Swetlana Geier is considered the greatest translator of Russian literature into German. Her translations of Dostoyevsky’s five great novels, known as the "five elephants", are her life’s work and literary mile-stones. Her work is characterized by a great and sensual feeling for language and uncompromising respect for the writers she translated. The film interweaves the story of Swetlana Geier’s life with her literary work and traces the secret of this inexhaustible mediator of language. It tells of great suffering, silent helpers and unhoped-for chances - and a love of language that outshines all else.
Synopsis
Protagonists
Svetlana Geier
A translation is not a caterpillar crawling from left to right, a translation always emerges from the whole. Do you understand? One has to make the text entirely one's own. The Germans say "internalised".
Svetlana Geier (neé: Swetlana Michailowna Iwanowa; born on April 26, 1923 in Kiew, Ukraine/ehe. Sowjetunion, died on November 7, 2010 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
She ranks amongst the most important translators of Russian literature in the German-speaking world. Amongst other works, she translated those of Tolstoi, Bulgakov and Solzhenitsyn and became known to a wider public through new translations of the great novels by Fjodor Dostojewski.
Director
Vadim Jendreyko was born in 1965 in Germany and grew up in Switzerland. He attended grammar school, the Basel School of Applied Art and the Düsseldorf Art Academy. He realised his first film in 1986. IN 2002, he and Hercli Bundi founded Mira Film GmbH, where he also works as producer and co-producer. He is the father of two children and lives in Basel.
Filmography as a director (Selection from 2002 on)
2002 “Bashkim”, cinema documentary 85 min., produced by Carac Film AG, (Swiss Film Prize 2002, Best Documentary)
2003 “Transit– Zürich Flughafen” ("Transit - Zurich airport") 54 min. documentary for Swiss Television (SF), produced by Mira Film GmbH, (Best of Dok SF DRS 2003)
2004 “Leistung am Limit” ("Maximum performance") 53 min. Dok–Film SF DRS, produced by Mira Film GmbH
2009 “The Woman with the five Elephants”, cinema documentary 93 min. produced by Mira Film GmbH and Filmtank with ZDF/3sat, SF
2011 Die Singende Stadt TV-Doc 92 min, Production Mira Film GmbH and Filmtank
2018 Beyond the Obvious TV-Doc 70 min. Production Golden Egg Production, in cooperation with Mira Film
Awards
Bozner Filmtage 2010
Publikumspreis
Bundesamt für Kultur, Swiss Film Award «Quartz» 2010
Best Documentary Film
Filmfestival Listapad 2010
Grand Prix for the Best Film
Golden Apricot Yerevan IFF 2010
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film
DOK Leipzig 2009
DEFA-Förderpreis
Minneapolis/St.Paul IFF 2010
Audience Prize
Moondance IFF 2010
Atlantis Award
RIDM 2010
Prix Image
Silverdocs Documentary Festival AFI 2010
Sterling Award for Best World Feature
TIDF Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2010
Jury's Special Mention
Trieste Film Festival 2010
Alpe Adria Cinema Award for the Best Documentary Film
Trieste Film Festival 2010
Audience Award documentary film competition
Visions du Réel 2009
Grand Prix SSA/Suissimage pour le meilleur long métrage suisse
Visions du Réel 2009
Mention spéciale du Jury interreligieux
Visions du Réel 2009
Prix SRG SSR idée suisse
Yamagata Int. Documentary Film Festival 2011
Award of Excellence
Yamagata Int. Documentary Film Festival 2011
Citizen's Prize
Credits
Protagonists
Swetlana Geier
Anna Götte
Hannelore Hagen
Jürgen Klodt
Written and directed by
Vadim Jendreyko
Director of photography
Niels Bolbrinker
Stéphane Kuthy
Sound
Patrick Becker
Editing
Gisela Castronari-Jaensch
Original music
Daniel Almada
Martin Iannaccone
Production Switzerland
Mira Film GmbH
Production Germany
Filmtank Hamburg GmbH
Co-production
ZDF/3sat
Schweizer Fernsehen
With financial support of
MFG Baden Württemberg
Bundesamt für Kultur
Fachausschuss Audiovision und Multimedia der Kantone Basel-Stadt und Basel-Landschaft
Volkart Stiftung
S. Fischer Stiftung
Stiftung Edith Maryon
Robert Bosch Stiftung
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
UBS Kulturstiftung
Migros Kulturprozent
Focal Stagepool
Developed with the support of the
MEDIA Programme of the European Community
Technical Details
Resolution
HD
Format
DCP
Duration
94min
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Color
Yes
Year
2009
Original Language
German, Russian
Subtitles
German, French, English
Country
Switzerland, Germany
ISAN
0000-0002-0B2B-0000-P-0000-0000-0
