NACHTSCHWIMMEN

“Nachtschwimmen” (Nightswimming), short fiction film, Austria, 17min, 35mm, 2002

Cast:
Elena: Selda Kaya
Elena as Youth: Johanna Tietz
Alex: André Röhner
Alex as Youth: Raúl Semmler
Eva: Lina Rabea Mohr
Klaus: Otto Birnbaum
Girl in the Front Seat: Lea-Sophie Cramer
Boy on the Beak Seat: Christopher Enke
Trainer: Beate Ludewig
Elena’s Swimming Double: Doreen Ziegler

All Elena ever wanted was to swim at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. To reach this goal, the 14 year old devises a special training method: to literally swim the distance between Berlin and Barcelona in a local swimming pool. “Nachtschwimmen” follows Elena’s youth as if in a labyrinth and puts this dream in the context of puberty and her rivalry with her sister, who gets all the boys.

„THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE DASHBOARD – TAKEN YEARS AGO
TURNED AROUND BACKWARDS SO THE WINDSHIELD SHOWS
EVERY STREET LIGHT – REVEALS A PICTURE IN REVERSE.”
REM „NIGHTSWIMMING”

writer/director/producer: Markus Engel
director of photography:Thomas C. Wagner
casting: Ulrike Müller
art department: Till Müller
costumes: Stephan Bolz
make-up: Sylvio Kölbel
sound designer: Daniel Matzanke
editor: Daniel Anderson
music: Hubert Mauracher
production Manager: Clemens Wistuba

FESTIVAL AWARDS:

  • First prize European competition
    Vendôme Film Festival 2002 in Vendôme, France
  • Runner-up
    Dances With Films 2002 in Los Angeles, USA

FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE:

  • 3rd SentieroCorto 2002 – Short Film Festival in Milan, Italy
  • Taormina BLN Film Fest 2002, Italy
  • 13th São Paulo International Short Film Festival 2002, Brazil
  • 7th Manchester International Short Film Festival 2002, England
  • Corto Imola Festival 2002, Italy
  • Sevilla Festival of Cinema and Sport, Spain
  • FIKE 2002 – Évora International Short Film Festival, Portugal
  • 12th DaKINO Film Festival 2002 in Bucharest, Romania
  • 5th MVPA Annual Director’s Cuts 2002 in Los Angeles, USA
  • 5th Sarasota Film Festival 2003, USA
  • Filmschau Würzburg 2003, Germany
  • roARaTorio, Rencontres Internationales 2003, France/Germany
  • DIAGONALE, Festival des oesterreichischen Films 2003, Austria
  • 2° Best of Short Films Festivals 2003, La Ciotat, France
  • Las Vegas Blue Sky International Film Festival 2003, USA
  • 1st Bratislava Selection of Best Short Films 2003, Slovakia
  • 1. Filmfest Eberswalde 2004 in Eberswalde, Germany