GRAND PRIX COMPETITION
CHINA A NEW OLD EMPIRE FROM IN AND OUT

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

LOSERS AND WINNERS

Germany, 2006, 96 min., German, Chinese

Director: Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken
Producer: Michael Loeken
Script: Ulrike Franke, Michael Loeken
Cinematography: Michael Loeken, Ruediger Spott
Editing: Guido Krajewski
Music: Maciej Sledziecki
Sound: Ulrike Franke, Csaba Kulcsar
Production company: Filmproduktion Loeken Franke
Print Source:
Filmproduktion Loeken Franke,
Alvensleben Str. 10,
D-50668 Cologne,
Germany
Tel.: +49 221-9433-9101
Fax: +49 221-9433-9106
e-mail: loeken@loekenfranke.de
www.losers-and-winners.net, www.loekenfranke.de


Losers and Winners

A tangible take on the big-picture issue of globalization, Losers and Winners tells the remarkable story of the state of the art hypermodern coke plant in Kaiserstuhl Germany, which after being built at a cost of 650 million Euro, has been shut down due to poor profits and sold to China. But the Chinese have no intention of coming to Germany to run the plant, instead they plan to disassemble the gargantuan maze of pipes and towers and reassemble it on their own turf. As 400 Chinese workers descend on the plant, a culture clash erupts between the driven, low-paid foreigners and the remaining financially better-off plant workers left to supervise the operation. For 18 months disputes rage over communication, safety protocol environmental protection laws and length of workweeks but underneath the clash over operation procedures, directors Franke and Loeken pose a resonant and insightful question about the effects of globalization on both sides on the economic spectrum.

Ulrike Franke was born in Dortmund, Germany in 1970. She took up drama, film and TV studies in Cologne in 1991. In 1996 she co-founded Loeken Franke film production company. Since then she has been active as a screenwriter, director and producer.

Michael Loeken was born in Neviges, Germany in 1954. He studied drama, film and TV in Cologne. Made his documentary debut in 1981. He has been working as a sound recordist since 1982. In 1996 he co-founded Loeken Franke film production company. Since then he has been working with Ulrike Franke as a scriptwriter, director and producer.

Filmography:

Losers and Winners (2006);
Soldatengluck und Gottes Segen (2002);
Her Schmidt and Her Friedrich (2001).

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 AT 5:00 PM./PORTAGE THEATRE

MONDAY, APRIL 2 AT 1:00 PM./GALLERY THEATRE

TUESDAY, APRIL 3 AT 9:00 PM./CHOPIN THEATRE