Symphony of Now
Battle Royal Studios co-produced the feature-length documentary film Symphony of Now, in collaboration with Audi Zeitgeist Projects, Dreinull and Endorphine Productions. Premiered on the eve of the 2018 Berlinale, the film explores the relationship between the inhabitants of Berlin and their city, and is driven by an original symphonic soundtrack.
A Hybrid Film Experience
The film directed by Johannes Schaff pays tribute to the vibrant energy of Berlin. Based on Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 avantgarde film „Berlin – Die Sinfonie der Großstadt“, the contemporary re-imagining follows the rhythms of Berlin at night across urban panoramas to secret corners and intimate moments.
Using filmmakers Lil Internet’s and Alexandra Weltz-Rombach‘s unique camera work in addition to his own cinematography, Schaff creates a kaleidoscope of images to capture the modern metropolis.
This journey through the city is accompanied by a soundtrack as captivating and dynamic as the city itself – a score curated and produced by Frank Wiedemann of Innervisions.
He collaborated with Berlin-based musicians such as Modeselektor, Samon Kawamura, Gudrun Gut, and Thomas Fehlmann, building improvisations around the original film material. The new film was then cut to match this score.
The result is not only a rare cinematic document of modern Berlin, but a testament to the musical innovation born of Berlin’s creative environment.
The film premiered in February 2018 at the Delphi Theatre Berlin featuring live performances by the musicians.
Symphony of Now is an Audi Zeitgeist Project and Battle Royal Studios’ second collaboration with the initiative following Zeitgeist Symbiosis in 2015.
Credits
- Client
Audi City Berlin, DREINULL Agentur für mediatainment
- Show Production & Stage Management – Battle Royal Studios
Pappel Studios – Executive Producer
Endorphine Productions – Producer
Johannes Schaff – Film Director, Camera, Editor
Lil Internet – Camera
Alexandra Weltz-Rombach – Camera
Philipp Dreißig – Camera
Frank Marten Pfeiffer – Camera
Bobby Good – Editor
Steffen Schmidt – Editor
Julian Neville – Editor
Robert Sieg – Editor
Sammy Metwalli – Editor
Frank Wiedemann and guests – Composition & Production
Hans-Joachim Roedelius – Musician
Samon Kawamura – Musician
Gudrun Gut & Thomas Fehlmann – Musician
Modeselektor – Musician
Alex.Do – Musician - Images
Markus Zumbansen
