Not A Love Song
Jan Ralske
In a lost village close to the German-Polish border, Karl and Louise try to take ends meet. A second-rate James Dean named Bruno, dreams of adventure, of leaving, but does not know how. Everything seems to be going wrong in this no-man's land : how to promote Karl's cafe, relationship, the escape vehicle. The three characters find themselves caught up in a Beckett like atmosphere, where desire has disappeared, leaving behind faint memories... Shot in former East Germany, "Not a love song", was at first a real love story. But during the time required to raise funds for the film, Jan Ralske tells of how he was overcome with a feeling of helplessness which also went in his characters. Himself an immigrant, and having lived for a long time in former East Germany, Jan Ralske's stance towards today's powerful Germany is bound to be critical...
With : Anna Talbach, Lars Rudolph, Matthias Freihof
Screenplay : Jan Ralske
Image : Hans Fromm
Sound : Susi Wehrli
Music : Kurt Ralske
Editing : Jan Ralske, Alida Babel
Screenplay : Jan Ralske
Image : Hans Fromm
Sound : Susi Wehrli
Music : Kurt Ralske
Editing : Jan Ralske, Alida Babel
Production : D.F.F.B. & LUNA-Film GmbH, Waldenserstr. 34, D-10551 Berlin, Allemagne Tél. 00 49 30 3953026-7 Fax. 00 49 30 3951348
Born in Texas in 1959, Jan Ralske studied at the Rhode Island of Design (USA) then at the Wihlem Pieck University (Rostock) in East Germany. He took part in an American Czeck theatre company (Smiksmak), then became a photo journalist for the Berlin Tageszeitung before joining Deutsche Welle Television. He graduated from the Deutsche Welle Film und Fernsehacademie in 1996, where he directed four shorts. "Not a love song" is his graduation film. Presented at the Max Ophüs Festival at Sarrebrücken in 1997, the film won an award for the best actor, which went to Lars Rudolph.