Watermarks · 2013
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Documentary
Watermarks
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Luc Schaedler | go between films gmbh
CH 2013 | 80 | EN, DE, FR, Chin
Based on three different places, «Watermarks» portrays the infractions to which people living in modern day China are subjected due to rapid developments.
We learn of the deceptively idyllic Jiuxiancun in the rainy south; of the apocalyptic coal mining site of Minqin and Wusutu in the parched north; and of Chongqing, the megacity on the Yangtze River.
The protagonists give their moving accounts of an unresolved past, an uncertain present and their tentative steps into the future. The film thus paints a complex image of the mental state of the people in this complicated country. “Watermarks” is a subjective snapshot in time that takes a poetic look at the changing everyday life in China.
«Since the crushing of the democracy movement in 1989, I have followed the upheaval in China with equal parts amazement and irritation: the country looks like a huge construction site and seems to be involved in a precipitous search for itself. In this unstable present the protagonists are taking tentative but courageous steps into the future.»
Luc Schaedler
→ Statement director (wama)
→ Locations China (wama)
→ Downloads (wama)
(photos & presskit)
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Video On Demand
Watermarks (2013)
en, de, fr
→ click here
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→ FESTIVALS (selection):
– Locarno, Semaine de la critique (Competition)
– Warszawa, Planete + Doc (Competition)
– Istanbul, TRT Awards (Best Documentary)
– Dublin, Silk Road Film Festival (Best Documentary)
– München DOK.fest competition
– San Francisco, Golden Gate Awards
– Solothurner Filmtage official selection
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LINKS:
→ The Funeral (Video Clip)
→ Swiss Films – Watermarks
→ IMDb.com – Watermarks
→ Facebook – Watermarks
→ Cinema of the World
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PLAYLIST (10 Clips):
Unpublished scenes from Watermarks · 2013
go between films
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Film Production
go-be•tween | gō biˈtwēn |
to mediate, to intervene
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go between films
A Swiss film production company, engaged in making documentaries for cinematic and TV release. The company’s topics have an historical, social and political background with a strong focus on cross-cultural dialogue. It aims to produce both artistically and intellectually challenging films.
Luc Schaedler of «go between films» also defines himself at the interface of film and science. In addition to mentoring students in documentary filmmaking, he is engaged in research projects in the field of visual anthropology.
go between films was founded by Luc Schaedler in 2009. In 2010 he was joined by scriptwriter and script consultant Josy Meier.
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FILMOGRAPHY
2021 • LOBA LOBA
Release: Spring 2021
Producer
Director: Anka Schmid
Music: Corin Curschellas
Short Documentary, 5 mins.
2018 • A LONG WAY HOME
Producer, writer, director, camera
Documentary, 75 mins.
Nomination for Swiss Film Award 2018
2013 • WATERMARKS
Producer, writer, director, camera
Documentary, 80 mins.
Invitation to Semaine de la critique (Locarno)
2005 • ANGRY MONK
Producer, writer, director
Documentary, 97 mins.
Invitation to Sundance (competition), nomination for the “Grand Jury Prize”.
1997 • MADE IN HONG KONG
Producer, writer, director, camera
Documentary, 75 mins.
Invitation to Leipzig (competition), Study Award 1997 (BAK)
2011 · NAGA IDENTITIES (draft)
Director, Camera
Ethno-Documentary, 60 mins.
2007 · BURIAL RITES
Producer
TV-Documentary, Sternstunde, 30 mins.
Directors: Mehdi Sahebi, Aya Domenig
Film Still of LOBA LOBA, 2020
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LINKS:
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Luc Schaedler by © Iocco Cappellari, 2014
Luc Schaedler
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Filmmaker &
Producer
Short Biography
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– Luc Schaedler | *1963 in Zurich, Switzerland
– Independent Swiss filmmaker and producer
– Founder of «go between films»
– Director and producer of «A Long Way Home» (2018); «Watermarks» (2013); «Angry Monk» (2005), «Made in Hong Kong» (1997) and «Loba Loba» (2021).
– Invitations to international film festivals (selection): Sundance; Busan; Leipzig; Montreal; Locarno; Munich; Tel Aviv
→ INTERVIEW with Luc Schaedler – 04:30
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CURRICULUM
– 1985-2002 collaboration as program coordinator, film projectionist and barkeeper in the Off-Cinema Xenix in Zurich
– 1988-92 travelled and worked in Asia | Barkeeper in Hong Kong and Tokyo
– 1994-97 studied Visual Anthropology at the University of Zurich
– Graduated with two documentary features: «Made in Hong Kong» (Master thesis, 1998) and «Angry Monk» (Ph.D. thesis, 2005)
– 1998-2001 collaboration in setting up the children’s film club «Magic Lantern» in Zurich
– Since 2001 various teaching positions in Visual Anthropology and documentary filmmaking at the Universities in Zurich, Bern and Fribourg
– From 2006-08 head of the department of Visual Anthropology at the Anthropological Museum of Zurich University.
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→ FILMOGRAPHY of Luc Schaedler
→ Luc Schaedler’s thoughts on films about Tibet
(German only)
→ IMDb.com – Luc Schaedler
→ Facebook – go between films
→ Wikipedia – Luc Schaedler (german)
→ Wikipedia – Luc Schaedler (français)
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→ go between films – contact
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→ INTERVIEW with Luc Schaedler – 04:30
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Luc Schaedler by © Thomas Krempke, 2021
WATERMARKS – materials
Additional materials
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In the section «Watermarks – materials» you will find additional information about this documentary of Luc Schaedler (go between films).
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WATERMARKS (2014)
→ Statements Director
→ Shooting Locations
→ Downloads
→ Teaching Materials
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· Statement Director (wama)
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Watermarks
Some thoughts
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«Since the crushing of the democracy movement in 1989, I have followed the upheaval in China with equal parts amazement and irritation: the country looks like a huge construction site and seems to be involved in a precipitous search for itself. In this unstable present the protagonists are taking tentative but courageous steps into the future.»
Luc Schaedler
Statement director
During the research for «Watermarks» and the subsequent filming in China I kept returning to a topic that had preoccupied me in my earlier films: namely, how people respond to external events, ruptures and life changes, and what this means to them in their daily lives. I took this question to heart in my new film and continued my search for answers. After Made in Hong Kong (1997) and Angry Monk (2005), the current film Watermarks · 2013 also marks the end of my Asian Trilogy.
My relationship to China
My relationship with China began over 20 years ago. Since the crushing of the democracy movement in 1989, I have travelled repeatedly through China. I have followed China’s economic development and the associated political and social upheavals with equal parts amazement and irritation.
The social changes triggered by fast-paced economic development unsettled the people. They registered the growing pollution of the environment and water with concern. Entire landscapes as well as a part of their own family history and the cultural history of China were punctiliously ‘flooded’ by progress. My love-hate relationship with China is reflected in the ambivalence of many Chinese, who are simultaneously proud of and disconcerted by developments in their country. These are the contradictory feelings that I have attempted to capture in my film.
The collaboration with Markus Schiesser
In the project Markus Schiesser was responsible for the interviews with the protagonists as well as sound. To complete the research (2009/2010) and filming (2011), we travelled together for months through China and shared in the everyday lives of the protagonists. Markus and I made a good team. His relationship to the people grew out of his quiet ease and the fact that he speaks fluent Chinese. This brought him a great deal of respect. He was simultaneously an insider and an outsider. I was the stranger, as well as being more extroverted and louder. I had to build my relationship with the people through non-verbal means, by gestures and looks.
In a cultural and political situation which treats the spoken word with caution and relegates most things to the deeper level of trust, we complemented each other ideally. Markus Schiesser studied Sinology and ethnology in Zurich and China. For over 12 years he has lived and worked in Beijing and Shanghai. He is married to a Chinese woman. We have been friends since the Zurich youth riots of the early 1980s.
Our working method
Water is the visually binding element in the film. Like a river, it flows through the individual scenes, stories and interviews. In China it makes sense to comport oneself like water. Wherever it flows, one lets it go, and wherever it is dammed, one gives way to it and finds another route. In this sense, time and patience are very important factors. What appears to be obvious whenever one works with people in a film turns out to be doubly important in China, for cultural and political reasons.
In China, if you want to get close to the people, you have to give yourself a lot of time. It is a complicated but not unpleasant ritual, during which you spend weeks building up trust, step by step: a first conversation, a second one, drinking tea, smoking, chatting, eating together, slowly getting to the point and always coming back to another toast. The first contact, and how you behave at that point, is crucial.
Statements director – Luc Schaedler
Markus Schiesser, Chongqing
Luc Schaedler, Wusutu
→ Facebook.com/watermarksthefilm
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· Shooting Locations (wama)
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Watermarks
Shooting Locations
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Minqin (Gansu Province)
Wusutu (Inner Mongolia)
Both cities lie in the gigantic coal and industry belt that stretches for over 1000 kilometres west to east across northern China. In addition to the destructive exploitation of the landscape this region suffers from severe pollution and water scarcity. Despite all that – or because of it – both places were one of the most fascinating shooting locations I have ever worked at.
Jiuxiancun (Guangxi Province)
A small rice-growing village that dates back to the time of the Qing Dynasty (1616-1912). It is situated in the south of China, not far from the tourist-centre of Yangshuo, where rain is plentiful. The region is known for its iconographic landscape, consisting of innumerable karst hills rising above the rice fields. In no other province did the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) rage with such devastating force as in Guangxi.
Chongqing (independent administrative unit)
A booming mega-city on the Yangtze, the largest river in China. With over 30 million inhabitants, it is currently one of the most populous cities in the world. In recent years, it has grown with greater intensity and the city is in a constant state of upheaval.
→ Facebook.com/watermarksthefilm
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· Downloads (wama)
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Watermarks
Downloads
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↓ Presskit (english)
↓ Dossier de Presse (français)
↓ Presseheft (deutsch)
↓ Filmstills
→ Click on image
→ Image opens in browser
→ Choose «Save as»
→ Select downloads location
→ Save
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Wastewater, Chongqing
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Wei Jihua, Minqin
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Flood, Jiuxiancun
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Chen Chaomei, Chongqing
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Bordertown, Wusutu
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Li Yuming, Jiuxiancun
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Wu Dengming, Chongqing
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Li Yunchuang, Jiuxiancun
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Rice Growing, Jiuxiancun
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Fishrestaurant, Chongqing
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Wei Guancai, Minqin
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Fishing, Jiuxiancun
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Fishingboat on the Yangtse, Chongqing
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· Teaching Materials (wama)
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Watermarks
Teaching materials
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only available in German!
→ Click «Deutsch»
above to your right ↑
→ auf «Deutsch» klicken
oben rechts ↑
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Teaching materials for «Watermarks»
Here you will find the materials for school lessons in thematic order for download (German only)
The organization ACHAOS (Kinokultur in der Schule) has compiled a pedagogically valuable dossier for interested teachers with questions, suggestions for discussion and information material for school lessons.
↓ Dossier to WATERMARKS for school lessons (© ACHAOS)
Additional materials to download ↓
in German only!
↓ Dossier of Film (.pdf )
Synopsis, statement of the director, information about the film locations and persons, as well as a list of the topics addressed in the film
↓ Geschichte Chinas (.zip)
↓ Karten & Texte zur Geographie (.zip)
↓ Wirtschaft & Entwicklung (.zip)
↓ Umwelt & Ökologie (.zip)
↓ Menschenrechte & Rebellion (.zip)
↓ PHOTOS der Protagonisten (.zip)
↓ PHOTOS vom Film (.zip)
↓ PHOTOS der Dreharbeiten (.zip)
↓ PHOTOS zur Umweltproblematik (.zip)
Download the .zip files. Open with double click. In the respective folder you will find the .pdf documents of the texts and maps, as well as the photos as .jpg)
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Intro and Publications
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Visual Anthropology
Between the arts and science
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(Short) Intro
Visual Anthropology is a discipline of practice and theory. As a subfield of Cultural Anthropology it is concerned with the production of ethnographic images and the analysis of visual representations as well as its relationship to other fields of society and culture.
The reversal of the gaze, Eastern Tibet 1930’s
Since his Master- and Ph.D thesis Luc Schaedler of «go between films» is involved in Visual Anthropology, both as part of his teaching at Universities and film schools, and as deep influence for his documentary films.
«The relationship between verbal and visual forms of expression in the field of ethnography (science) are manyfold. How they be mixed, can not be categorically decided. Each situation needs its own assesment and an experimental attitude towards both. Which dosis may be prescribed, is solely a question of art».
MICHAEL OPPITZ
→ «Das kleine Zürcher Filmwunder» – Visuelle Anthropologie an der Universität Zürich
→ «Der Film ist auch ein Showcase für die Universität» – Gespräch mit Luc Schaedler
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Publications
Below you will find the Master- and the Ph.D. thesis of Luc Schaedler and a selection of previous articles:
↓ Ph.D.: ANGRY MONK: Literary, Historical, and Oral Sources for a Documentary Film (2007)
↓ Master: Arbeitsbericht zur Entstehung von MADE IN HONG KONG (1998)
↓ The little differences: cross-cultural exchange in filmschools (2011)
↓ Über die Wissenschaftlichkeit von Dokumentarfilmen (2009)
↓ Westliche Okkupation und östliche Selbstreflexion: Buddhismus im Spielfilm (2002)
↓ Tibet: Ein Projektionsfeld Westlicher Phantasien (1994)
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Angry Monk
A critical discussion of the documentary film «Angry Monk» as a hybrid between the arts and science:
↓ History & Anthropology (2008) – A critical review of «Angry Monk»
↓ Visual Anthropology (2008) – A critical review of «Angry Monk»
↓ American Anthropologist (2010) – Angry Monk: Reflections on Tibet
↓ IIAS Newsletter (2008) – Rebel with a cause: debunking the mythical & mystical Tibet
↓ AEMS Review (2008) – A critical review of «Angry Monk»
↓ Himal Southasian (2006) – The new reasoning of Gendun Choephel
↓ Revue de l’Inde (2006) – Réflexions sur le Tibet
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research-at-doc
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Anthropology
Visual Research
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Luc Schaedler of go between films sees himself at the interface of art, film and Visual Anthropology. Since 1996 he has been involved in various projects that conduct artistic, cinematic and scientific research using exclusively visual means (research-at-doc).
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Angry Monk (2001-07)
Doctoral Thesis
This visual research into Tibetan history and the biography of the radical monk Gendun Choephel had been designed as a bastard between art and science from the very beginning. The documentary film (90 mins.) is accompanied by a written thesis (2) critically discussing and contextualizing the research materials. It was the first film to be accepted as the main part of a Ph.D at the University of Zurich.
→ «Angry Monk» – a scientific discourse
Made in Hong Kong (1995-97)
Master Thesis
A visual research project in the fields of urban anthropology, migration and oral history. The documentary film (75 mins.) is accompanied by a written text, that critically discusses the making of the film and the working process in the form of a handbook for students (3). It was the first film to be accepted as the main part of a MA at the University of Zurich.
→ To the film «Made in Hong Kong»
→ Made in Hong Kong – A Handbook for Students (3)
Naga Identities (2009-11)
as part of an exhibition
The twelve hours of footage were shot in March 2009 as part of a large research project on Naga culture in India’s Northeastern border regions. Other products of the same research were the exhibtion “Naga: Ornaments and Ashes”, as well as the publication “Naga Identities: Changing Local Cultures in the Northeast of India”. It contains a collection of articles by various authors spanning an enlightening ark from the warring past, to an equally problematic present, to a very uncertain future.
→ to the project «Naga Identities»
Shamans of the Blind Country (2007-08)
Digitalising a classic of Visual Anthropology
Historical footage is mostly analog, the cinema of tomorrow digital: with color corrections, adaptions of the sound tracks as well as the reconstruction of the original order of the sequences Michael Oppitz’ ethnographic classic from 1978 was brought into the digital age. With Thomas Bochet.
Poster/flyer of “Made in Hong Kong”, 1997
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Teaching – Mentoring
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University
Between the arts and science
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Luc Schaedler
is teaching and mentoring as freelance lecturer since 2001. In addition to workshops and lectures at international Universities – among them Vancouver, New York, Vienna and Berlin – he is regularly working at Zurich University and the University of the Arts (film department).
His emphasis in teaching and mentoring lies in the fields of documentary filmmaking (theory and practice), cultural anthropology, with a special focus on visual anthropology, as well as Tibet (history and Buddhism).
Teaching
His last Seminars took place at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Berne (Switzerland) – Introduction to Visual Anthropology (The Classics of Ethnographic Filmmaking), The Ethnographic Interview (Theory and Exercise) and most recently Smartphone Anthropology at the Université de Fribourg.
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2009/10 Luc Schaedler has been involved in the Triangle Project, a cross-cultural exchange workshop between the film departments of the University of the Arts (Zurich), the Dramatiska Institutet (Stockholm) and the Theatre Academy of Shanghai. My paper ↓ The little differences about the workshop can be downloaded from here.
A film by Yun Long Song
(CH 2011, 10 Min., English)
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Mentoring
In his position as lecturer at the University of Zurich, Luc Schaedler has been mentoring the visual degrees (MA) of the students in the department of Visual Anthropolgy since 2006. The mentoring included the critical discussion of each proposal, productional and technical support as well as support during the editing, postproduction and promotion of the films.
Luc Schaedler also initiated a colloquium for anthropology students in which they present and discuss their visual projects in different stages of the making (ongoing).
The films were screened at the ethnographic student film festival Regard Bleu in Zurich and/or were invited to the Solothurner Filmtage in Switzerland (2007-2010):
• Promised Land (Balz Alter, CH 2010, 35 mins., MA, UniBa) • Chokora – Surviving on the Street (Lea Furrer, CH 2010, 50 mins., MA, UZH) • Arranged Love (Sarah Bregy, CH 2010, MA, UZH) • Por Amor (Isabelle Stüssi, CH 2009, 68 mins., MA, UZH) • Life in Bubbles (Nadine Lüchinger, CH 2009, 50 Min., Lizentiat, UZH) • Put Mira (Gian-Reto Gredig, CH 2008, 87 mins. MA, UZH) • The Cave of Justin (Mélanie Pitteloud, CH 2008, 52 mins., MA, UZH) • In A Whiteman’s Kontry (Balz Arter, CH 2008, 25 Min., Seminar, UniBa) • The Achuar (Elsner/Bissegger, CH 2008, 52 Min., MA, UZH) • Shanghai Manners (Claudia Jucker, CH 2007, 19 mins., Diploma, HSLU).
In A Whiteman’s Kontry – German
(Balz Alter, CH 2008)
Chokora – Surviving on the Street (Filmstill)
(Lea Furrer, CH 2010)
Filmstill from “Chokora”, Kenya 2009
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