In Sky To Berlin
Catch up with our CDA researcher, Lauren, during her time in Berlin.
Hallo!
My name is Lauren and I’m a SGSAH funded PhD researcher doing a Collaborative Doctoral Award with the University of Strathclyde and the Alasdair Gray Archive. I was awarded SGSAH’s engagement funding to take part in a short documentary film course at MetFilm School in Berlin. Here marks the halfway point of my trip, below is a wee account of the hiccups and triumphs from the past month.
The journey to Berlin was filled with the familiar feelings of fear and excitement. It was also one of close calls and chaos. My bag allowance was 23kg, my bag weighed 23.9kg. It’s all machines now and they didn’t seem to mind. During the flight my water bottle jetted upwards soaking me, the woman in front of me and the man asleep next to me – he was a heavy dozer and didn’t wake. Though, near the end of the flight he spilled the dregs of his coffee on me, so without knowing it he got his own back. When I arrived in Berlin it was torrential rain and thunder, it felt like the city knew I had arrived. Once unpacked, I walked to Lidl and witnessed an attempted pickpocketing. A classic case of one man grabbing another man’s tote, to which the victim very calmly repeated, “that’s my bag, that’s my bag” took his bag back and continued walking into Lidl.
Before the course began, I had five days to get my bearings and settle in. Berlin has an energy to it, a similar grit to Glasgow but at this time of year with everything in bloom the city’s tough, graffitied exterior is softened. The culture is rich and is proud of that. You don’t have to walk too far before you hear techno music and people dancing, even on weekdays. The convenience stores called Spätis, orginally Spätkauf meaning “late shop” have benches outside for people to drink, socialise and watch the world go by. Even the traffic light man has a bit of flair, he’s something of a Fedora Lord.
In my first week here I attempted to navigate the trams. I walked far away from my accommodation with the intention of getting the tram back. I awkwardly hopped on, hoping I could buy a ticket aboard. I asked for help and was told I needed cash which I didn’t have. The other option was to download the app, but my phone wasn’t up to date enough to download it. After two measly stops I escorted myself off the tram and walked the rest of the way back. The second time I had taken cash out and updated my phone. A single ticket was €4, or I could get x4 tickets for €11, I bought x4. After getting off the tram, I realised I’d accidentally activated all four tickets at once. So, what I had hoped to be x4 cheap tickets turned into one very expensive tram ride.
I spent my time walking everywhere. Not as a direct protest to the failed tram journeys, but because I enjoy walking. As Werner Herzog once said, “The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot.” By doing so, I stumbled across a market at Boxhagener Platz, where I bought a piece of discounted crockery and found a stall that sold what I’d describe as the authentic Italian version of the Scottish Pizza Crunch. It was a deep-fried mini calzone called a Panzerotti. As I waited for it the man who worked in the stand said to me “I hear if you have red hair, you are the son of the devil” I said it was true. Later on, I came across a small stall named ‘3-Minute Portraits’ run by a South Korean Artist called Eujin Won. I waited in the queue and eventually sat down opposite her as she portraited me using ink and water. It was a brief exchange but the most meaningful I’d had since arriving in Berlin.
The course at MetFilm began on the 2nd of June. My classmate is a 61-year-old retiree from York who spent his life working hard at a job that wasn’t his passion, but a job he was good at. He’s now decided to spend his retirement pursuing his interests, documentary filmmaking being one of them. We met our tutor Jide Akinleminu, a Danish-Nigerian documentary filmmaker whose works include ‘Portrait of a Lone Farmer’ (2013) and ‘When a Farm goes Aflame’ (2021). In our first week we learned about the history of the documentary genre and watched ‘Nanook of the North’ (1922) by Robert J. Flaherty, the first documentary ever made. It was about an indigenous Inuit community, featuring the construction of igloos, hunting of seals and long arduous journeys through the snow. From this we discussed the Western Gaze, the idea that Westerners romanticise aspects of indigenous life and communities, which brought up discussions on the decolonisation of the documentary genre.
After our first week, we were tasked with making a 5-minute video of a stranger. It was an image-based task, that should show their personality without interviewing them. On my walk home on Friday I found a Saxophonist staring into the sunset playing discordantly on a bridge called Oberbaümbruke. I approached him and asked “Sprachen sie Englische?” (Do you speak English?), he spoke English, he was Greek. His name was Pano, and he often wanders around Berlin playing the saxophone. He told me that not everyone enjoys his music, that in the past, people passing by have been rude to him. I playfully told him I could be his bodyguard. He said if I would be his bodyguard, then I could film him. I agreed. Below are some stills from the first edit of my video.
My friends came to visit me on my second week, and we enjoyed many steins, kebabs, laughs and hangovers. It was a nice wee slice of home. Living alone in Berlin has been an adjustment, I’m used to having my boyfriend around and my friends and family close by. The unfamiliar task of having to navigate all my own time sometimes results in a lack of motivation, then a guilt for not making the most of each moment. But in this sense, the trip has been good for my independence, learning to live at a slower pace and being a good companion for myself. It’s untrodden ground, but that’s usually where growth takes place.
In my spare time, I’ve been watching documentaries and wandering around. It’s very warm here, and I’m too fragile for too much sun. I’ve visited the Berlin wall, tried out the analogue photobooths, the ‘Photoautomats’ that are all over the city, and I ran my first 10k. I’m not sure I’ll do another again, but it’s a good thing to say you’ve done. I stopped for a rest during my run and as usual I was very red. A man passing by began staring at me with concern then approached and asked if I was ok. I was.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we learned about cameras, lenses, rigs, lighting, composition, sound and editing. All of what I know about photography and videography thus far is self-taught, so I found these classes invaluable. The classes also demystified the many errors I’ve previously made. In our third week, we were tasked with making a Vox Pop style short documentary, inspired by Channel 4’s short film called ‘Pockets’ (2008) about the contents of people’s pockets. Our videos instead focussed on the contents of people’s bags, where we would ask strangers “What’s in your bag?” and they could show us whatever they wanted from their bag and talk about the items in detail. We were given two hours to film and one day to edit. I was quite nervous to begin with. I put myself in my subject’s shoes, thinking I probably wouldn’t agree to be filmed by a stranger and openly reveal the many hoarded crumbs at the bottom of my bag.
But everyone I filmed was lovely, some people even approached me and asked to be a part of it. Not everyone said yes of course, but it was good rejection therapy. Although the Vox Pop style of documentary isn’t stylistically what I lean towards, I found a lot of value in having to be adaptable and create an artistic style on the spot. It was important practice in approaching, developing rapport and building trust with strangers in a short space of time. I finished the day happy with the style I had developed but worried I hadn’t asked enough questions about the objects in people’s bags, and what they meant to them. Though, post-production really demonstrated the art and power of editing. Under the time constraints I was happy with what I produced. If you like, you can watch the video below.
I’m now in the middle of planning my big project – a short documentary I’ll be making in my final month in Berlin. More on this to come… wish me well.
Yours aye,
Lauren