BALKAN MELODIE

North American Premiere

(Switzerland/Germany/Bulgaria, Documentary; 2012. 90 minutes.)

Director : Stefan Schwietert
Producer : Cornelia Seitler
Language : French, Romanian, Bulgarian with English subtitles
Editor : Isabel Meier
Production company : maximage GmbH, zero one film GmbH, Agitprop, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, SRG SSR, RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, Bayrisches Fernsehen
Screenwriter : Stefan Schwietert
Cinematographer : Pierre Mennel
Music : Gheorghe Zamfir, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
Cast: Marcel Cellier, Catherine Cellier, Gheorghe Zamfir, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

Synopsis : Over 50 years ago, Marcel and Catherine Cellier traveled for the first time behind the Iron Curtain, where they collected the best music in Eastern Europe for years. Marcel Cellier assisted the Romanian pan flute virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir and the legendary Bulgarian female vocal choir “Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares” in achieving world fame. The film traces the Celliers’ footsteps in Eastern Europe to meet up again with the protagonists from that time – and to discover new musical treasures.

Additional info :

Director’s Biography:
Stefan Schwietert was born in 1961 in Esslingen, Germany and grew up in Therwil. He made his first films for Videogenossenschaft Basel. Later, he worked as a director’s assistant in musical films for TV Globo. In 1982, Schwietert studied film and video at California Art Institute in San Francisco and from 1984 to 1990, he studied at DFFB (Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie, Berlin). By 1991, Schwietert had Founded Neapel Film in Therwil and began producing and directing documentary films. Schwietert was awarded the Swiss Film Prize, Best Documentary 2005 for “Accordion Tribe” and in 2008 for “Heimatklänge” (Echoes Of Home). Today, he lives and works in Berlin and Therwil.

Film Website: http://www.swissfilms.ch

This screening is sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland

Filmography : Das Topolino Projekt (Short, 1986) - Director Tapez 36-15 Code Gorba (Short, 1987) - Director Fualni 88, The Last Ten Days Of A Campagne (Documentary, 1988) - Director Sprung aus den Wolken (Fiction, 1991) - Director Der Schatten ist lang (Documentary, 1994) - Director A Tickle In The Heart (Documentary, 1996) - Director Im Warteraum Gottes (Documentary, 1998) - Director El Acordeón del Diablo (Documentary, 2000) - Director Voyage Oriental – The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band In Turkey (Documentary, 2000) - Director Liebeslieder (Documentary, 2001) - Director Das Alphorn (Documentary, 2003) - Director Schwarze Madonna (Documentary, 2004) - Director Accordion Tribe (Documentary, 2004) - Director Heimatklänge (Documentary, 2007) - Director Big Band Poesie (Documentary, 2007) - Director Balkan Melodie (Documentary, 2012) - Director

Film source :

LOOK NOW! Filmverleih - http://www.looknow.ch