: girls with dicks. Taken from http://www.itusozluk.com/

It was nice to see Rosa Menkman (The Glitch goddess), and thank you for your Glitch Manifesto in a printed form. Everyone else can read it here in pdf format: CLICK

I guess what really would be thrilling, - is a glitch workshop. As there are many ways how to bend the data, but for some of us less technical that does seem to be so straight forward. I know the are video and blogs with the instructions, but that is a normal part of the Internet. But a real workshop on glitch would just feel totally different. I won’t be surprised if in a couple years there be a lecture on “Bugs in the machine” in one of the Berlin’s universities.

Found on: http://www.meh.ro/

found on: http://dadamachinima.net/

Taken from http://www.transmediale.de/

Bonobo

Some musical explosions are coming to Berlin within the next 3 months! Different styles, different venues, different categories. Make your choice:

This thursday Feb the 9th on of the most important downtempo performs will stage in Berlin.
BONOBO : Gretchen, Berlin

Austrian artist Anja Plaschg (born 5 April 1990) in Volksbühne, February the 12! Dark and melodic girl at the piano.

SOAP&SKIN (sold out)

Scary and Beautiful at the same time. Can’t stop my gaze.

The night after (February the 13th) Peter Hook (Joy Division drummer!) will come with his band The Light to perform “Unknown Pleasures” - timeless debut album, in K17 club.

Joy Division leftovers, so to speak. Enjoy while it lasts! Grab that tune! Stop freezing like a bastard. Bring your ass to K17! Tickets 30 euro.

Joy division

A few weeks later, March 21st (yes! we are only 3 weeks away from the spring!) at Lido you can see a post rock band, called

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU

in support to their last, rather sludgy album “Tunnel Blanket”.  TWDU is an American band (Texas) formed in 2005, has made it through in this terrible mass of post rock and post-post rock generation. It is all about the melody and explosive motives.

And jumping to April the 9th, another quiet instrumental band, this time post-metal will perform at Festsaal Kreuzberg

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

Web: www.festsaal-kreuzberg.de

Simple as that. It is here

This American brand has been one of the most popular and beloved shops in Europe, where the amount of shops is still quiet limited, which makes it more exciting. UO is known for its up to date collections, big designer names, vintage section, lomo cameras, funky books and trendy interior design. And of course, UO likes great music too; they organise events in their stores and they are usually fully organised by staff.

Of course, one could find a lot of cheesy clothing there too, hipster heaven and all that, but hey no metter who you are, you can find something you will definitely want to buy!

Of course, Baltics can only dream about this type of store, as the prices are usually exaggerated. I first visited UO in Copenhagen, and later it was London, and online store. But to be honest, shopping with UO online is rather disappointing.

OK. Go ->

Urban Outfitters
Weinmeistersrasse 10
10178 Berlin

Article on opening: http://www.mitvergnuegen.com/2012/mode-vergnuegen-eroeffnung-urban-outfitters-store/

Urban outfitter blog: Philadelphia

Urban outfitters Fall '10 collection

Urban outfitters blog: Los Angeles

Urban Outfitters blog: Philadelphia

Urban outfitters blog: Philadelphia

Urban outfitters blog: Stockholm

Urban outfitters blog: Stockholm

Urban outfitters blog: Philadelphia

Urban outfitters blog: Philadelphia

Simon Preen, collection

GLITCHs NOT DEAD t-shirt designed by UCNV

Just a year ago, exactly a year ago, I was sitting in the DIGITAL MEDIA room in England browsing Transmendiale page thinking how great it would be to attend the festival. The idea or the message of the festival was directly clashing with my studies(the point of interest) and my diploma research. And then 3 months later I have finished writing my diploma about THE AESTHETICAL VALUE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GLITCH ART; LO-FI ARTISTS FORMULA AND THEIR PRACTICES (available on for download on my homepage: HERE ), where I have mentioned all the Glitch Art pioneers and Glitch practitioners, the most active name seemed to be  Rosa Menkman. I was mainly discussing how one puts it in the “art” category, finding the right niche for it. There are plenty discussions going online about how to make glitch what is glitch, and how do we deal with it? There are tutorials, analysis, manifestos, conferences, festivals, new books published, etc. But only 10 years ago it was novelty, tsomething what was never fully discussed before.

─┤└┬┘₱̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌̌ ┼_̶̶̶̶̶┘█▀ ▌┴▐ ┴┴ ▌┼_̶̶̶̶̶3̶̠̅̆E
˃ » ► ░▒▒▓▓▓███▀▄█▄█▀▌▀█▀▐█▀
▓▒░Ͼ(ΦΧΦ)Ͻ░░▒▒▓█▓▒▒░░ (θόθ)░▒▓
¨¨ººººo᷆᷆͋͋͋͋͋o̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾00O0̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾̾o͕ͫͫͫͫͫͫͫͫoͦͦͦͦͦ◌ͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬͬ○ͭͭͭͭͭͭͭͭͭͭͭͭ○ͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤͤ…My main concern was to talk about the paradox – how trash becomes treasure, in other words how the unwanted bug on our computer can become welcomed and be SOLD, like everything else these days... Thus, glitch has become a brand.

All rights reserved by geso1001

All rights reserved by ForTheWinMusic

Some rights reserved by Rantz

All rights reserved by cmyka_msced

All rights reserved by geso1001

In my conclusion I have said:

Lo-fi art has progressed under new coltural conditions

making its way to the galleries.

And this year 2012, I am in Berlin and Transmediale welcomes Rosa Menkman with her speech:

Rosa Menkman’s animation to the panel that she is moderating in the in/compatible symposium on aesthetics.
Feb 2–4, 2012, Auditorium at Haus der Kulturen der Welt

Rosa Menkman

WAV turned into a square chunk of white noise distortion:

Some more topics which made me pay some attention:

Porn, Patriotism and Paranoia on the Chinese Internet

is a talk + screening of the reSource programme at transmediale 2012
w/ Warbear & Katrien Jacobs
Saturday, Feb 4, 2012, 16:30–18:00, K1, Haus der Kulturen der Welt

SUSPENSION

SATELLITE STORIES

• THU 02.02.2012 | 14:30 h | Admission: 8 €/5 €

http://www.hkw.de/media/bilder/2012_3/transmediale_2012/magic_for_beginners_mclean.jpg

photo by crycheck

This is more than just an abandoned territory for taking fashionable pictures, this is more than what you see in Hollywood horror films… This is a true life story of a German family. This is the place which was made for joy and family pastime and which turned into tears and literally imprisonment… The place of decay and disorder.

You can almost hear the child echo booming voices in the area of 29.5 hectares, and only security dogs will welcome you now..

The entertainment park was opened in 1969 as Cultural Park Plänterwald, covering an area of 29.5 hectares. The area lies in the north of the Plänterwald in direct proximity to the Spree. It was the only constant entertainment park in the GDR and after the consolidation of the two German states also the only one in all of Berlin.

Wiki

On the 1st of January we decided it would be the best time for seeing Spreepark Plänterwald... as pictures remain just somebody’s snaps, and you want to see the atmosphere and the size of the place yourself.. In rain and mud we got to the place, and were nicely surprised not to be alone, as many couples and even families were wondering around. This time no security guards.. The place is huge but very empty, so many things are gone, destroyed by time or demolished by curious strangers..

The only thing which seems to be still alive is the wheel, Berlin eye, or whatever we may call it spins on its own. On the door of the English looking houses with a stage in the yard, you can read SHE’S LOST CONTROL AGAIN…

The huge dinosors now been moving around for years; people have taken surreal images from all possible angles and side views. The dino with graffiti.. Mixed feelings don’t let you leave the place.. Endless tracks lead nowhere.. Bright colours covered in moss, mould and spider web. And it is water water water everywhere you go… but no boats which would function or take you through…

photo from: http://blog.moniquewuestenhagen.de/

Photo by Schacky

Ghosts in Spreepark, photo from: http://sqar.net/blog/wordpress-3.2.1/wordpress/photography/

Photo taken from: http://static1.unlike.net/

Photo: Anne Meyer

Photo taken from Peter Bowen article

Author: Anne Steckner

Photo: Musement Berlin from http://turnstylenews.com/2011/09/21/musement-berlin-artists-take-back-abandoned-amusement-park/

Photo from: http://turnstylenews.com/2011/09/21/musement-berlin-artists-take-back-abandoned-amusement-park/

Photo from: http://turnstylenews.com/2011/09/21/musement-berlin-artists-take-back-abandoned-amusement-park/

Photo By Just in Parr

I was lucky enough to get a well shot documentary “Achter Bahn”. The trailer will tell you in the first 30 seconds, how depressing the story is… 

Published in B EAST Magazine, November 2010, Photo by Megan Cullen

By Joel Alas: Photos by Megan Cullen Norbert: Witte lives in a trailer inside the gates of a derelict theme park on the banks of the river Spree in East Berlin. The theme park is his own, as is the dereliction.

Berlin in the 1990s was a city full of energy and opportunity. Artists and businessmen alike were breathless with excitement about the possibilities that had been opened up by the fall of the wall.
Witte was among those who took hold of the potential of the era. He dreamed of Spreepark becoming one of the primary attractions in the new city, a rival to the great theme parks of the world. He set about installing new rides and attractions – some of them without proper building permits.
His gamble began to pay off. Visitor numbers were up. They came in their thousands, mostly on weekends, driving in from across the region to experience the new thrills Witte had brought to the park.

In 2001, as the park’s fortunes began to descend, Witte made the acquaintance of a Peruvian expatriate who casually reflected on the dearth of decent fairground attractions in his home country, not knowing that Witte might take his conversational chatter as the basis for a new business plan. Overnight, Witte formulated a way to save himself from financial ruin: He would pack several amusement rides in shipping containers and slip away to Peru to start a new theme park, far away from his chequered history, the inflexible city authorities, and his looming bankruptcy.

“To Lima with the rollercoaster!” screamed the headline in the Berliner Zeitung newspaper on January 22 2002, the morning that Witte’s flight came to light. The city was furious that its beloved theme park had been stripped bare of its rides and left with a €15 million debt.
Meanwhile, in Peru, Witte was discovering that the land of promised opportunity was merely a mirage. The salty air rusted his machines. Local technicians were in short supply. His family was isolated and depressed. Debts began to mountain.
In a desperate bid, Witte turned to local drug dealers to provide him with cash. The idea came through a former Spreepark electrician who had connections to the Peruvian drug world. A plan was laid out: He would return to Germany as he had departed it, with his amusement ride ‘The Magic Carpet’ in shipping containers. Only this time, the ride would be a little heavier – the metal support beams would be packed with 167 kilograms of pure South American cocaine.

In the weeks before the shipment was due to depart Peru, Witte suffered several heart attacks. Was it the stress of the deal that brought on the attack? Was it a psychosomatic escape from an unseemly situation? In any case, Witte raced back to Germany for medical treatment. From his recovery bed in Berlin, he continued to coordinate the cocaine deal, and coaxed his son Marcel to take his place at the head of the operation.
Marcel was then 21 years old. He had traipsed around the world with his outlandish father, enduring the financial ups and downs, his parents’ marital strains, and the uncertainty of what might lie around the next turn of the track. He was taken aback at his father’s request, yet was eager to help restore his family’s success.
It wasn’t Marcel’s plan. Neither was it his fault that one the drug dealers was a police informant. Yet when police swooped on The Magic Carpet in November 2003, it was Marcel’s wrists that were slapped in handcuffs.

Published in B EAST Magazine, November 2010

There is also a book available about abandoned places/spaces in Berlin. THE BOOK

More details read: HERE

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