Schwarze Schafe

There are black sheep everywhere. There are countless of them in hip Berlin. Where can you meet them? How can you meet them? The idea of making a film about the marginal figures of our capital developed a long time ago.

But not another social drama, please, but a biting black comedy. A film that uses these outsiders to shed a critical light on general social grievances. Because black sheep may visually stand out from the herd, but they remain an integral part of it. Just like the masses, they often pursue simple-minded, short-sighted goals – and fail morally in the process.

In spring 2004, the time had come: the feature film project „Black Sheep“ directed by Oliver Rihs was launched. Rihs wanted to give free rein to his cinematic exploratory instinct. Without compromises or concessions, independent of broadcasters, producers and funding bodies: Curious, keen to experiment and with a great willingness to take risks…

A team was quickly put together. Birgit Glatzel was one of them. We agreed that we didn’t want classic set pictures that „merely“ photographically recreate the film situation.

Normally, the set photographer has few options and little freedom in his work. This is an enormous challenge, as the lighting situation often has to be rearranged for the photography and the actors have to get back into the mood of the scene they have just played.

Birgit Glatzel used a Leica MP to realise photos that are not merely a reflection of the staging and camera framing, but go their own way stylistically and formally. The viewer is deliberately kept in the dark as to whether they are in the world of reportage, art, portraits or film.

Between cameraman and director, actors and set construction, Birgit Glatzel sensitively went in search of the sources of energy in front of and behind the camera in order to give her images a life of their own.

And so the shots constantly oscillate between fiction and documentary: where is the staging – where is the reality behind it? Where is life – where is art?

Birgit Glatzel’s experimental set photography provides surprising insights. And so, despite – or perhaps because of – its artistic independence, it fulfils the actual purpose of set photography: to make you curious to find out more.

Publication

Leica Fotografie International LFI, Issue lfi-4, 2006
Text by Oliver Rihs