Reichstag Eric Turpin

Eric Turpin chef opérateur image - directeur de la photographie

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THE WRAPPED REICHSTAG

DEM DEUTSCHEN VOLKE

TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE

Germany 1996, 98 min, Film 35 mm
directors Wolfram Hissen, Joerg Daniel Hissen - cinematographers Albert Maysles, Joerg Widmer, Eric Turpin

In June 1995, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "wrapping" of the Berlin Reichtstag - an unmistakable symbol of German identity and history - became one of the most spectacular artistic events in recent history. It attracted over 5 million visitors and generated phenomenal media interest. For the couple, the project was the long-awaited result of two decades of lobbying. As early as 1961, Christo had conceived of the idea to wrap up the German Reichstag. When the collapse of the Berlin Wall heralded the end of the Warsaw Pact in 1989, Christo and Jeanne-Claude revived their plans and embarked on a new round of visits to politicians and dignitaries, ultimately receiving a green light from the German parliament. The film offers engrossing and rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of the varying degrees of enthusiasm and objections surrounding the project. It also wittily chronicles the ambitious operation from the labor of preparation to the remarkable technical feat of the "wrapping." The results are breathtaking images of the "wrapped" Reichstag itself, from every angle and in every light. Willie Brandt, one of the projects' earliest supporters, stated: "In the wrapped Reichstag, every German will find himself reflected."

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