Category Archives: German Gems

Chicken Stories- Update

Hey, remember me? Audrey from the chicken coop (photo1). I told you our story a while ago and believe it or not, I’m still around. I’m more than 6 years old, ancient for chickens who still lay eggs and I … Continue reading

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Painting is Fun / Malen macht Spass

At the end of the day you have produced something – to look at, perhaps even to hang on the wall if you like it enough. Very different from writing that for me is hardly ever done. Every time I … Continue reading

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27th BERLIN & BEYOND March 2023

WERNER HERZOG – RADICAL DREAMER Director/Writer Thomas von Steinaecker Visionary, hypnotic, mythical, radical, rapturous, ecstatic, cosmic, impossible. Those are the adjectives used by a number of big names in the film world – Nicole Kidman, Christian Bale, Chloé Zhao, Joshua Oppenheimer, … Continue reading

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MIDLIFE CRISIS: Corsage & Tár

The central characters are two women in their forties going through a mid-life crisis: Lydia Tár, the creation of Todd Field the film’s director & writer, and Empress Elisabeth, recreated through the modern lens of Austrian director Marie Kreutzer. Although … Continue reading

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26th Berlin & Beyond (March 11-16, 2022)

  DEAR THOMAS/Lieber Thomas –  Director Andreas Kleinert, Writer Thomas Wendrich Rebel. Poet. Revolutionary: LIEBER THOMAS is director Andreas Kleinert’s declaration of love to the writer Thomas Brasch. Brought to life congenially by actor Albrecht Schuch  the B&W biopic of … Continue reading

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WHAT DID YOU DO DURING COVID, OMA? (includes more on the Chickens)

My granddaughter Ella asked me that question and here is what came to mind. I watched a lot of films on MUBI which became my favorite screening channel. I used to watch movies in the theaters, also with you, Ella, … Continue reading

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A Sad Update to the Chicken Stories

Granny was hacked apart by a hawk. We all witnessed the attack and ran inside only Iris must not have made it to safety. When we huddled together for the night Iris was missing and she never came back.  She … Continue reading

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Part 1 – WHY WE LAY NO EGGS NOMORE

Here we are: of all colors – brown, black, white, light brown, dark brown, orange, sprinkled — of all Shapes – small, big, skinny, voluptuous — of all Characters – independent, aloof, social, cuddly, skeptical, curious, lazy, shy — and … Continue reading

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A Day in the Times of Corona

Good morning sunshine, a fine day is in the air. With a cup of hot tea a short walk through the community garden to the chickens. They can’t wait for food and company. Audrey, always stylish in black with a … Continue reading

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EFFIGY – Poison and the City

  On April 21, 1831, the last public execution in Bremen took place on the Domhof in front of a huge crowd of 35,000 curious citizens. Gesche Gottfried, 46 years old, was beheaded for having poisoned 15 people close to … Continue reading

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HOW TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOUSE on a Small Lot in a Historic District of San Francisco.

The lot is 25 ft wide in a historic district. The existing one family home (yellow, 2200 sqft) can not be erased – so what do you do to build a comfortable home with 7000 square feet living space? That’s … Continue reading

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Peter Handke & Deutschstunde

When Austrian writer Peter Handke was recently honored with the Nobel Prize for literature, it caused quite an uproar. His political views, not his writing immediately became the center of attention by journalist and fellow writers. During the Yugoslav war … Continue reading

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