Manfred Durniok

The Heart of the Bear

A young Estonian goes to the Siberian Taiga to live as a hunter in a remote forest hut. He hopes to find his true self far from civilisation. The natives he meets introduce him to the myths of the north. The first is a young village teacher who wants to be a good wife to him. The second is a wild and untameable native who becomes his mythical bear-woman. When he accidentally kills a great black bear, his own shadow-creature, he burdens himself with guilt. However, he is given a chance of finding his inner balance. A romantic drama with mythical elements and breathtaking landscapes.

Hotel Shanghai

German two-part miniseries about the westerns staying at a popular hotel in Shanghai as the Japanese invasion of China also known as the Second Sino-Japanese War begins in 1937 as a precursor to WWII.

The Last U-Boat

Near the end of WWII a lone U-Boat is sent from Germany to Japan carrying plutonium needed for a Japanese A-Bomb. During the long journey, news arrives on the radio that Hitler killed himself and Germany has surrendered. This causes a rift in the crew, the Nazi Party members wanting to continue to Japan since they are still at war, while the others just want to surrender or return home.

The Dancer

Based on a semi-autobiographical story by Ogai Mori, about a Japanese medical student who goes to Berlin to study in the 1880s and falls in love with a German ballet dancer.

Colonel Redl

Set during the fading glory of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the film tells of the rise and fall of Alfred Redl, an ambitious young officer who proceeds up the ladder to become head of the Secret Police only to become ensnared in political deception.

Mephisto

A German stage actor finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are ground under by the Nazi terror, the popularity of his character supercedes his own existence until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons.

The Catamount Killing

A banker troubled by both business and personal problems is transferred to a small town. There he meets and seduces an older woman. Together, they decide to pull off a payroll holdup together.

The Butterfly

Kirsten Kosinski (Anna Kristina) leaves her provincial town to work in the big city. After getting a job as a secretary, she finds herself occasionally "sellin her charms." Eventually, she becomes a full-time prostitute and feels the need to ensure the protection of a pimp to survive in this environment.

The Wanton of Spain

In the last years of the Middle Ages, the Corpus Christi procession takes place in the Spanish city of Toledo. There, the young Calixto meets the beautiful lady Melibea, and he falls in love immediately, trying to court her, but getting only the rejection of the young woman. Determined to make her his mistress, Calixto chases her wherever she goes, thus causing "incidental" encounters. Then the lover decides to follow the advice of his servant Sempronius and go to an old bawd called Celestina, who, with the help of her evil arts and tips, bow down Melibea's will and causes tragic consequences for everyone.

Mondo Bizzare

Germans on the Mondo Cane tour, meaning an overview of "our bizarre world" in more than 30 revealing fragments with commentary that twists and turns to give things a universal, and in some places even cosmic, meaning.

Unter der Oberfläche

A visit to a West Berlin dance club.