Caroline Link

Born 1964, Bad Nauheim (Germany). In 1986 she began her studies in documentary filmmaking and television journalism at the University of Television and Film Munich. In 1990 she made her diploma film, SOMMERTAGE. In 1995 she directed her first feature film, BEYOND SILENCE (JENSEITS DER STILLE), which was nominated for the 1998 Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film and was screened at GFF 1997. In 1999 she shot her second feature film, ANNALUISE & ANTON (PÜNKTCHEN UND ANTON). In 2001 she directed NOWHERE IN AFRICA (NIRGENDWO IN AFRIKA), which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2008 she made A YEAR AGO IN WINTER (IM WINTER EIN JAHR), which was screened at the GFF 2009.

Director’s statement

“Before I even knew what direction my story was going to take, I knew that it would be set in Morocco. Over twenty years ago, Dominik and I (Note: Dominik Graf is Caroline Link’s husband) went there and it made a strong impression on me. In 2011, I went back to the same spots, this time with my producer Peter Herrmann. He gave me the freedom to let the country sink in on me and come up with ideas. ‘See what occurs to you’, is what he said. We had a Moroccan producer who told us a lot of anecdotes about his country and who gave me a lot of inspiration. The same story in a different setting probably wouldn’t have interested me as much. Morocco and its intriguing culture gives the father-son conflict a sense of danger and sensuality that appealed to me”.
“For me every screenplay begins with a strong connection. It’s not just about a protagonist but about the antagonist as well. In literature there can be many. I think that in the movies, the core of the story should revolve around two people. There’s usually not enough time for more. My stories up to now have mostly been about family connections. Father figures play a big role, I can’t say why. I had a very close and warm relationship with my father. These are the emotions that move me when I’m thinking about a story. Ben is a young adult who actually doesn’t know his father at all. And that means he doesn’t know a part of himself. I see a lot of children growing up without fathers. What’s going to happen to this generation that’s been formed by single moms? Especially boys feel obligated to their mothers. Sometimes this situation is too much for them to handle”.