Blurred People at Kotti

My Kotti, the Kottbusser Tor: ‘Squatter neighbourhood, Little Istanbul, drug scene, artists‘ and scene district: the Kottbusser Tor has seen a lot. You can see it, hear it and smell it. But the centre of the Kreuzberg district SO36 is also a diverse and characteristic place with many great bars, restaurants, culture and history,’ as Berlin’s TIP magazine describes it.
I lived nearby for a long time and was both annoyed and delighted. Everything.

Now I’ve come up with a mini project and am taking Kotti pictures, pinhole camera photos with Kotti and people coming and going, with short (1 second) and long (20 seconds) exposure times.
I used two different Illy cameras with different sized holes! Two different apertures (260 and 533) which results in – under bright sunshine condition – exposure times of 2 seconds and 10 seconds.

Here are two from yesterday (bad scan), the first sunny and mild day after a long, grey and freezing cold winter!

Rummaging Through My Archive

In preparation for my feature-length film ‘Khani’s Reise’ (Khanis Journey), I rummage through my archive for old travel clips from when we were travelling in the USA and Canada 20 years ago.

I have a bunch of Super 8 films from that time, some of which have been digitised, some of which haven’t! This will be the start of the new film, as an introduction, so to speak.

Some loops here:

Got A Stipend!

Cheers! Got a stipend! For a medium long film project. From the wonderful Berlin Funding programme for artists in film/video.
(The funding is intended for artists (women and trans, inter and non-binary people) who have already completed their artistic training and/or who can prove that they have been working as a filmmaker for several years. The work grant amount to € 2,000 per month. They are usually awarded for a period of four to six months depending on the specific requirements of the project – subject to the availability of funds. (I got 4 months!))

Hänsel & Gretel And A Long Winter

Not much has happened the last week … I’m a bit ill, with a cold and cough, but I’m still walking through wintry, freezing, snowy Berlin.

I had a scanning appointment for my many pinhole camera negatives and realised once again: when the world, people and politics depress me, pictures fill my heart with a smile and gentle confidence.

This strange Hänsel and Gretel photo: me and my friend-who-flies-around-in-an-unknown-universe. … Fixing error? Minor solarisation? Sticky fingers? Black stars twinkling? I don’t know… but I find it mysterious and beautiful.