Treppe Aufwärts

At the heart of „Treppe Aufwärts“ lies the story of a dysfunctional family consisting of father, grandfather and son. This triangular relationship is strained through the grandfather’s former gambling addiction. Having gambled away most of the families possessions and falling prey to dementia, it is now up to his son Adam to pay for his debt. A chain of events is set in motion by the grandfather’s addiction which has vast consequences for each of the three men’s path.

Our priority is to stay true to the theme of gambling addiction, and thus create awareness for this topic. For this matter, the director and author Mia Meyer took more than 4 years to thoroughly research the subject and worked closely with psychologists, addicts and dramaturgists. 

The film will be shot in september in Berlin and Poland and be edited immediately afterwards in order to meet the deadlines for A list festivals such as the “Berlinale”. Furthermore, Treppe Aufwärts seeks not only national but also international release and distribution.  
The target audience is very big as the film offers all elements of common cine films such as action, amusement, love, humor, absurdity and a well structured development of the relationship within the family.

Despite being shot on what can be called a low budget, Treppe Aufwärts team consists of professional filmmakers who are experienced in this sector and know about the capability of this project. They know how to shoot a film with little but making it look like a lot and are willing to work on a deferred pay basis.
The film will be shot on a 6K Red Dragon with Arri lenses. Furthermore, a vast amount of the money will be invested in set design. The crowdfunders can be certain that every cent that they will contribute towards the making of this films will be a 100% visible in the final product. We are convinced that at this stage with this cast and this team, a relatively small increase in budget will have an exponential impact on the look and feel of the film. 
In addition tho this, crowdfunders support a film with a unique story. The subject of gambling addiction remains cinematically untouched. In combination with the complex father/son/grandrather story, the film is unrivalled and one of a kind. The support of the crowdfunders will allow us to produce a film which deals with a taboo resulting in a discussion which will be of relevance beyond the german borders. 

The film will definitely be shot in fall 2014. Yet, the fund will enable us to maximize the effect of the film mainly through set design. All of the crowdfund will be seen in the images of the film. 
The gambling machine industry has left us in front of closed doors. This means that we are forced to build casinos and gambling halls. Slot machines will have to be rented, transported, set up, insured and returned. In addition, the set designers have to use all resources towards recreating a convincing light and glas installation as can be found in casinos. This will allow the viewer to dive deeper into the story and gain a greater conscience of the world of gambling. Look and feel are the key for this psychological involvement. 
Locations have to narrate, support and enhance the story. There are in total 52 locations. To name a few, there is: a very complex family home with multiple rooms, an almost surreal chip shop, council estates, unusual urban playgrounds and hiding places.