FAREWELL TO THE FROGS is a portrait of the late filmmaker Ulrich Schamoni († 1998) by his daughter, the renowned photographer Ulrike Schamoni, adapted from her father’s film diaries.
Suffering from terminal leukemia, Ulrich Schamoni filmed his life up until only a few days before his death in March 1998. A total of 170 hours of uncut, unedited film diary were recorded on mini-DV material. Working with the diaries as well as excerpts from his oeuvre and biographical documents, Director Ulrike Schamoni and editor Grete Jentzen created a 92-minute documentary dedicated to the goal of preserving the legacy of this great filmmaker. Schamoni’s farewell is a powerful, touching chronicle that bears witness, despite his illness, to the full extent of his vigor and love of life. In a mercilessly realistic presentation, it portrays the man who confronted the challenges and the tragic effects of his terminal illness with creativity and a very personal brand of laconic humor. It is a film about a strong attitude toward life and thus also an appeal to love it and live it to the fullest – to the very end.
Ulrich Schamoni
Regie
Ulrike Schamoni
Schnitt
Grete Jentzen
Ton
Guido Zettier
Produktionsleitung
Leila Kessler
Herstellungsleitung
Hartmut Köhler
KoproduzentIn
Bärenfilm GmbH, ZDF
ProduzentIn
Regina Ziegler
Redaktion
Gabriele Heuser
Sender
ZDF
Länge
92 Min.