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The goal of the project is to bring together filmmakers from smaller central and eastern European countries, to set up independent production structures in this region, and to forge new links or reinforce already existing ones with western European and German production partners. This co-operation creates a joint international platform for the young directors that will enable them to present their work. At the same time, follow- up contacts will be established between film producers in Germany and production firms in central and eastern Europe. As for the respective countries, the project strengthens their production structures, which have only recently been put in place again and are, in part, yet to be fully developed. Of central importance for us is that the working relationships currently being generated will continue to exist after the end of the project. One important prerequisite in selecting the six filmmakers was that the candidates must have already realized several short films or one long film. The dramaturgical and technical quality of their previous work must be convincing, and also the candidates must show a willingness to work and critically engage with the other involved directors.
In the end, this project gave me the opportunity to support directors who have fascinated me for some time and whose work I have followed for a number of years in my capacity as a delegate of the Berlin Film Festival. In terms of its content, the project takes up and fosters a sense of co-operation and belonging transcending narrow national cultural boundaries, the gestation of which is currently observable in the post-Soviet countries. The idea of "generation breaks" opens up the (once) selfenclosed unity of cultural identities. Thus, the young filmmakers often feel a greater closeness to their peers than to the country in which they live. Such self-understanding amongst a generation opens up a new perspective on traditions and national history. And what is more, the generation change for those living in the countries of eastern Europe also represents a change in the system: from communism to capitalism. In the countries of eastern Europe this experience of radical change is one of the most topical themes. The lack of orientation and the insecurity that comes with it, as well as the transition into a new epoch, provide a great store of material for exciting film ideas. Another exciting aspect of the "generation" theme is that it almost automatically sets off a diverse array of personal associations: one's own family, circle of friends, and school class are all themes inextricably tied to a reflection on generation.
The filmic episodes being created are characterized by a certain "happy sadness." A feeling of "lost and found" pervades them, like a kind of keynote. For me, this reflects an experience quite a few directors have had to go through, namely that in their country, due to the system change, a generation has in part been "lost," a generation that has either left the country or, at the very least, lost its orientation, and which they, as the following generation, must once again find. In this search, sometimes successful, sometimes not, humor plays a decisive role. To counter the common cliché that central and eastern Europe is a dark and somber space - one from which so many people try to flee, and where a rather depressing atmosphere often prevails -- to tell unexpected stories from the respective countries in an interesting and exciting way - this was and is a central concern of the project.