Did you know ...

The illuminated ruins of the Palace of the Republic seem as if they are from another world. The large set can be seen from miles away. Dozens of people are running back and forth between the spotlights and cameras, including model Amber Valletta and Actor Willem Dafoe. The two world-famous stars play the leading roles; none other than Wim Wenders is in charge of the camera.

The renowned director has used Carl Zeiss lenses for 30 years – and now he is making a "movie" for the company. However, you will never have the opportunity to see this masterpiece in a theater: it will not be shown on the silver screen, but will hang on the wall. Why? The fictional movie was made exclusively for the 2009 Carl Zeiss calendar. It incorporates the film speed of 24 images per second by using 24 pictures for the year instead of 12. It is a unique project supplemented by the “making of” images and the personal sketches and notes Wim Wenders created for his story board.

The 24 photos of the calendar tell a story: Valletta and Dafoe are two unharmed survivors of a disaster who find themselves alone in the ruins of a destroyed world. Fascinating images at an almost magical location describe how they find each other and head off to the future together. By the time the calendar appeared, this place was but a memory. The demolition of the Palace of the Republic in the center of Berlin was completed at the end of 2008. There is now room for the Berlin City Palace that will be erected there.

December 30, 2008