Volker Koepp

In this documentary Volker Koepp shows part of the history of Prussia. He begins 700 years ago with the land of the Pruzzen situated between the rivers Weichsel and Memel and proceeds the development of the state.

Tracing biographical lines, Volker Koepp steps into his oeuvre, rich in encounters. Returning to Lithuania, Moldova and Chernivtsi, he looks back and brings things up to date, as the war against Ukraine becomes a determining element of the present. Epic.

Documentary about the sisters Lene and Berta who live in a village in Thuringia.

A documentary about the village Kienitz at the river Oder, about the people, their life, their history.

No synopsis available yet.

Volker Koepp revisits Zehdenick and Grüneberg, East Germany. People are struggling with the new political and economical conditions shortly before the German Reunification.

In this documentary Volker Koepp shows part of the history of Prussia. He begins 700 years ago with the land of the Pruzzen situated between the rivers Weichsel and Memel and proceeds the development of the state.

In this documentary Volker Koepp shows part of the history of Prussia. He begins 700 years ago with the land of the Pruzzen situated between the rivers Weichsel and Memel and proceeds the development of the state.

Tracing biographical lines, Volker Koepp steps into his oeuvre, rich in encounters. Returning to Lithuania, Moldova and Chernivtsi, he looks back and brings things up to date, as the war against Ukraine becomes a determining element of the present. Epic.

Documentary about the sisters Lene and Berta who live in a village in Thuringia.

Documentary about the sisters Lene and Berta who live in a village in Thuringia.

A documentary about the village Kienitz at the river Oder, about the people, their life, their history.

A documentary about the village Kienitz at the river Oder, about the people, their life, their history.

No synopsis available yet.

No synopsis available yet.

Volker Koepp revisits Zehdenick and Grüneberg, East Germany. People are struggling with the new political and economical conditions shortly before the German Reunification.

Volker Koepp revisits Zehdenick and Grüneberg, East Germany. People are struggling with the new political and economical conditions shortly before the German Reunification.

No synopsis available yet.

24-hour television documentary about Berlin and its inhabitants, reporting in real time on the everyday lives of more than 50 protagonists from a wide range of professions, social classes, religions and ethnicities.

In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Four years later—the Islamic calendar's year 1362—, director Volker Koepp visited Kabul and neighboring provinces. Koepp met a cross-section of people, such as soldiers, intellectuals, kids, and nomads, and with sensitive intensity told stories of their daily lives in the turmoil of an “undeclared war.” This travelogue, which was undertaken with the GDR’s consent, took a political risk because it expresses Koepp’s doubt that conflicts can be solved through military invention.

Chernivtsi, an out-of-the-way city in the middle of Europe. It was once part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy as the capital of the crown province of Bukowina. People of many different nationalities, languages, and cultures lived here together: Ukrainians, Romanians, Germans, Poles, Huzulians. Almost half of the population of Chernivtsi, once amounting to 150,000 inhabitants, were Jews. The southern part of Bukowina is now part of Romania, the north, with Czernowitz/Chernivtsi, belongs to the Ukraine. Six years ago Volker Koepp made his film Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann there. Dieses Jahr in Chernivtsi returns there with emigrants and their descendants.

Chernivtsi, an out-of-the-way city in the middle of Europe. It was once part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy as the capital of the crown province of Bukowina. People of many different nationalities, languages, and cultures lived here together: Ukrainians, Romanians, Germans, Poles, Huzulians. Almost half of the population of Chernivtsi, once amounting to 150,000 inhabitants, were Jews. The southern part of Bukowina is now part of Romania, the north, with Czernowitz/Chernivtsi, belongs to the Ukraine. Six years ago Volker Koepp made his film Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann there. Dieses Jahr in Chernivtsi returns there with emigrants and their descendants.

In his film "Berlin-Stettin", well-known documentary film director Volker Koepp embarks on a journey to the places of his own past: Born in 1944 in Stettin (now the Polish city of Szczecin) and grown up in Berlin-Karlshorst, Koepp has again and again met people and found places located between the two cities that he turned into the protagonists of his films – in Brandenburg, in Mecklenburg, and in Pomerania. Now, he once again returns to these places and finds out that his own biography overlaps with the biographies of his found again protagonists as well as with the history of this region. During his search for traces, Koepp at the same time finds new people, new regions, and new themes that are also worth becoming a part of Koepp′s narration.

In his film "Berlin-Stettin", well-known documentary film director Volker Koepp embarks on a journey to the places of his own past: Born in 1944 in Stettin (now the Polish city of Szczecin) and grown up in Berlin-Karlshorst, Koepp has again and again met people and found places located between the two cities that he turned into the protagonists of his films – in Brandenburg, in Mecklenburg, and in Pomerania. Now, he once again returns to these places and finds out that his own biography overlaps with the biographies of his found again protagonists as well as with the history of this region. During his search for traces, Koepp at the same time finds new people, new regions, and new themes that are also worth becoming a part of Koepp′s narration.

Meetings with readers, acquaintances and contemporaries of writer Uwe Johnson at the places where he lived. Volker Koepp, who is also from Pomerania, looks for Johnson’s sophisticated literary voice in the landscapes of the region they both stem from.

Meetings with readers, acquaintances and contemporaries of writer Uwe Johnson at the places where he lived. Volker Koepp, who is also from Pomerania, looks for Johnson’s sophisticated literary voice in the landscapes of the region they both stem from.

In the west of Ukraine, not far from the border to Romania, there is a faraway European city: Chernivtsi. It was once the centre of Jewish culture in the Bukowina, a border area characterized over centuries by a multi-cultural mixture of peoples. Here, Ukrainians, Poles, Romanians, Germans and Jews lived side by side. Volker Koepp’s film focuses on Mr. Zwilling and Mrs. Zuckermann, two of the last few Jews born in the old Chernivtsi/Czernowitz. They share a friendship but also their love for the German language. Mr. Zwilling visits 90-year-old Mrs. Zuckermann daily in the early hours of the evening. They talk about old times, about shared events, about politics and literature and the worries of everyday life.

In the west of Ukraine, not far from the border to Romania, there is a faraway European city: Chernivtsi. It was once the centre of Jewish culture in the Bukowina, a border area characterized over centuries by a multi-cultural mixture of peoples. Here, Ukrainians, Poles, Romanians, Germans and Jews lived side by side. Volker Koepp’s film focuses on Mr. Zwilling and Mrs. Zuckermann, two of the last few Jews born in the old Chernivtsi/Czernowitz. They share a friendship but also their love for the German language. Mr. Zwilling visits 90-year-old Mrs. Zuckermann daily in the early hours of the evening. They talk about old times, about shared events, about politics and literature and the worries of everyday life.

36 year old welder Karin works at an agricultural factory in Mecklenburg, Germany.

36 year old welder Karin works at an agricultural factory in Mecklenburg, Germany.

A documentary about Masuria, a province in the northeast of Poland, which is probably the most renowned part of former East-Prussia. Albeit a recent boom in tourism, the sparsely populated region still remains one of the poorest regions in Europe. The impressively photographed film reflects upon the eventful history of this land: It portrays farmers, who struggle to work the barren land; fishermen, who fight for their existence, and Ukrainians, who were once forced to relocate and now return to their old home in the East.

A documentary about Masuria, a province in the northeast of Poland, which is probably the most renowned part of former East-Prussia. Albeit a recent boom in tourism, the sparsely populated region still remains one of the poorest regions in Europe. The impressively photographed film reflects upon the eventful history of this land: It portrays farmers, who struggle to work the barren land; fishermen, who fight for their existence, and Ukrainians, who were once forced to relocate and now return to their old home in the East.

Biographical search for traces of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) in Georgia. During his early, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Russian Futurist movement.

Biographical search for traces of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) in Georgia. During his early, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Russian Futurist movement.

Documentary about the region next to the river Memel.

Documentary about the region next to the river Memel.

In early 1945, the mother Elisabeth Paetzold flees from the Red Army from West Prussia towards the west with the two oldest of her four sons. Taking all the children at the same time seems too dangerous to her, so she leaves her two youngest in the hope of catching them up later, in the care of grandparents. In post-war Poland, she sets out in search of them, but she no longer succeeds in uniting them all. Only now, in this documentary, a reunion takes place. And there are five stories about the common family history audible that is so incredible, but not rare...

In early 1945, the mother Elisabeth Paetzold flees from the Red Army from West Prussia towards the west with the two oldest of her four sons. Taking all the children at the same time seems too dangerous to her, so she leaves her two youngest in the hope of catching them up later, in the care of grandparents. In post-war Poland, she sets out in search of them, but she no longer succeeds in uniting them all. Only now, in this documentary, a reunion takes place. And there are five stories about the common family history audible that is so incredible, but not rare...

In his documentary film, Volker Koepp portrays the picturesque Polish region of Pomerania. But although the region appears to be idyllic, its inhabitants are struggling with big problems. The villages and cities of Pomerania that traditionally live from agriculture are hit by unemployment rates of up to 75% after the meltdown of the state farms. While most of the young people leave the region, some of them take their chances and start fresh – for instance, a young couple that tries to rebuild an agricultural farm with the help of EU funding. Furthermore, older inhabitants, including a spry 90-year old retiree from the Uckermark region who grew up in Pomerania, tell stories about the region′s eventful past.

In his documentary film, Volker Koepp portrays the picturesque Polish region of Pomerania. But although the region appears to be idyllic, its inhabitants are struggling with big problems. The villages and cities of Pomerania that traditionally live from agriculture are hit by unemployment rates of up to 75% after the meltdown of the state farms. While most of the young people leave the region, some of them take their chances and start fresh – for instance, a young couple that tries to rebuild an agricultural farm with the help of EU funding. Furthermore, older inhabitants, including a spry 90-year old retiree from the Uckermark region who grew up in Pomerania, tell stories about the region′s eventful past.

No synopsis available yet.

The end moraines of the Uckermark have kept Volker Koepp busy for decades. Following the socio-historical "Uckermark", he devotes himself in "Landstück" even more intensively to conveying the sensory experience of this sparsely populated, ecologically fascinating region between Berlin and the Baltic Sea.

The end moraines of the Uckermark have kept Volker Koepp busy for decades. Following the socio-historical "Uckermark", he devotes himself in "Landstück" even more intensively to conveying the sensory experience of this sparsely populated, ecologically fascinating region between Berlin and the Baltic Sea.

Documentary about the German poet Erich Weinert.

Documentary about the German poet Erich Weinert.

The film tells the story of the East Prussian landscape and its inhabitants. At one time Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Jews lived here alongside and with one another. After World War II and the expulsion of Germans by Stalin, the Prussian province turned into a Russian enclave. Volker Koepp’s fourth film about the Kaliningrad region is dedicated to the generation, born in the '90s, and familiar with the Soviet Union and East Prussia only from school books. Parents and grandparents who were forcefully resettled to where they are now have never really felt at home. In the meantime they have hopelessly succumbed to unemployment and alcohol. Their children can only rely on themselves. Older siblings look after the younger ones, they play with what lies around, and the girl Ljuda can’t wait to finally turn eighteen, to be able to take her brothers home from the orphanage. The film has much confidence in the children. But what will become of them?