Film Archive
Absolute Wilson
Absolute Wilson chronicles the epic life, times and creative genius of Robert Wilson, intimately revealing for the first time one of the most controversial, rule-breaking and downright mysterious artists of our era. More than a biography, the film becomes an exhilarating exploration of the transformative power of creativity itself and the inspirational tale of a boy who grew up as a troubled and learning-disabled outsider in the American South only to become a fearless artist with a profoundly original perspective to share with the world. The probing yet playful narrative reveals the deep inter-connections between Wilson's childhood experiences and the haunting beauty of his monumental works, which include the theatrical sensations Deafman Glance, Einstein on the Beach and The CIVIL WarS. Along the way, the film introduces an array of admirers, friends and critics —ranging from musician David Byrne to the late writer Susan Sontag to composer Phillip Glass and singer Jessye Norman, among others—who add insight as the film peels back layer after layer to get to a raw, forthcoming and uniquely moving view of how Wilson's work emerged from an extraordinary life and a ceaseless yearning to communicate.
Katharina Otto-Bernstein studied at Columbia University and the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting in New York. A selection of her films includes: Coming Home (documentary, 1990), Morton Downey is Teething with Anger (1991), When Night Falls Over Moscow (documentary, 1992), The Second Greatest Story Ever Told (1993), The Need for Speed (documentary, 1995), Beautopia - The Dark Side of Modeling (documentary, 1998), Methods in Madness - The Life and Times of Robert Wilson (documentary, 1999), and Absolute Wilson (2006).Category Documentary Cinema
Year of Production 2006
Director Katharina Otto-Bernstein
Screenplay Katharina Otto-Bernstein
Directors of Photography Ian Saladyga, Eric Seefranz
Editor Bernadine Colish
Music by Miriam Cutler
Producers Katharina Otto-Bernstein, Penny CM Stankiewicz
Production Company Film Manufacturers/New York, in co-production with Alba Film Productions/Hamburg
Principal Cast Robert Wilson, Susan Sontag, Philip Glass
Length 105 min, 2,992 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.33
Original Version English
Subtitled Versions German
Sound Technology Dolby SR 5.1
Festival Screenings Berlin 2006, Sydney 2006, Melbourne 2006, Jerusalem 2006, ArtBasel 2006, Montreal 2006, Vancouver 2006, Warsaw 2006 (Documentary Competition), Cambridge 2006, Festival do Rio 2006, Antalya 2006, Ljublijana 2006, CPH:DOX Copenhagen 2006, Oslo 2006, Istanbul 2007
German Distributor Kinowelt Filmverleih/Leipzig
World Sales
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phone +49-3 41-35 59 60
fax +49-3 41-35 59 64 19
email: filmverlag@kinowelt.de
http://www.kinowelt-international.de