Anna & Daniel

The Gamblers - 2007

"The Gamblers" ("Die Spieler"), film by Sebastian Bieniek (B1EN1EK), 2007

Based on the novel "The Gamblers" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.


What is the differance between video art and film? Video art comes from the tradition of art and film from the tradition of entertainment (or educaton - in anyway film has a "service traditon", art not ) .


(Definition by Bieniek)

Original film poster of „The Gamblers“ by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007.

Original film poster of „The Gamblers“ by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007.


 The Story:


The General, accompanied by his two children and stepdaughter Polina, visits Baden-Baden. Supposedly to take advantage of the cure available there – isolated from the world. But evidence is piling up that the group of Russians, accompanied by a supposedly French businessman and a French beauty, is actually in Baden-Baden for nancial purposes. Perhaps hoping to hit big money in the casinos or, perhaps, wanting to secure a social position through newly woven family ties.

In the midst of this world – to an outsider, impenetrable – the house tutor of the General, Alexej Iwanovitsch, once ruled by an uncontrollable addiction to gambling, falls in love with his employers stepdaughter, Polina. Alexej understands very quickly that he has entered a world ruled by monetary worries and dreams and that, offhand, he is not Polina’s perfect suitor. To him it seems that not only his social position, but also his self-imposed ban from the casino, stand in his way.

A man needs money.

Not until the rich Russian great-aunt Babuschka is dead does it seem that the General’s money problems are settled and Alexej is completely out of the race for Polina’s favor. But it turns out as no one had expected...


Film still of „The Gamblers“ by Sebastian Bieniek, 200

„The Gamblers“ (film still) by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007

 Setting:


Teufelsberg (German for Devil's Mountain) is a man-made hill in Berlin, Germany, in the Grunewald locality of former West Berlin. It rises about 80 metres (260 ft) above the surrounding Teltow plateau and 120.1 metres (394 ft) above the sea level, in the north of Berlin's Grunewald Forest. It was named after the Teufelssee (i.e. Devil's lake) in its southerly vicinity. The hill is made of rubble, and covers an under-construction Nazi military-technical college (Wehrtechnische Fakultät). During the Cold War, there was a U.S. listening station on the hill, Field Station Berlin.


Film stills:
Film still of „The Gamblers“ by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007.

„The Gamblers“ (film still) by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007


 Technical details:



  • "The Gamblers", 2007. fictional film, Germany 2007, 87 min., dolby SR, 35mm .
  • World premiere: 20.06.2007 at the 10th Shanghai Int. Film Festival.
  • Video: HDV 1080i50 ( original )
  • Audio: Dolby Stereo ( original ) 48 Khz.
  • DVD-video: DVpal 16/9
  • Language: German with English subtitels



Film still of „The Gamblers“ by Sebastian Bieniek, 200

„The Gamblers“ (film still) by Sebastian Bieniek, 2007

Cast:



Sebastian Bieniek - Alexej
Fritzi Malve Voss (Frederike Nass) - Polina
Thomas B. Hoffmann - Mr. Astley
Viatcheslav Demidov - General
Ninel Genina Demidov - Babushka
Sven Gerhardt - Des Grieux
Uta Ziegler - Blanche


Crew:



Distributor: Sebastian Bieniek

Producer: Sebastian Bieniek

Screenplay: Sebastian Bieniek based on a novel by. F. Dostojewskij

Cinematographer: Vojta Pokorny & Camilo Sottolichio

Music: Zarko Jovasevic

Editor: Sebastian Bieniek



Share by: