The documentary Frauke Finsterwalder and her team shot in 2007/2008 when we introduced the project for the first time, has premiered in the competition section of the Saarbrücken Max-Ophüls-Preis film festival last Thursday. It was a good event for several reasons. Firstly, it turned out great. Not everybody was entirely sure what the result would be and it took long hard work to finish the movie – but in the end it became a fascinating record of those busy and exhausting one and a half years, that also does not pass over the mad moments and mistakes of our work then. Secondly people wanted to actually see it, all three screenings were well attended which is not always the case in the documentary section of the festival. And people seemed to quite like it. Discussions were lively, with lots of questions and lots of props, and lots of encouragement not to give up as well. Above all, seeing all the film team and our former association colleague Christian was not only great fun, but hugely inspiring as it helped to keep on pushing the project – not as frantically and over the top as in the old days but reasonably and steadily. No one, that was another good thing to learn, understands what Ingo Niermann was up to when he attempted to pirate the project. Those unhappy circumstances that largely paralyzed any activities in recent times, shall be no major impediment any more.

Answering the unasked but obvious question: The film should be in the selections of more festivals in the course of 2010, and we will most probably see it screened in Berlin and Dessau some time soon. The mid-term plan is, to publish the movie and additional material on DVD. Frauke and Walker & Worm, the producers, put up a Pyramid-film Facebook-Page you are warmly invited to join for up to date movie news.

Thomas Lindemann has written a review and tentative wrap-up for German national daily “Die Welt” here (German).

“Die Große Pyramide”, documentary, Germany, 2010, 72 min., colour HD-TV; with: Jens Thiel, Ingo Niermann, Heiko Holzberger, Christian Kracht, Rem Koolhaas, Miuccia Prada, Marie-Luise Scherer and many more. Directed by Frauke Finsterwalde, produced by Walker+Worm Film, photographed by Gero Kutzner and edited by Simon Blasi.

Edit: Here´s a photo from the talk after the premiere, courtesy RH. From left: Frauke Finsterwalder, David Woodard, Gero Kutzner, Christian Kracht, Jens Thiel, Tobias Walker, Phillip Worm and the moderator person who will please (you were so nice and smart as well actually) excuse us for not remembering your name exactly, while we are more than willing to edit it in another step..