X-Filme Creative Pool (Germany): 6

The comedy-drama film, A Hologram for the King (2016), is a creation of writer, director, and co-composer Tom Tykwer. It is based on the novel by Dave Eggers published in 2012. Starring American salesman Alan Clay, the film follows his mission to sell a holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government and present it to their King. Clay was offered this opportunity due to his brief encounter with one of the King’s nephews. However, he carries baggage from a previous job where he witnessed layoffs and financial ruin caused by outsourcing production. ...

The Dark Valley (2014) is an Austrian-German Western drama film directed by Andreas Prochaska. It is based on Thomas Willmann’s sole eponymous 2010 novel. The movie begins with a terrified young man and woman hiding in the basement of a wooden building. They are soon discovered by a group of men who brutally attack the man and kidnap them both. Some time later, a mysterious stranger arrives in a remote town in the Austrian Alps. Going by the name Mr. Greider, he claims to be a photographer and takes up residence with a widow who has recently lost her husband and ...

Cloud Atlas (2012) is an epic science fiction film helmed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Adapted from David Mitchell’s 2004 novel, it tells a complex story with multiple plots taking place across six different time periods. As the narrative jumps between these eras, spanning centuries, each storyline gradually reaches a resolution. Interestingly, we see characters from previous eras appear in future ones through their writings. These recurring characters often have changed relationships with one another, with ...

The autobiography film, Goodbye Bafana (2007), was based on the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend, which was criticized by Anthony Sampson, a longtime friend of Nelson Mandela who has since passed away. In his authorized biography of Mandela, Sampson accused James Gregory (also deceased) of lying and violating Mandela’s privacy in his work. According to Sampson, Gregory did not have a close relationship with Mandela and instead used censored letters to fabricate one. Other prison ...

In the film Paris, I love you (2006), 20 different filmmakers each capture five-minute moments in the magical City of Love. These moments are linked together through transitional interstitial sequences and an introduction and epilogue. The transitions smoothly connect the previous film’s ending shot to the following film’s beginning shot, creating a continuous flow and building anticipation for what comes next. Through this technique, we witness the vibrant life of Paris through a recurring mysterious character and a common theme of love that ties all 20 segments together. 01. Tuileries (

Starring Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi, Heaven (2002) is a romantic thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer. Co-screenwriter Krzysztof Kieślowski intended it to be the first part of a trilogy, but unfortunately passed away before its completion. This Italian-set film begins with a prologue showing Filippo, a young Carabinieri clerk, learning to fly a helicopter using a simulator. After crashing due to his overly ambitious ascents, his instructor warns him against excessive ...