A Donkey Called Geronimo

Why did this story interst you?

Three years ago, we stumbled upon these islanders on a dark street in the harbor town of Flensburg. Since then, we‘ve been filming their story: it is a story that has the form of a classic myth, one that is uniquely relevant today. It is about loss and new beginnings, about Utopia and the limits of society. Our protagonists‘ mission to escape society failed, so they have to find a place on its perimeter. They feel that there is something fundamentally wrong with the world, something they might not be able to express. This feeling of displacement interested us. The film explores their world of longing and plays with the sentiments of memory, myth and oral history.

Why is the island the central motive of the film?

The longing for paradise is old. From the Odyssey to colonial expeditions, Robinson Crusoe to Atlantis. The island as a place of yearning and a place of horror are recurring themes in culture. Islands awaken in us the hope for an effortless life free from society‘s rules and expectations. But there is always a curse on the island and its promise. At the core of the island utopia lies a great contradiction: Man is society and can never escape it. The island remains an impossible dream. Today the imaginary landscapes of islands are still as magnetic as ever. In contemporary society, most people are looking for their place in this world, for something that is not going to change in an age full of abstractions. Dreaming of an island is an easy solution and still it contains much more. It is an ancient and fundamental yearning for another world.

The film was made with a small crew and low budget. Was this intended?

When filming began three years ago, we needed to move fast. The collapse of the island community was underway and we had no time to seek funds conventionally. With a grant from Filmwerkstatt Kiel, we were able to cover running costs. A small crew meant an intimate working environment, which suited the film and helped build trust with the protagonists. After a few weeks, we were a well-rehearsed team with a lot of freedom. We wouldn‘t have had this with a hierarchical production.

What challenges did you experience as co-directors?

The idea of working together to create a vision for the film appealed to both of us. Filmmaking is a constant riddle, so it‘s good to talk to a partner. The only reason it worked is because we have similar ideas about cinema. For both of us, documentary films are more about storytelling than simple observation. We look for fables that are bigger than life. Of course, a plenty of discussion takes place and disagreements appear. That is part of the process.

The images are unusual for a documentary. Which cinematic inspirations did you have?

While editing and shooting, we wanted to create an atmosphere of fiction. Instead of trivializing reality, we tried to transform and exaggerate the reality of our characters until it became something bigger, something cinematic. We used old photography lenses and worked freely with staging or lighting to create a certain atmosphere. So it becomes more like a hybrid fictional documentary experience. The island remains in the distance, the figures wrapped in mystery. It is a vast fable, a poetic story and an intimate view on a society of dreamers and outcasts. We didn‘t want to give answers easily, but creates a vivid world in front of the viewer‘s eyes, a nightmarish fairy tale that reflects the absurdity of the human experience. We were fortunate to come across these characters, but we were also lucky that this was a story where our notions about cinema happened to fit and that the protagonists were ready to embark on this adventure. Some people have called the film a Kaurismäki-like documentary, and we feel that this is a great comparison.

Director

Arjun Talwar

Director

Bigna Tomschin

Producer

Bigna Tomschin

Key Cast

Bimsara Pasqual

Sounddesign

Franciszek Kozlowski

Cinematography

Arjun Talwar

Original title

Der Esel hieß Geronimo

Project type

Documentary, Feature

Genres

Documentary, Hybird, Adventure, Experimental, Oral History, Myth, Sailor, Ocean

Runtime

1 hour 20 minutes

Completion date

October 30, 2018

Production budget

80,000 USD

Country of origin

Germany

Countries of filming

Denmark, Germany

Language

English, German

Shooting format

Digital

Aspect ratio

16:9

Film color

Color

First-time filmmaker

Yes

Student project

No

Digital Cinema Package

Unavailable