Berlin Tableau. Günter Steinmeyer bemoans 100 friendly places
For the past four years, Günter Steinmeyer has shared his mostly short and insightful impressions of his elective home city of Berlin in his blog “100FRIENDLYPLACES | Orte die gut sind”. He gives a pointed depiction of Berlin that – despite the blog’s name – draws attention to places and situations that aren’t always pleasant or “friendly”.
Rather than simply write down his observations, Steinmeyer goes a step further by subtly distorting reality with invention and exaggeration.
The texts amplify reality in Berlin, sometimes with a passing detail, such as listing two threatened species of beetle, that actually don’t exist. His blog entries tend towards irony, bordering on derision: perhaps a dig at the city he loves. From brief escapes to lengthy excursions to the edge of the city, Steinmeyer has cycled to many places but, so far at least, he’s always returned.
Germany 2016, 40 minutes
texts by Günter Steinmeyer, recited by Dominik Stein
Subtitles: Wade Adams
Music: Moby, Kevin MacLeod, Circus Marcus
Script, shot, edited: Thomas Schumacher