When there were still Aquarians

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Movie
Original title When there were still Aquarians
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1991
length 25 minutes
Rod
Director Johannes Hempel
script Johannes Hempel
production DEFA , studio for animated films
music Dieter Kempe
camera Jürgen Hempel
cut Jürgen Hempel

When there was still water men is a German animation film by DEFA by Johannes Hempel ( Sorbian Jan Hempel ) from 1991. The film was shot as a puppet trick in stop motion .

action

Young Hanka lives in a village in Lusatia . She is so beautiful that her brothers do all the housework for her, since a “countess” shouldn't work. Hanka therefore wants a husband who takes over all the work in the house and yard. She has many admirers, but she rejects everyone. She even sends the chicken king away, who wants to give her his best hen, because after all she would have to take care of his chickens. Hanka is secretly in love with Jan, a peat cutter who always plays to dance with his bagpipes . When Jan asks her to dance, his goat knocks over the peat wagon and Hanka's apron gets dirty. Although she is angry, she appears to dance. Jan still doesn't want to take her as a husband, because he doesn't play the violin .

Jan receives support from Aquarius , who gives him a violin. To compensate, he should teach his sons to make music and after a while the three Aquarius children form a decent orchestra. Jan is now wooing Hanka, but she wants a man with a horse like the Chicken King owns one. Since she had tripped over the goat shortly before and tore her apron, the goat takes all the blame. With great effort and great will, she succeeds in transforming herself into a magnificent white horse. When Jan advertises Hanka on him and she is enthusiastic, the horse begins to neigh and reveals itself to be a transformed goat with its grumbling. Hanka rejects the advertisement. The Aquarius appears with a richly decorated carriage and horses and woos Hanka, who spontaneously accepts his advertisement. Soon, however, she has a guilty conscience, longing for Jan. In the realm of Aquarius she not only doesn't need to work - she can't either, because tools and spinning wheels give way to her as soon as she approaches them. Hanka gets sad because she sees that others are having fun at work.

Aquarius meanwhile has no intention of marrying Hanka. He dresses up as a suitor and, according to tradition, invites the Lausitzers to marry Hanka and Jan. Hanka is dressed in the bride's costume and finally driven to the surprised Jan, who happily embraces her. Not only guests from all parts of Lusatia come to the wedding, but also many Aquarius men. From now on they never have to freeze again in winter, because Hanka knits them all to keep them warm.

production

When there were still Aquarians based on a Sorbian fairy tale. Director Johannes Hempel (1917–1998), who was born in Bautzen , is considered a pioneer of puppet animation in the GDR and was Sorbe and co-founder of the Sorbian Filmmakers' Working Group familiar with Sorbian customs and traditions. Numerous Sorbian wedding customs are recorded in the film, including that of courtship. The figures wear Sorbian costumes and the bride is driven to Jan in a traditional Sorbian wedding dress. The idea of Aquarius , Wódny muž , is also deeply anchored in Sorbian mythology.

The film does not contain any dialogues. Instead, the speakers Lars Jung and Peter Thomsen tell the story. The animation of the puppet trick comes from Steffen Brandes .

The film, which was completed in 1989 but not released until 1991, was shown at the IFF Oberhausen in 1992, in 1993 in the animation section at the Golden Spatz and in 1996 at the Berlinale Children's Film Festival .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Johannes, Jan Hempel ( Memento of February 28, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) in the Biographical Lexicon of Upper Lusatia , there further sources.
  2. See berlinale.de