Bleib bei mir / Stay

The timid painter Ruth mourns the death of her life-long neighbour and secret lover Marianne. At her grave she stumbles upon Marianne's youthful likeness. It's Marianne's granddaughter Vera, who is on the search for a grandmother she had never met. Vera visits Ruth, wanting to find out more about her grandmother, and offers to pose for a portrait for the sensitive painter like her grandmother used to pose for her. Little does she know that her likeness to Marianne slowly evokes a hidden past in Ruth – life stories molded by romantic ideals and a blunt reality.

PROJECT GOAL
We’re shooting a 25-min. short film during approx. 7 days of shoot. After its completion in early 2016 we shall present the film on national and international film festivals, believing that it shall contribute to a deeper sensitivity for individual ways of life.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Our film is for everyone who has been in love before.
It's for those who had been disappointed once.
For those who have been stuck. With their partner, their mother, their father or themselves.
For those whose expectations were shattered by a blunt reality.
For those who are single or in a relationship with one, two, three, four or even more people.
For monogamy and polygamy.
For the love between women and between men and between women and men.
For love at an old age.
For all of those who believe in love. And in deep friendships.

And for all of those who love good films.

Ruth and Marianne's story is a story about the love between two women that was impaired by the norms of society. Additionally and above all it is a story of the relationship between people whose suffering begins there where they fail to fulfill the each other's expectations.

Ruth and Marianne's story is not the only one of its kind. In every generation, throughout the ages, there have always been lovers who were not allowed to show their feelings openly. They were cast into the shadows and isolated from the outward life which nevertheless felt the consequences of this repression. We hope that our film will finally cast light upon these stories and break the silence that has lead to so many lives of solitude.

In order to realise our idea in an aesthetic and professional manner we need your full support!

Our film places us face to face with two challenging extremes. On one side these are the interplay of light and shadows. This does not only demand excellent technical expertise from our camera and lighting department but also calls for good equipment.
Secondly our story is set in the 1960s and in modern day Berlin. This means that we need to dress our locations and actresses according to the particular period. In order to emulate the styles we shall not only need a good amount of creativity and witnesses of that day and age but the necessary amount of cash.

Of course all of these aesthetic ideas can only be realised if the basic needs of our film are all met: catering for a film crew of 15 people on set during 7 days of shoot; equipment; printing of shooting schedules; car rental and petrol costs etc.

Our work doesn’t end with the last day of shoot: during post-production we shall encounter further expenses like postal fees for sending our rewards; producing DVDs; studio services; festival fees; flyers and posters etc.