ZWISCHEN HIMMEL UND ERDE
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Genre
Feature Documentary
Year
2020
Length
64 mins
Language
German with English subtitles
Director
Zenon Kristen
Synopsis
Once in the little village of Ahnatal-Weimar, near the city of Kassel, there were three bronze bells hung in the church tower. During World War 1, two of the three bells were taken from the tower to be made into ammunition. In the year 1920, the village decided to trade the one remaining bell for three steel bells. These bells have hung there ever since and have now rusted through completely. The «Three steel sisters» have witnessed 100 years of village history and now their time has come.
But every end brings with it a new beginning. The church congregation came together to raise the funds for a set of new bronze bells. Through the process they experience what can be achieved with diligence, team work and the sweat of one's brow. After a long process they finally achieve what they had set out to do. Four new bronze bells finally make their way into the church tower.
The filmmaker Zenon Kristen, who grew up in Ahnatal-Weimar himself, accompanies the village on its journey which takes him to places unforeseen.
What began as an intimate documentary of Ahnatal-Weimar church's new bronze bells, quickly developed into a much more complicated story that extends far beyond the village borders. It is a film about how a village bands together, the value of peace in turbulent times, an almost forgotten ancient art form, and a sound which is too often ignored.
Cast
UTE DILGER · THOMAS DILGER · THOMAS RAFFLER ·
FRITZ FRÖLICH · UDO LEIS · WOLFRAM SPYRA ·
FRIEDRICH LUNCKE · ALBERT BACHERT · CHRISTIANE BACHERT · ZENON KRISTEN a.o.
Crew
Co-Producer NIK BACZEWSKI
Directors of Photography ZENON KRISTEN · HARRY BESEL
Soundmix HARALD BERNSTEIN
Written, produced, directed, edited and graded by
ZENON KRISTEN