Erika and Ulrich - A Life dedicated to Films

Our documentary film deals with the personal, cultural and film historical legacy of Erika and Ulrich Gregor. In addition to their significance for post-war German film culture, they are also "the funniest, most stylish and friendliest couple in the entire industry" - at least this is how Aki Kaurismäki sees it.
The Gregors are contemporary witnesses to the changes in the film cultural landscape since the 1950s, and more than that: they were its players.
In the student film club of the Free University they showed forgotten pearls of German cinema from the 1920s, but also films of French and Italian Neorealism.
In 1963, they founded the "Friends of the German Kinemathek“, presenting hand-picked film culture to a wider audience - in opposition to the German mainstream of the time. Soviet film, Polish film, South American workers' film, North American underground, short films implementing the Oberhausen Manifesto, films from Scandinavia, films from Asia - the monthly showings at the Academy of Arts could no longer contain their many ideas. In 1970, they opened their own cinema, the Kino Arsenal then located at Welserstr. 25 / Berlin-Schöneberg), which soon developed into the most extraordinary cinema in Germany.
In 1971 came the curating and organisational implementation of the new Berlinale-Section International Forum of Young Cinema. In this way they opened the Berlinale eastwards, elevated exotic film treasures, sharpened the festival’s profile and kickstarted the careers of big international film artists. Among the artists who had premieres in this section were: Peter Greenaway, Jim Jarmusch, Helke Sander, Jutta Brückner, Edgar Reitz, Michael Moore, Wong Kar-Wai, Margarethe von Trotta, Wim Wenders, Doris Dörrie, Jeanine Meerapfel, Rosa von Praunheim, Chantal Akerman, Theo Angelopoulos, Aki Kaurismäki and many more.(Trailer)

What would Berlin be without the Berlinale? And what would the Berlinale be without the "Forum"?
Our campaign is aimed at all those who love film. And culture. And the Berlinale. And of course, to all those who want to join us in realising this homage to the Gregors and their cinematic cosmos, and see it in the cinema.

Especially in these times of Corona pandemic, with cinema visits a scarce rarity, we cinema lovers have become painfully aware of how Indispensable a part of our cultural self-image, our confrontation with film is. Without people like Erika and Ulrich Gregor, people who say, we will fight against all obstacles, against the lack of money, against common opinion, and make culture possible - without these people, culture disappears. This is what our film wishes to demonstrate: One can do it, one can stand up for culture and it is something worth doing.

A documentary film will be made, and reach its audience, online, TV and festival. Up until now all team members have worked free of charge on the first research interviews and trailer editing. This is unsustainable, especially as we have further interviews to film; with the Gregors, with their career companions, and with other filmmakers. And most especially, because we have to purchase screening rights to many important film clips.