Heinzel_Sebastian

Biography

Born 1979 in Kassel, Germany. He graduated from school with the Abitur and subsequently went to Philadelphia, USA, for his alternative national service. Back in Germany he took up his studies of theatre, film and television science – which convinced him quickly to rather start shooting films himself instead of only talking about them. His journalistic experience includes editorial work for newspaper and TV such as music television stations MTV and VIVA and taz – die tageszeitung. His topics as a young documentary filmmaker are subculture, media, metropolitan life and people. Sebastian Heinzel studies documentary film directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany.

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Synopsis 

„89 millimetres“: This distance stands for the little difference between living in Belarus and in Western Europe.

In Belarus the railway tracks are 89 millimetres wider than elsewhere in Europe.

Belarus is situated right beyond the border of the new EU. Some say, Belarus is home to the last dictatorship in Europe.

“89 millimetres” is a film about coming of age. A young German filmmaker wants to find out how free people of his age really are in this country. He meets a poltical refugee, members of the resistance, a house painter, a Go-Go-dancer, a journalist without any prospects and a soldier devoted to his country. The result is a stunning portrait of a post-soviet generation of a young nation that is torn apart between stagnation, protest and departure.

89mm

Liria nėn diktaturėn e fundit tė Europės ’89 milimetra’: Kjo distance paraqet dallimin e vogėl ndėrmjetė jetės nė Bjellorusi dhe nė Europėn Perendimore.

Nė Bjellorusi binarėt hekurudhorė janė 89 milimetra mė tė gjėrė se tjetėr-kund nė Europė. Bjellorusia ndodhet mu pėrtej kufirit tė Europės sė re. Disa thonė, Bjellorusia ėshtė vėndi i diktaturės sė fundit nė Europė.

’89 milimetra’ ėshtė film mbi epokėn qė po vjen. Njė kineast gjerman dėshiron tė mėsojė se ēfarė janė nė tė vėrtetė moshatarėt e tij tė lirė nė kėtė vend. Ai takon njė refugjat politik, anėtarėt e rezistencės,  bojaxhiun, vallėtaren, njė gazetare pa ndonjė perspektivė dhe ushtarin e pėrkushtuar ndaj vėndit tė tij. Rezultati ėshtė njė portret i jashtėzakonshėm i njė gjenerate post-sovjetike tė njė kombi tė ri i cili ėshtė i ndarė ndėrmjetė stagnimit, protestės dhe nisjes.                                                   

Filmography (Selected Works)

THE LOOK OF LOVE, D 2001, 11 min. (Fiction, Director/Camera)

FREIRAUMWOHNUNG, D 2002, 20 min. (Documentary, Co-Director/Camera)

Audience Award, Deprifilmfest Berlin 2002

b24 – 24 HOURS BERLIN,  D 2003, 60 min. (Documentary, Co-Director/Camera)

Audience Award, Achtung Berlin Film Festival 2005

SAMAGON (MOONSHINE),  BLR/D 2004, 12 min. (Documentary, Co-Director/Sound)

Best Documentary, International Competition, Interfilm Festival Berlin 2004

2nd Price of the Jury, Short Cuts Cologne 2004

89 MILLIMETRES, BLR/D 2004, 77 min. (Documentary, Director)

89 Millimetres won an honourable mention at the documentary festival in Kassel 2004 and an award for “Best Editing” at SEHSÜCHTE Festival in Potsdam 2005. It was shown in the competition programme of ONE WORLD International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague 2005 and selected for SPEKTRUM JUNGER FILM at COLOGNE CONFERENCE 2005. The film is currently prepared for a theatrical release in autumn/winter 2005.

TURKS AND FILMSTUDENTS, D 2005 (Director, Docu-Fiction, 10 min.)

FREE MAN NEED NOTHING, D 2005, 35 min. (Fake-Documentary, Director)

Director : Sebastian Heinzel

Producent : Stefan Kloos

Screenplay : Sebastian Heinzel

Director of photography : Eugen Schlegel