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Berlin director Nico Mesterharm works for European
TV stations since 1997. In 2000 the Studio Babelsberg-linked production
company EIKON produced Nico Mesterharm`s first full lenght documentary
THE TRIP about 35 teenagers visiting the Terezin concentration camp
in the Czech Republic. THE TRIP was part of a special screening
at the Berlin Filmfest “Berlinale 2001”.
In 2001 the documentary JOY`S HOUSE dealt with
the children`s project “School for Life” in Chiang Mai/Thailand,
where Prof. Dr. Jürgen Zimmer from the Free University of Berlin
is educating AIDS orphans to become entrepreneurs. JOY`S HOUSE participated
in the „Toura D`Or“ festival for ITB 2002 in Berlin
and was screened at several tourism fairs (e.g. „Reisepavillion
Hannover“).
With BATTLE FOR LIFE Nico Mesterharm produced
and directed the first comprehensive documentary on HIV/AIDS in
Cambodia for European Cultural TV “arte” (german-french
dubbed). BATTLE FOR LIFE was premiered in September 2003 and selected
for the “arte theme evening” on World AIDS Day 2003.
Additional screening were held at the 15th World AIDS Conference,
„HIV im Dialog“ (Berlin, 2004) and German AIDS Days
(Munich, 2004).
Since the beginning of 2004 Nico Mesterharm and
his team are filming a long-term-documentary on the development
of a children´s village near the capital of Cambodia, Phnom
Penh: BUILDING A DREAM. The German architect Michael Weiss, which
has worked for instance with Nicolas Grimshaw, builds that village
together with 92 orphans - most of their parents died from AIDS.
The village (and the documentary) will be finished in 2006.
Currently Mesterharm is completing another film
on the touristic developments of the Cambodian coast for German
State TV WDR: LIFE`S A BEACH. The story is told through the eyes
of a 13-year old fruitseller Soua, who works on Ochaeutal beach
in Kompong Som/Sihanoukville. Soua and her young „colleagues“
do not only face hardships in their daily life: They are „easy
targets“ for sex tourists and paedophiles in Cambodia.
In August 2004 COM.PASSION TV has started its
latest documentary about the trafficking of children and women in
South East Asia: SOLD OUT!. For this project Nico Mesterharm works
together with the ASIAWORKS fotographer Nicolas Lainez, who follows
the paths pf trafficked women all over SE Asia since five years
and has won lots of international prizes.
Next projects will lead the viewers to Ghana,
Kasachstan, Laos and Malaysia. Get the latest updates in the internet
or write us, please.
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„THE
TRIP “ (2000, 45 min.)
As KROSSOVER worked for the Berlin
Protestant Church since 1998 we developed the documentary
„THE TRIP“ as part of a community project. The
idea was to create media models for contemporary church work
– integrating especially young people. At this time
they were great discussions about the new right-wing movement
in Germany. We arranged a confirmation trip for 35 teeanagers
to Terezin – a former concentration camp in the Nazi
regime, now Czech Republic. But our team did not only want
to follow the kids from Berlin to „Theresienstadt“
– where Kurt Gerron produced a propaganda movie for
the Nazis: We gave out video cameras to the children that
they can capture their own impressions. What would they film?
How would they perceive their journey to the gruelsom German
past? What would they learn out of it?
Producer: EIKON/Krossover; Proj. Management: Inge Dähne;
Director: Nico Mesterharm; Production: Lydia Elmer, Andreas
Schmidt; Camera: Bernhard Beutler ua. Sound: Lorenz Seele,
Music: Chris Zippel/Nico Mesterharm (title song „War“
by Ruth & David Brown), Translation and Narration: Anita
Lochner; Editing: Dagmar Drews, Sound Mastering: Audiovision;
Post-Production: Waveline |
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„JOY'S
HOUSE: A journey towards your self and others“
(2002, 45 min.)
If endless beaches, bays and coconut
palm trees are all you associate with Thailand, you can now
broaden your horizon: In Chiang Mai – the country`s
second largest city after Bangkok – guesthouse owner
Joy (38) opened the doors of her parental house and converted
into a cultural center. The idea for „Joy's House“
and the advisory backup were provided by Dr. Jürgen Zimmer
(INA/Free University of Berlin), who has dedicated himself
to the development of projects concerning sensitive tourism.
Professor Zimmer considers the visitors to „Joy`s House“
as experts whop can help him realize aid projects on-site
such as kindergarden and school projects for children who
have lost their parents because of AIDS (School for Life).
Nico Mesterharm`s documentary shows Jürgen Zimmer at
work and follows him to the Karen and Akha tribes living in
the border area between Myanmar and Thailand, not far from
the notoroius Golden Triangle.
Producer: INA/Krossover/Lotus; Director: Nico Mesterharm;
Research: Inge Dähne; Production: Andreas Schmidt, Lanna
Media; Camera: Bernhard Beutler, Klaus Korth ua. ; Assistance:
Erik Petersen; Music: Chris Zippel, Translation and Narration:
Anita Lochner; Editing: Jana Teuchert, GFX: Olliver Peters,
Sven Zuege; Sound Mastering: Audiovision; Post-Production:
Raw Cinema (Gregor Wille) & Waveline |
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„AIDS
IN CAMBODIA: Battle for Life“ (2003, 26 min.)
After almost 30 years of war and
the reign of the “Red Khmer” the south-east Asian
state of Cambodia is now one of the poorest countries in the
world. The average annual income of the 13 million Cambodians
(Khmer) lies at $300 US. Infant mortality is the highest in
south-east Asia (115 in 1000). Clean water is only available
to 26% of the population; malaria, dengue, typhoid and hepatitis
are widespread. When the UN Peace Corps (UNTAC) came into
the country in 1989, a new disease was introduced: AIDS. UNAIDS
estimates that more than 80,000 Khmer have died of AIDS so
far and over 160,000 are HIV positive. The World Health Organisation
(WHO) predicted in 2002 that 1 million Khmer will be infected
by the year 2010. The COM.PASSION team visited 9 different
NGOs combatting HIV/AIDS in Phnom Penh and Takeo.
Producer: arte/Krossover; Director: Nico Mesterharm; Camera:
Lach Chantha; Sound: Lach Peo; Driver: Nicolas Sato; Editing:
Jana Teuchert; Research: Inge Dähne; Assistance: Tarek
Abbou, Peggy Wedler; Translations: Pyramid, Dr. Mathly Farid;
Music: Chris Zippel; Translation and Narration: Anita Lochner,
Sound Mastering: Audiovision; Post-Production: Waveline |
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„LIFE
IS A BEACH“ (2005, 60 min.)
The Cambodian coastline is
one of the most undeveloped in SE Asia due to the civil war.
Since 1997 tourists can travel safely; tourism is known to
be crucial for the economical development of Cambodia. Kompong
Som/Sihanoukville is the kingdom`s only deep-sea-port at the
Gulf of Siam. Besides its strategic importance the city has
the potential for a future holiday paradise: Pristine beaches,
coral reefs and unspoiled nature. On Ocheautal Beach more
than 100 children are selling fruits, snacks and souvenirs.
One of them is Soua(13). With an average income of 5 Dollars
per day she supports her poor family and pays the English
school in anticipation of foreign tourists. But will she really
profit from the big investments and 5-star-resorts – privatizing
the beaches and relocating homes? What are the chances for
Soua, her friends and relatives?
Producer: WDR/INA/Krossover; Director: Nico Mesterharm;
Camera: Lach Chantha; Sound: Lach Peo; Driver: Nicolas Sato;
Editing: Jana Teuchert; Research: Inge Dähne; Assistance:
Tarek Abbou; Translations: Pyramid, Dr. Mathly Farid; Music:
Chris Zippel, Sound Mastering: Audiovision; Post-Production:
Raw Cinema (Gregor Wille), Waveline |
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„SOLD
OUT! Trafficking in South East Asia“ (2005, 80
min)
Children`s and women`s trafficking
is widespread in the Mekong sub-region. This modern form of
slave trade is said to make higher profits than the trade
with illegal drugs. In recent years the press started to report
more and more on that issue; governmental and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) began fighting against traffickers, raise
awareness and try to advocate the rights of the victims: Forced
and child prostitutes. One third of 50.000 Cambodian sex workers
is under the age of 18 (UNICEF, 2002). Other young girls turn
to the sex industry as they have few viable alternatives.
(NPRS, Dec 2002). Director Nico Mesterharm met a lot of HIV-positive
trafficking victims when he was filming about AIDS in Cambodia
(„Battle for life“). Together with photographer
Nicolas Lainez COM.PASSION started picturing the situation
in various shelters and rehabilitation programs. The documentary
– which is supported by the Cambodian Ministry
of Interior and various aid organisations – will
be finished at the end of 2005.
Producer: INA/Krossover; Director: Nico Mesterharm; Camera:
Lach Chantha; Sound: Lach Peo; Driver: Nicolas Sato; Editing:
Jana Teuchert; Research: Inge Dähne; Assistance: Tarek
Abbou; Translations: Pyramid |
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„BUILDING
A DREAM“ (2006, 80 min.)
The German architect Michael Weiss
came as a tourist to Cambodia. At the beautiful temples of
Angkor he met street children and gave them food. As Weiss
learned more about their poor living conditions he wanted
to help on a daily basis. Together with his wife Veronika
he founded an aid organisation which provides food and shelter
to 92 orphans – mostly because of AIDS. In 2002 the
couple purchased 2.5 hectares of land near the Phnom Penh
airport to build a children`s village. COM.PASSION-director
Nico Mesterharm is following this unique project from the
scratch within a long-term-documentary. Weiss taught the children
to design their future homes, Their models were so good that
the authorities gave Weiss and his NGO a building permission
without any plans or drawings Moreover the Weiss family was
able to find fundings from their friends and relatives and
now they are BUILDING A DREAM...
Producer: arte/Krossover; Director: Nico Mesterharm; Camera:
Lach Chantha; Sound: Lach Peo; Driver: Nicolas Sato; Editing:
Jana Teuchert; Research: Inge Dähne; Assistance: Tarek
Abbou, Peggy Wedler; Translations: Pyramid; Music: Nico Mesterharm,
Post-Production: Raw Cinema (Gregor Wille) |
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original
photogaph by Kerstin Duell