AARHUS STORIES

A musician composes a song for a film director, who uses it as a ‘poetic manuscript’ for a short film, which is shot in 24 hours in Aarhus. That’s the recipe for an Aarhus Story, which takes place for the third year in a row during Aarhus Festival.
This year, these four strong teams have accepted the challenge and each will come up with their exciting suggestion for an Aarhus Story anno 2011:
Rutger Hauer (NL), Sil van der Woerd (NL) and Lolly Jane Blue (NL)
Frederikke Aspöck (DK) and Lambchop (US)
Margaret Brown (US) and Under Byen (DK)
Jonas Elmer (DK) and John Parish (US).
Aarhus Stories are produced by Aarhus Festival with the support of Den Vestdanske Filmpulje (The West-Danish Film-pool). Each production is delegated to local film producers, a way for them to contribute to the festival. Aarhus Stories from 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be screened in Bruun’s Galleri, from August 30th till the 31st.

REQUIEM 2019
Rutger Hauer (NL), Sil van der Woerd (NL) & Lolly Jane Blue (NL)
AARHUS Stories 2011 29 + 30 Aug., 7.30pm-8pm, Screen A+B, 31 Aug., 8pm-8.30pm, Screen B
SPECIAL EVENT: August 29th at 10 pm. in Filmbyen. Duration: 60-90 minutes.

The Dutch-born Hollywood star Rutger Hauer guests this year’s Filmlab Aarhus with the Aarhus Story ‘Requiem 2031’. The film tells the story of the last remaining whale in the oceans, who seeks mercy from its greatest enemy, mankind, played by Rutger Hauer. With an outstanding mixture of fiction, animation, music video and old files, the film cautions in the most beautiful way against an impending mistake. ‘Requiem 2019’ is co-directed by the visually innovative music video director, Sil van der Woerd and the musical content is from Lolly Jane Blue. Together, they have created the music video ‘White Swan’, which has won many international festival awards.
Produced for Filmlab Aarhus by Radiator Film.

MOVING ON
Frederikke Aspöck & Lambchop (US)
AARHUS STORIES 2011 29 + 30 Aug., 7.30pm-8pm, Screen A+B, 31 Aug., 8pm-8.30, Screen B

Frederikke Aspöck, who’s debut as a feature film director came with ‘Labrador’ (‘Out of Bounds’) at the Cannes Film Festival in the spring of 2011, has directed the Aarhus Story ‘Moving On’ to the newly composed film music by the American alternative country band, Lambchop.
The Copenhagen DJ Rasmus Backhaus plays the leading role as the man, who after a long time returns home to his ex-girlfriend. He finds her in a totally new life situation and must realise that it is time to relinquish himself from everything, go out in the world and ‘move on’. Additionally starring in the film is Søs Sif Thiele, her eight-year-old son Mads and Anders Brink Madsen.

Basmati Film by Ellen Riis has produced the film for Filmlab Aarhus with the support of M2 Film and Red Rental.

(NO NAME)
Margaret Brown (US) & Under Byen
AARHUS STORIES 2011, 29 + 30 Aug., 7.30pm-8pm, Screen A+B, 31 Aug., 8pm-8pm.30, Screen B

Every Aarhus Story is produced close to the premiere at Filmlab Aarhus, and in this case so close that the title of the film still wasn’t ready for this programme.
It is, however, clear that the name of the director is Margaret Brown, and she is one of the most intriguing, new American documentary film directors. She has won multiple awards and one nomination for the jury’s great price at The Sundance Festival for her film ‘The Order of Myths’ from 2008, which revolves around the annual Mardi Gras in Mobile Alabama. The Sundance Festival has recently appointed her to make a new documentary about BP’s catastrophic oil-slip in the Mexican Gulf in 2010. For her Aarhus Story Margaret Brown herself has chosen the music by the praised Danish band Under Byen, who wrote a new number just for this film project.
The film is produced for Filmlab Aarhus by HOLCKFABER.

THE FINAL SOLUTION
Jonas Elmer (DK) & John Parish (UK)
AARHUS STORIES 2011: 29 + 30 Aug., 8.30pm-9pm, Screen A+B, 31 Aug., kl. 8-8.30pm, Screen B

Jonas Elmer brings the audience along to match-day at Aarhus Stadium, where the city’s pride, AGF, plays a promotional match to move up to the major soccer league. After a dirty tackle, commotion arises between two opponents and the referee shows them both the red card. The two players continue their fight through the player’s tunnel, pass the locker-room and then out of the stadium.
A true Aarhus Story accompanied by music of none other than John Parish, the long-time conductor for P.J. Harvey, with whom he released the album ‘A Woman a Man Walked By’ in 2009.
Jonas Elmer debuted with ’Let’s get lost’ in 1997, which created a school in the Danish film environment known for its partially improvised plot and dialogue. Since then, Elmer has released the comedies ‘Mona’s World’ (2001), ‘Nynne’ (2005) and ‘New Town’ (2009) with Renée Zellweger.
The film is produced for Filmlab Aarhus by Picturewise.