Anna Blume

Anna Blume

Anna Blume

[Eve Blossom]

[German | English Subtitles]

Anna Blume is a visual interpretation of the emblematic love poem “An Anna Blume” (To Eve Blossom) by the German Dada Poet, Kurt Schwitters, written in 1919. (Original voicerecording of the Poet from 1935 was used)

An Anna Blume
(German)
Oh Du, Geliebte meiner 27 Sinne, ich liebe Dir!
Du, Deiner, Dich Dir, ich Dir, Du mir, —- wir?
Das gehört beiläufig nicht hierher!
Wer bist Du, ungezähltes Frauenzimmer, Du bist, bist Du?
Die Leute sagen, Du wärest.
Laß sie sagen, sie wissen nicht, wie der Kirchturm steht.
Du trägst den Hut auf Deinen Füßen und wanderst auf die Hände,
Auf den Händen wanderst Du.
Halloh, Deine roten Kleider, in weiße Falten zersägt,
Rot liebe ich Anna Blume, rot liebe ich Dir.
Du, Deiner, Dich Dir, ich Dir, Du mir, —– wir?
Das gehört beiläufig in die kalte Glut!
Anna Blume, rote Anna Blume, wie sagen die Leute?
Preisfrage:
1. Anna Blume hat ein Vogel,
2. Anna Blume ist rot.
3. Welche Farbe hat der Vogel?
Blau ist die Farbe Deines gelben Haares,
Rot ist die Farbe Deines grünen Vogels.
Du schlichtes Mädchen im Alltagskleid,
Du liebes grünes Tier, ich liebe Dir!
Du Deiner Dich Dir, ich Dir, Du mir, —- wir!
Das gehört beiläufig in die —- Glutenkiste.
Anna Blume, Anna, A—-N—-N—-A!
Ich träufle Deinen Namen.
Dein Name tropft wie weiches Rindertalg.
Weißt Du es Anna, weißt Du es schon,
Man kann Dich auch von hinten lesen.
Und Du, Du Herrlichste von allen,
Du bist von hinten, wie von vorne:
A——N——N——A.
Rindertalg träufelt STREICHELN über meinen Rücken.
Anna Blume,
Du tropfes Tier,
Ich——-liebe——-Dir!

To Anna Blume
(English)
Oh you, beloved of my twenty-seven senses, I love you!
You thine thou yours, I you, you me, —- We?
This by the way does not belong here.
Who are you, uncounted woman? You are – are you?
People say you are.
Let them say it, they don’t know how the church tower stands.
You wear a hat on your feet and stand on your hands,
Upon your hands you walk.
Hello, your red dress, sawn up in white pleats.
Red I love Anna Blume, red I love you!
You thine thou yours, I you, you me, —- We?
That by the way belongs in the cold embers.
Red flower, red Anna Blume, what do people say?
Prize question:
1. Anna Blume has a bird.
2. Anna Blume is red.
3. What color is the bird?
Blue is the color of your yellow hair.
Red is the cooing of your green bird.
You simple girl in an everyday dress,
You dear green animal, I love you!
You thine thou yours, I you, you me, —- We!
That by the way belongs in the ember box.
Anna Blume, Anna, your name!
I drip your name.
Your name drips like softest tallow.
Do you know, Anna, do you know already?
You can also be read from behind,
And you, you most marvelous creature of them all,
You are from the back as you are from the front:
A—–N—–N—–A.
Suet drips caress my back.
Anna Blume, you droppy animal,
I love you!

The Man Who Fell Up

The Man Who Fell Up

The Man Who Fell Up

[A fiddle faddle poem]

A man slips while descending the stairs and falls wrongly, but actually correctly.
I wrote the poem of same title as an exploration of the illogical as an abstract form of logical expression.
World premiere was at DOK Leipzig 2016 under “New German Animations”

 SYNOPSIS
A man slips while descending the stairs and falls wrongly, but actually correctly..
From the fiddle-faddle poem of same title written by Ebele Okoye “The Man Who
Fell Up” explores the illogical as an abstract form of logical expression.

PRODUCTION NOTES
Length: 02:00 Mins
Technique: 2D Animation
Language: English
Countries of Production. Germany/Nigeria
Year of Production: 2016
Format: DVD, BluRay, Digital Files
Ratio: 1,75
Image: Black &White

MAIN CREDIT LIST
Script: Ebele Okoye
Director: Ebele Okoye
Animation: Ebele Okoye
Narator: Darren Dean

DILOGUE
I have heard many a stories
Of different categories
But this one quite silly
Tells of a man named Philly
Who in descent of the stairs
Of a house with two rooms upstairs
Slipped on a piece of crepe
Which the stair edge did drape
You would think downwards he fell
Like any other would tell
But alas! Gravity had suffered a bit of dementia
And upwards Philly fell, devoid of inertia

Die Liebe in den Zeiten der EU

Die Liebe in den Zeiten der EU

Die Liebe in den Zeiten der EU

[Love in the age of the EU]

SUMMARY (Director’s Interpretation)
Sometimes, we are like marionettes in the hands of those whom we have either consciously or
unconsciously chosen to please.
A visual adaptation of the poem “Die Liebe in den Zeiten der EU” by the German poet Björn Kuhligk.
More below the video

 

Each time during the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, the Haus für Poesie Berlin sends out poems to film makers and asks them to interpret them visually.
This piece was done in the same constellation in 2014 and took the first place out of all the entries.

MAIN CREDITS
Poem: Björn Kuhligk
Script/ Direction/Animation: Ebele Okoye
Sound Design / Production Germany: Ebele Okoye
Producer Nigeria: Shrinkfish Ltd.
Year of Production: 2014
Language: German with English Subtitles


SCREENINGS
– 7. ZEBRA Poetry film Festival Berlin; Oct 2014
– Special Selection (Panorama 2) FILMFEST DRESDEN 2015
– International Film Festival of Lanzarote (FICL) 2015
– International Short Film Festival Tabor, 2015
– Africa Internationa Film Festival, Lagos, 2015
– Bogotá International Film Festival for Human Rights , 2015
– Calpabio Cinema , 2015
– Internacional de Experimentación CINETORO, 2015
– Afrikafest Leuwen, 2015
– Västerås Filmfestival, 2016
– Afrykamera Poland, 2016
– XIII Shortfilms Against Racism, Madrid, 2016
– 8ª Festival Internacional de Experimentación CINETORO, Colombia 2016
– 8ª Festival International de Cine Invisible, Film Sozialak, Bilbao, 2016

POEM TRANSCRIPT -German & English

“Die Liebe in den Zeiten der EU”
//Original German text by Björn Kuhligk//

Wie ein Grenzschutz wieder
eine Linie zieht, das muß, es
darf geschossen werden, das
muß, das darf gefilmt werden

wie erdfremd dieser Kontinent
mit Sternchen am Revers, wie der
die Abwehr aufbaut, Mutti macht
noch schnell den Abwasch

als im Süden die ersten Turnschuhe
angespült wurden, später zwei, drei
Zweibeiner gefischt wurden, das muß
es darf zurückgefeuert werden

© Berlin Verlag
Published: 2005, Berlin Verlag
ISBN: 3-8270-0584-1

“Love In The Age Of The EU”
//English Translation by Catherine Hales//

As a border patrolman draws
a line again, shooting is necessary,
is permitted, filming
is necessary, is permitted

how unworldly this continent
with little stars on its lapels, how it
builds up its defences, Mummy
quickly does the washing up

when the first sneakers were washed
up in the south, later two, three bipeds
were fished out, firing back
is necessary, is permitted

Meine Heimat

Meine Heimat

MEINE HEIMAT

A visual adaptation and personal interpretation of the poem “meine heimat” by the German Poet Ulrike Almut Sandig.

INFORMATION:
Each time during the ZEBRA Poetry Film festival, the Literaturwerkstatt Berlin sends out poems to film makers and asks them to interpret them visually.
This piece was done in the same constellation in 2012

SYNOPSIS
Berlin Tempelhof, years after 2017: an old woman in the face of advanced recreational activities at the old
airport grounds confusedly recalls her growing-up years and life in a post war Berlin.

BACKGROUND
The old Tempelhof Airport, one of Europe’s iconic pre-world war II airports ceased operating in 2008 . Since then it is being used for recreational activities like windsurfing, kiting etc.
However, before the Airport was built in the mid twenties, it was a vast farmland which played a big role in the life of the inhabitants of Tempelhof. It was the center of their sunday recreational activitieswhich included dog-races etc.

Today, in 2012, the city of Berlin plans to restructure the landscape of the old airport ground and install very modern recreational facilities and one of these is a hill (hence the interpretation of the “bird man” sport )
So conclusively, only MOSTLY people from Berlin will be able to understand it beyond the presented visual abstract, thus making this remain predominantly a Berlin-related interpretation.

PRODUCTION NOTES
Format: DVD, Digital Files
Ratio: 16:9
Image: Black & White /Color
Length: 05:00 Mins
Technique: 2D/3D Animation
Language: German (English Subtitles)
Countries of Production: Nigeria / Germany/
Year of Production: 2012

MAIN CREDIT LIST
Poem: Ulrike Almut sandig
Script: Ebele Okoye
Director: Ebele Okoye
Music: Istomin Stoganov & Sound Stake Music
Sound Design: Ebele Okoye
Animation: Ebele Okoye
Producer Nigeria: Shrinkfish Ltd.
Producer Germany: Ebele Okoye

SCREENINGS/AWARDS
No screenings yet (stand : 18.06.2012)

FILMOGRAPHY OF DIRECTOR/CO-PRODUCER
2012: Meine Heimat (Germany/ Nigeria) 05:00 Min, 2D/3D Animation (Director/Coproducer)
2011: Footy My Love (Nigeria/Germany/Denmark) 07:00 Min, 2D Animation/Video Art (Director/Coproducer)
2010: The Essence (Nigeria /Germany) 05:30 min. , 2D Animation (Director/Coproducer)
2009: Anna Blume (Germany/Bulgaria) 09:00 mins. 2D Animation (Producer/Co script writer/Animator)
2009: Patterns (Nigeria /Germany) 10:00 mins. 2D Animation (Director/Coproducer)
2008: Papermouse (Germany) 02:30 mins. 2D Animation (Director/Coproducer)
2007: Die Verrückte ‘The Lunatic’ (Germany) 05:00 mins. 2D Animation (Director/Coproducer)

Die Verrückte [The Lunatic]

Die Verrückte [The Lunatic]

DIE VERRÜCKTE

[German with English Subtitles]

[English Version Below]

My first official animation, this piece premiered at the Filmfest Dresden in 2007. Later in 2008, it was entered as the FIRST AND ONLY animation at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) thus got the honourable mention.

It was written and discarded by best friend and my then flatmate, the German Author Simone Kanter (who is still convinced it was a horrible piece whereas for me, it was the stepping stone into life as an indeie animator.)
I also had the priviledge of having Rita Ringheanu, the most sought after female VO artist in Germany to speak the original German version.
It later ran at the DOK Lepzig amongst other prestigious festivals