Copyright (c) Filum Productions 2021
A documentary film of a remarkable young German woman, facing her imminent death.
An intimate story of embracing the unknown.
German with English subtitles.
Julie Le Gal is from a theatre family in Toronto, Canada. She studied the Michael Chekhov Technique in New York, where she joined the Actors’ Ensemble for many years of creation and touring shows. She produced, created, directed or performed pieces in Berlin, and throughout Germany and Canada. She co-starred in The Breeder, shot in the Rebublic of Georgia, and can be seen in features, shorts, MOWs and TV series for CBC and SyFy. Behind the scenes, she has photographed and helped produce. Die Faehre is her first film. She lives in Wakefield, Québec, with her family.
Esmerine Juno award-winning quintet Esmerine was co-founded by percussionist Bruce Cawdron and cellist Rebecca Foon in 2001. They have released five critically acclaimed albums of minimalist, expressive modern chamber music - with one foot in the contemporary classical music/experimental terrain of the late 20th century and the other in a more visceral and lyrical instrumental landscape brought forth from punk and new wave. www.esmerine.com
Constellation Records cstrecords.com/esmerine
Eva Brüggemann, (Hofkomponistin), born in 1970 lives with her two children in Hamburg. She studied Art and Illustration in Braunschweig and Hamburg. Since 1992 she has been a free-lance composer, lyricist and musician. In the nineties she gave concerts and played in many competitions with her band ‘Evantgarde. Since 2000 she has been writing music and texts for the theatre, and in this way also came to acting and is more and more frequently on stage. www.hofkomponistin.de
Halina Kremser, 1969, studied theatre, singing and dance in Berlin and in Tel-Aviv, Israel. She performed and directed in various ensembles and theatres in and around Berlin, and directed in Italy. She was seen on screen in feature and TV films and heard on the radio in Germany, and was part of various singing ensembles and choirs. She taught in Bogota, Columbia, and trained intensively in Chi Gong at the Shaolin Temple in Germany. She passed away on May 20, 2013.
Film biographies
About the film
In April 2013, I heard that Halina, a previous colleague and friend was in a hospice dying of cancer. A few days later, I was flying from Canada to Berlin to film and document her last weeks. I filmed her with friends and family, with nurses and therapists, I interviewed her, and filmed her surroundings. Three weeks later, I returned to follow her to a studio north of Berlin where she had organized a bed, a doctor and night nurse to care for her so she could experience the rural arts festival that takes place there every year, and say goodbye to friends. These days were full of adventure and poignant moments. She passed away a week after I left her.
Working with the material has been a profound and life-changing journey. How do we choose to live with the inevitable presence of death? Most of us ignore it until, like in Halina’s case, it makes itself known.
The film looks at Halina’s attitude towards death, her questions and her fears. She strives to understand, change and learn, despite pain and disappointments, right to the end, and her love of life and beauty fills the story. She finds a way to die her own death, in acceptance, in forgiveness, even in joy.
Julie Le Gal, director
Contact
Photo Tim Leyes
Photo Aylin Gungor
Photo Sollsuchstelle
Music
Halina Kremser
Director, Editor
Music
AUDIENCE REACTIONS
"Absolutely breathtaking."
"So much humanity and grace in this film."
"...so gorgeous...filled with beauty and tenderness."
