De Corpore Mortis

Director RUDOLF DOMKE | GERMANY | 2015 | 124'

DOCUMENTARY

German, Spanish, Russian, Guarani with English subtitles

FESTIVALS

Filmfest München 2015, New German Cinema (WP)

Duisburger Filmwoche 2015

De Corpore Mortis describes the harsh life of a small German community of people in the remote area of Paraguay, after all dream are shattered. It is about the will to survive and to find a new home.

Synopsis

An ethnic German colony in Paraguay is in ruins. Although this colony exists less than 10 years, the dream of a social utopia that existed in this place, belongs to the past. Nikolai Neufeld, founder of the colony, is imprisoned for economic fraud, he has 60 million euros of debt and 1,700 creditors. About 15 years ago he bought lots of land in the remote area of Paraguay and started aggressively to promote to settle there. His audience was a minority in Germany, which is known as Russian-Germans, most of whom have German roots and have moved since the late 80's from the former Soviet Union to Germany and lived there already 10 to 20 years. His great promise was a municipal, carefree life in the rural idyll away from all disappointments and constraints of modern civilization. Most of the houses in the colony are abandoned by now. Many families have returned to Germany or try their luck elsewhere, in other places in Paraguay, Argentina or Canada, -if they have relatives there. The film is about the people who stayed there and try to survive, as self- sufficient farmers, as ranchers and missionaries. The school they must pay themselves or teach their own children. Those willing to integrate send their children to the Paraguayan schools in the surrounding villages. All entrepreneurial efforts have proved to be experiments that went bankrupt.

The bold vision Neufelds to become the largest macadamia producer in the world, has remained an illusion. The film is a meditation on their hard life after the breakup of all dreams. It is also about subliminal aggression within a community that lives isolated, is divided and feels threatened in its existence, if not willing to adapt. Many of them are now armed and the will to peacefully communicate fades more and more.

Directors Statement

The cow that is slaughtered, keeps alive those who consume it. A seed dies and becomes something new. An ethnic German colony in South America disintegrates and provides opportunities for new forms of existence. This film is an examination of the textures of such deaths and of what it contains within itself.

Biography Director

Rudolf Domke, was born 1978 in Kustanaj, former USSR (Kazakhstan). Since the age of eleven he lived in Germany. After finishing school he traveled by foot several years. Then learned the craft of a stone sculptor. Since 2008, he is a film directing student at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, DFFB.

Filmography Director

2008 Herr Schäfer / Video / 16 Min

2009 Ein halber Tag im Leben eines Eichbeamten / 16mm / 5 Min

2010 Der Vagabund / Super 16 / 14 Min

2012 Schuld und Sühne / Super 16 / 20 Min

2013 Carla / DCP / 12 Min

Technical Details

Country of production: Germany

Year of production: 2015

Genre: Documentary

Running time: 124 min

Screening format: DCP