UNDER CONTROL
a film by volker sattel

 

the film starts with a promise. something glows, vibrates for a moment, builds structures of beauty – a “light”, that our eye cannot see, the wild heart of a technology, which circulates around the term “control” since its inception.

if, as volker sattel, the sliding ride decreases the review again and again – scanning the things, buildings and equipment that can be gathered under the term “nuclear energy” –visible in the center of our present an utopian project that needs no words.

gazing the unfinished monument of a glorious future that is fascinating till today, in spite of its cracks and dangerous contradictions. under control bears in mind how big the effort is, this science fiction which means: “peaceful” use of nuclear energy, to reconcile with reality.

the film explains this world in small doses, providing insight into the secretive life behind the walls of german nuclear plants. we see glistening bright control centers, decontamination doors, fog machines, to enter the depth of the deposits to experience the power of superhuman rationality that suppose to keep the power of the smallest parts under control.

not coincidentally the architecture and the props are reminding of a space flight on earth. even in this world mistakes are “forbidden”. but as we are already having trouble to accept the idea of a journey over decades, the half-live periods of radiant substances burst our bonds of imagination.

at the end reamins the sensation of futility. it almost seems as if we have disappointed the nuclear power, not the other way around. the miracle of this technology is waiting patiently for a new human being that is more rational – and not afraid of eternity.

 

idea and director: volker sattel together with stefan stefanescu
dop: volker sattel
sound: nikolaus woernle, filipp forberg
editor: stephan krumbiegel
executive producers: dorothea seeger, fabian pöhlmann
editors: jutta krug (wdr), sabine rollberg (arte)
producers: susann schimk, jörg trentmann

 

documentary, 98 min, 35mm 2-perf., colour, dolby digital, 1:2,40

 

credo:film in co-production with wdr, arte

 

supported by kuratorium junger deutscher film, gerd-ruge-stipendium, filmstiftung nrw, dfff

 

distribution company
farbfilm verleih (in collaboration with arsenal institut für film und videokunst)

 

world sales
journeyman pictures

 

awards: 11th japan wildlife film festival (2013): global issues encouragement award, uranium film festival (2013): special achievement award, grimme-preis (2013): nomination in the category “information & culture”, 12th fica (2012): best feature length documentary, 29th environmental international film festival (2012): documentary award, vdfk (2012): nominated in the categories “best documentary” and “best camera”, german film academy award (2012): preselection in the category “documentary”, cineeco international festival of environmental film and video (2011): special jury award, german editing award (2011): winner of the bild-kunst editing award for documentary, 5th atlantis natur- und umweltfilmfestival wiesbaden (2011): 3rd place, german camera award (2011): nominated, german editing award (2011): nominated, film award of the bayrische landeszentrale für neue medien (2011): nominated, german film review board (2011): “documentary of the month january”, seal of approval “highly recommended” by the german film review board

 

webpage of the film

 

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© 2011 credo:film gmbh/ wdr/ arte