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  • DIE BETTKÖNIGIN
    THE BED QUEEN (USA)  AMALIA’S LIE IN (GB)
    SYNOPSIS  FESTIVALS  AWARDS  REVIEWS
    CAST AND TEAM  CATALOGUE INFORMATION ORDER

    With Imogen Kogge, Bruno Cathomas, Melina Helbling, Fabio Münzel, Sabine Urig, Hélène Cattin, Valerie Steinmann, Miguel Zermeño, Margaretha Gartner, Ingold Wildenauer, Patrick Frey and a Guest Appearance of La Lupa

    Written & directed by: Gabrielle Baur
    Director of Photography: Ciro Cappellari
    Editor: Daniela Roderer
    Music: Cathrine Azad
    Sound: Ingrid Städeli
    Art direction: Meisi Timm
    Costume Designer: Judith Hentz
    Producer: Kurt Maeder

    Still photography Thomas Wollenberger for für ONIX© 

    SYNOPSIS:

    DIE BETTKÖNIGIN is the story of a woman who goes on strike: in a fit of anarchic revolt she simply decides to stay in bed – and refuses, like some distaff Oblomov, to see to the thousand and one chores that await her. At 33, Amalia is not getting much out of life. What with the kids, the job and the housework, which take up her waking hours. She has been wearing herself out without getting any satisfaction. When she puts her subversive plan into operation, her husband at first dances attendance on her. She is having fun with her girlfriends, sings, dreams and draws the neighbors into her game. But he quickly begins to feel its all too much for him and tries everything to get her out of bed – which only suceeds in strengthening the lady’s resolve (and jubilation). The husband invites disaster when he brings a record producer and a television crew to her bedside… A placid, melancolic social parable, with surreal touches that only add to its sense of provocation.

    FESTIVALS/ PRESENTATIONS:

    FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL FILM LOCARNO / Swiss Film Section (Ch 1994)
    FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE FILM DA FIGUEIRA DA FOZ/ (Portugal 1994)
    INTERNATIONAL FILM FORUM “ARSENALS”/ (Riga/Latvia 1994)
    FEMINALE (Germany 1994)
    ST.JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL (Canada 1994)
    CHICAGO /WOMEN IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR (USA 1995)
    MONTREAL/ SILENCES ELLES TOURNENT (CND 1996)
    NEW YORK/ ANTHOLOGY FILMARCHIVES (USA 1996),
    Personal Invitation to the US by Jonas Mekas, “godfather of American avant-garde cinema”.
    SCREENINGS/RELEASES: STUDIOCINEMAS (CH / D) / TELEVISION (D/CH)

    REVIEWS:

    “DIE BETTKÖNIGIN is a modern fable about a woman who one day decides to break out of her regular daily life. (…) Narrated through powerful images with a definite hand and with a standing out performance of the protagonist.” José Coutinho e Castro, Revista CINEMA

    “…a salacious introduction to female refusal.” Franz Ulrich, Zoom

    “Witty, convincing, with surprising changes of direction, reminds towards the end, when the first private woman strike spreads like a vital virus, in its anarchistic-rebellious way of the Seventies cult film Themroc.” Bruno Heinzer, DAZ

    “Amusing and surprisingly subversiv…” Robert Richter, TELE

    “Gabrielle Baur first featur film is refreshingly provocative. With her successful idea and the imaginative realisation she has created a very amusing film.” Jacqueline Lauscher Dietler, Oltener Tagblatt

    ”Thank you for showing it to New York.” Jonas Mekas

    CAST

    Amalia IMOGEN KOGGE, Willi BRUNO CATHOMAS, Freundin Elsie SABINE URIG , Freundin Hanni HELENE CATTIN, Pizzaboy MIGUEL ANGEL ZERMENO, Sandra MELINA HELBLING, Niki FABIO MÜNZEL, Frau Baumgartner VALERIE STEINMANN, Frau Baumann ANNA SAUER, Reporterin MARGARETHA GARTNER, Matratzenverkäufer INGOLD WILDENAUER, Sängerin in TV LA LUPA, Plattenproduzent PATRICK FREY, Arzt ERICH VOCK, Ruedi HERBERT MÜLLER, Ernst THOMAS LUAMBA, Freundin Carla MARIE-LOUISE HAUSER, Nachbarin ALICE BRÜGGER, Flaumfedermann ROLAND WIESNEKKER, Nackenküsser IMANUEL HUMM, Hund Rambo BETREUER: KASPAR L. WALTHER

    PROTAGONIST IMOGEN KOGGE

    Studied at the HDK Berlin. 1982 Boy Gobert Award as best young actress /Germany. Engagements at the national theatre Hamburg and the national theatre Bochum. Since 1985 member of the ensemble at the Schaubühne am Lehninerplatz/Berlin. Has worked with directors as Luc Bondy, Peter Stein, Klaus Michael Grüber, Andrea Breth, Claus Peymann u.a. 1992 Imogen Kogge is selected in the German speaking part of Europe as actress of
    the year. Lives in Berlin.

    PROTAGONIST BRUNO CATHOMAS

    Studied at the Acting Academy Zürich. 1991 Opprecht Preis as young actor /Hamburg. Since 1992 he is member of the ensemble at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxembrug-Platz, Berlin. Has worked with directors as Frank Carstorf and Christoph Marthaler. Born in Switzerland, he lives since 1992 in Berlin.

    DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CIRO CAPPELLARI

    1984 – 1990 DFF Berlin. Camera among others in films of Anka Schmid (“Hinter verschlossenen Türen”), Marcel Gisler (“Die blaue Stunde”) and Tanja Stöcklin (“Joe und Mary”) as well as for “Die Schwarzfahrer” (OSCAR for the best foreign short film 1994). Cappellari, born in Argentina, lives today in Berlin.

    EDITOR DANIELA RODERER

    Worked as editor with directors as Daniel Schmid (“Il bacio die Tosca”/”Jenatsch”/”Hors Saison”), Markus Imhoof (“Der Berg”) and Jean-François Amiguet u.a. Lives in Zürich.

    CREDITS TEAM

    AWARDS:

    SPECIAL PRIZE FOR FICTION FILM Festival Internacional da Figueira da Foz
    DISTINCTION MAIN SCREENING International Film Forum “Arsenals”
    STUDIENPRÄMIE DES BUNDES Swiss National Distinction

    CATALOG INFORMATION:

    English Title : “The Bed Queen ” (USA) “Amalia’s Lie In” (GB)
    Original Title : “DIE BETTKÖNIGIN”
    Country of Production: Swiss
    Leading Protagonists :
    Imogen Kogge, Bruno Cathomas
    Written & directed : Gabrielle Baur
    Producer:  Kurt Maeder
    Director of photography :
    Ciro Cappellari
    Editor : Daniela Roderer
    Music composed by : Cathrine Azad
    Sound directer: Ingrid Städeli
    Art direction : Meisi Timm
    Costume designer : Judith Hentz
    Original version : German
    Subtitles : French /English
    Print Information : Running Time 60 min., Length in meters: 590 m,
    Reels: 1
    Format : 16mm 1:1.37, colour, magnetic soundtrack
    Year of Completion : 1994
    Production and World Sales:  ONIX Film, Postfach 751, Langstrasse 64, CH-8024 Zürich

    ORDER:

    Rent: DIE BETTKÖNIGIN is available as 16mm copy, in the original German version or with English/French subtitles.
    Sale: DIE BETTKÖNIGIN is available as VHS Video, in the original German version or with English/French subtitles.
    E-MAIL

    SPECIAL PRICE FOR FICTION FILM
    Festival Internacional da Figueira da Foz
    DISTINCTION MAIN SCREENING
    International Film Forum “Arsenals”
    STUDIENPRÄMIE DES BUNDES
    Swiss National Distinction