EPISODE I

EPISODE II

EPISODE III

EPISODE IV

Background

Sensuous Seduction

EROTIC TALES are back again. Starting January 5th, 2001 - always on Friday night at 10.45 p.m., ARD will present 12 new erotic masterpieces and also repeat the first collection of EROTIC TALES

In 1996 WDR presented the first collection of EROTIC TALES on ARD and the quota was sensational. Twelve famous filmmakers from all around the world were asked to contribute a 30 min. short feature to the collection that deals with the world's most interesting and sophisticated subject. Sophisticated erotica on a state funded TV station? This was exceptional.

"Surprising insights", wrote STERN magazine. A programme that SPIEGEL magazine called "definitely beyond any Dirndl-Sex" And finally the Zurich Sunday Paper SONNTAGSZEITUNG wrote "ARD puts money on sophisticated erotica - and wins".

Now the second series has been completed and opens on Friday, January 5th with ANGELA by the Israel filmmaker Amos Kollek. Bob, just about to turn 70, lives alone in Manhattan, when suddenly he meets ANGELA, a mysterious lady with an erotic mission. Again, after his world-wide success with SUE, Kollek offers us yet another extremely exciting portrait of a female in New York.

Each Friday, until the end of March, one new short will be broadcast. But long before the TV broadcast, these films are already travelling the festival circuit and have become audience favourites. No less than 250 festivals in around 44 countries world-wide have screened the EROTIC TALES produced by Berlin based Regina Ziegler.

After the new films are broadcast, the first collection will be repeated. Films by such prominent filmmakers as Ken Russell, Bob Rafelson, Nicolas Roeg, Susan Seidelman or Detlev Buck can again be enjoyed. But prior to that, ARD will present the audience with a first class erotic firework.

Each and ever film follows Regina Ziegler`s favourite slogan "If it is not erotic, it is not interesting" by the Spanish poet Fernando Arrabal. Regina Ziegler and commissioning editor Karin Zahn, WDR, did not restrict the filmmakers` fantasy at all. "If there was any kind of censorship, it was in the heads of the filmmakers themselves. I always ask them to let their fantasies run wild."

The Swiss filmmaker Markus Fischer, best know for his TATORT ("Scene of Crime”) films, provokes the audience with his psychological thriller THE RED GARTER. The film carefully examines the borders between sex and violence. Rosa von Praunheim worked with Jeff Stryker, a real pornstar, in his CAN I BE YOUR BRATWURST; PLEASE?. This is Jeff's first real acting role. So far, no less than 80 festivals have booked the film by the colourful cult director. Georgi Shengelaya on the other hand opted for a more impressionistic film language and made a wonderful, naive tale.

Even though each culture interprets the erotic differently, there is always something universal about it. Fridrik Thor Fridriksson`s ON TOP DOWN UNDER demonstrates this very well. His film tells of the sexual longing between an Icelandic woman and an Australian man - without words and only with the use of images. "Eroticism can easily live without words - it just is breathtakingly beautiful.", said Regina Ziegler. In addition to Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Hal Hartley as well as Jos Stelling also contributed films void of any dialogue.

The first series of EROTIC TALES included only established filmmakers. The second series, though, also introduces new talent to be discovered, such as Bernd Heiber`s film. THE NIGHT NURSE beautifully combines humour and erotic tension in a film about the seduction of a cob.

Musing about myths and the supernatural of the erotic are Greek filmmaker Antonis Kokkinos with DREAM A LITTLE DREAM, as well as Czech filmmaker Petr Zelenka with POWERS and New York Independent Film Guru Hal Hartley with KIMONO. Hartley contributes a very sensuous homage to Japanese erotic poetry.

The American filmmaker Susan Streitfeld (who established herself in the film world with her first feature FEMALE PERVERSION), offers us with THE SUMMER OF MY DEFLOWERING, a tender yet ironic variation on the topic of expectation and reality of "the first time".

Rounding up the new collection are two films that deal with traffic. Jos Stelling presents THE GAS STATION, a hilariously funny film about a macho who falls for a young lady in a traffic jam. And finally Eoin Moore (PLUS MINUS NULL, CONAMARA) discovers a totally new look of Potsdamer Platz and the things one can do there. His film WHY DON`T WE DO IT IN THE ROADY? wraps up the new films of EROTIC TALES.

24 erotic master pieces are not enough for Regina Ziegler. "We will continue until we reach 69. That to me is the most erotic number there is."

Angela by Amos Kollek

Interview

"If it is not erotic, it is not interesting" A conversation with producer Regina Ziegler about EROTIC TALES

There is probably no other topic with as many interpretations than the EROTIC. After 24 films on the subject, can you offer us a useful definition?

Erotic is most exciting if it happens in the fantasy of the individual. To me it is very important that the films in the series remain playful and toy with fantasies. I personally love Frenando Arrabal`s definition. The Spanish writer said: "If it is not erotic, it is not interesting.".

Far too often when talking about erotic movies, cheap sex-films are meant. Your collection of EROTIC TALES offers us a sensuous and sophisticated alternative. Is this why you chose the German title THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD?

The English title EROTIC TALES has established itself as a trade mark world-wide. So far around 250 film festivals around the world have booked the films, and if I wanted to I could travel the world with the films for the next two years. For the German TV broadcasting, though, the title THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD was opted for.

One interesting aspect of the collection is that you offer established filmmakers to work in a short format with a lot of freedom. This way the filmmakers can experiment with ideas they might have had for a long time. How do filmmakers react to this offer? And how does it shape the production of the films?

I would like to return to the very beginning of the EROTIC TALES. When I asked Bob Rafelson whether he would like to make an EROTIC TALE, he immediately and enthusiastically responded he would love to do it. After the first screening though, he admitted that he found it a lot more difficult to make a 30 min. short than a 90 min. feature. I am very happy that all the filmmakers presented in the collection agreed to work in the short format.

In addition to the short form, you agree and even encourage some experiments. Three of the new twelve shorts do not use any dialogue at all.

All I like to say to this is that true Eroticism can easily live without words. Its beauty can make you speechless.

During the 70s you were one of the producers to support the writer-director movement and later in the 80s - long before the comedy-boom in Germany started - you were one of the first to realise that one has to also cater for the audience. Would you agree that the EROTIC TALES confirm that the film l'auteur can also be popular and commercially successful?

I very much feel that the EROTIC TALES collection has to be a film l'auteur project, because the interpretation and experience of the erotic is something very personal. It has to do with fantasy and vision. We now have produced 24 films and they are all very different. We always look for directors who like to tell stories and are intrigued by the subject matter. The only film in the new collection that is based on a short story is Markus Fischer's THE RED GARTER. But even then Markus wrote the script himself and in that process made the story his very own personal work.

Indeed. Markus Fischer is best knows for his TATORT "Scene of the Crime" films. With THE RED GARTER he presents us with a very daring erotic kammerspiel.

For me that’s the most boldly told short in the entire collection - next to Eoin Moore`s WHY DON`T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD?

How did you manage to discover - next to the well known filmmakers - the young talent?

Eroticism is not limited to age. It is an important ingredient of life in every culture and every stage of life. Besides Ron Holloway (creative consultant), Tanja Meding (associate producer) and Karin Zahn (commissioning editor, WDR), I have a variety of consultants, like my daughter Tanja Ziegler. She just joined me as a partner in my company. She studied with Bernd Heiber at the film school in Potsdam Babelsberg and discovered his talent. Young talent like Eoin Moore and Petr Zelenka also offer new visions and insights. Or take, for example, Susan Streitfeld. With THE SUMMER OF MY DEFLOWERING she just completed her second film. The visions of younger filmmakers also offer a more innocent vision.

Currently there is a lot of talk about the female interpretation of the erotic. And you as a female producer deal with a lot of female works - I am especially thinking of the popular TV series POWERS WOMEN. Also in your company the majority of employees are women. Why is there only one women in the new collection of EROTTC TALES?

I think that is sheer coincidence and I would not like to speculate about it. For the next collection Chantal Akerman plans to contribute a film.

Right now, there are a number of sexually explicit - bordering on pornography - films by French female directors in the cinema. ROMANCE, for example, was fairly successful here in Germany. What do you think about this very aggressive female depiction of sex?

Well, it is not really my cup of tea. I feel that trend is only a short lived wave. The EROTIC TALES are for too good a concept to fall for this.

Rosa von Praunheim’s CAN I BE YOUR BRATWURST, PLEASE? seems to be the most explicit work. Are there any restrictions what the filmmakers may not show?

Not at all. If there is any kind of censorship, it is in the heads of the filmmakers themselves. I always ask them to let their fantasies run wild. Rosa is a filmmaker who always spoke his mind. I have known him since his cult classic THE BETTWURST , so when we talked about an EROTIC TALE, we clicked immediately.

For you what is the most erotic moment in the new collection?

The moments when the invisible is stronger than the visible. That excites not only me, but also the audience. It is like a small explosion.