The Flemish group BERLIN uses documentary methods to explore themes relating to specific cities or places around the planet. The subject of their project The Making of Berlin is the story of a Berliner, Friedrich Mohr, who was stage manager of the Berlin Philharmonic during the Second World War. His incredible story, linked to a performance of Wagner's Götterdämmerung at the very end of the war, is missing a chapter. The creators decide to finish it. With the help of the Flemish Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the radio station Klara, BERLIN immerse themselves in studying period realia. However, the large-scale project encounters unexpected circumstances.  

BERLIN was founded in 2003 by its current artistic director Yves Degryse, along with Bart Baele and Caroline Rochlitz. Their documentary style incorporates film, video, theatrical methods, and exhaustive research. Their cycle of urban portraits entitled Holocene, which includes The Making of Berlin, opens with Jerusalem, followed by Iqaluit, Bonanza, Moscow, and Zvizdal. A few years later, BERLIN created a new cycle entitled Horror Vacui, the first five episodes of which are Tagfish, Land's End, Perhaps All the Dragons, Remember the Dragons, and True Copy. Several episodes have won awards. Bonanza won the Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the "Innovation, Experimentation & Playing with Form" category. Land's End and True Copy were selected for the Flemish TheaterFestival, and Zvizdal was chosen for the Dutch TheaterFestival. The Making of Berlin is the final part of BERLIN's Holocene Cycle (also known as the Urban Cycle). 

"Armed with cameras, interview techniques, editing tables, and actors, BERLIN portrays reality like a painter used to do: with a bit more color, lively angles of incidence, and a brush setting that betrays a critical undertone. "

(Knack Focus Portal)

De Standaard and De Morgen ranked this performance as one of the ten best performances of 2022.  

Credits

Direction: Yves Degryse  
With: Friedrich Mohr, Martin Wuttke, Stefan Lennert, Werner Buchholz, Alisa Tomina, Krijn Thijs, Chantal Pattyn, Symphonic Orchestra Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Alejo Pérez, Yves Degryse, Caroline Große, Michael Becker, Claire Hoofwijk, Alejandro Urrutia, Marek Burák, Marvyn Pettina, Farnaz Emamverdi 
Team BERLIN: Jane Seynaeve, Eveline Martens, Jessica Ridderhof, Geert De Vleesschauwer, Sam Loncke, Manu Siebens, Kurt Lannoye  
Team Opera Ballet Vlaanderen: Jan Vandenhouwe, Lise Thomas, Eva Knapen, Christophe De Tremerie  
Video and video editing: Geert De Vleesschauwer, Fien Leysen, Yves Degryse  
Internship video editing: Maria Feenstra  
Drone shots: Yorick Leusink and Solon Lutz  
Behind the scene footage: Fien Leysen  
Scenography: Manu Siebens  
Set construction: Manu Siebens, Ina Peeters, Rex Tee, Joris Festjens  
Set construction and design film: Jessica Ridderhof, Klaartje Vermeulen, Ruth Lodder, Ina Peeters  
Musical composition and mixing: Peter Van Laerhoven  
Live music: Rozanne Descheemaeker or Diechje Minne/Matea Majic  
Music film: Peter Van Laerhoven, Tim Coenen, Symphonic Orchestra Opera Ballet Vlaanderen conducted by Alejo Pérez  
Mixing Ocrhcestra: Maarten Buyl  
Live and sound design and mixing: Arnold Bastiaanse  
Sound recordings: Bas De Caluwé, Maarten Moesen, Bart Vandebril  
Translation and subtitling: Dorien Beckers, Maria Feenstra, Annika Serong, Nadine Malfait, Isabelle Grynberg  
Technical coordination: Manu Siebens, Geert De Vleesschauwer  
Production management: Jessica Ridderhof  
Production assistance Germany: Daniela Schwabe, Gordon Schirmer  
Research Wagner: Clem Robyns  
Internhship Research: Annika Serong  
Photography: Koen Broos, Gordon Schirmer  
Business management: Tine Verhaert  
Business management [until 2021]: Kurt Lannoye  
Day-to-Day coordination and production: Jane Seynaeve  
Distribution: Eveline Martens Communications: Sam Loncke  
Production: BERLIN  

Coproduction: DE SINGEL [Antwerp, BE], le CENTQUATRE-PARIS [FR], Opera Ballet Vlaanderen [BE], Voo?uit [Ghent, BE], C-TAKT [Limburg, BE], Theaterfestival Boulevard [Den Bosch, NL], Berliner Festspiele [DE]  

With the support of: the Flemish Government, Sabam for Culture, Tax Shelter of the Belgian federal government via Flanders Tax Shelter  

Thanks to: Linnen Berlin, Xaveriuscollege, Zaal Billy, corso, Klara, Oderberger Hotel, Het nieuwstedelijk, De Munt - La Monnaie, Cornelius Puschke, Lisa Homburger, Jill Barnes, Aino El Sohl, Natasha Padabed, Max-Philip Aschenbrenner, Carena Schlewitt, Myriam De Clopper, Barbara Raes, Dirk Rochtus, Anneleen Hermans, Mark Reybrouck, Karen Vermeiren, Guido Spruyt, Hannes D'Hoine, Niels Kloet, Roel Gelderland, Mark Dedecker, Eric Mostert/VMOO, Cees Vossen 

BERLIN is associated artist at DE SINGEL [Antwerp, BE] and artiste associé at le CENTQUATRE-PARIS [FR] 

Partners

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Goethe Institut Praha

Flanders — State of the Art