German Documentary Film Music Award 2024: The nominees
An award for the score of reality
Every year, the German Documentary Film Music Award honours a composition that combines in an outstanding way with the documentary film narrative. It sees itself as a platform for the work of the composers and the value of music as a narrative level in documentary films.
The award is endowed with 5,000 euros. It goes to the team of filmmaker and composer. It is donated by the Versicherungskammer Kulturstiftung and supported by the Förder- und Hilfsfonds des Deutschen Komponistenverbandes DKV.
The nominees
DER DRITTE BRUDER
Germany 2024, Kathrin Jahrreis, 111 min.
Composition: Julia Klomfaß
In her father's basement, the director finds letters and photos from her German-Jewish family history. Three brothers are torn apart by the Third Reich across a divided Germany between the fronts of political ideologies. "The third brother" is the filmmaker's grandfather. She now tries to overcome decades of speechlessness by confronting her father.
E.1027 – EILEEN GRAY AND THE HOUSE BY THE SEA
Switzerland 2024, Beatrice Minger, Christoph Schaub, 90 min.
Composition: Peter Scherer
The sound of the sea can be heard in the bedroom where the architect couple Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici, who built the house known as E.1027 on the Côte d'Azur, sleep. The director Beatrice Minger portrays an almost forgotten icon of modernity. Eileen Gray had to hold her own in the male-dominated avant-garde scene around Le Corbusier, who altered her building without her consent.
HARRAGA – THOSE WHO BURN THEIR LIVES
Germany 2023, Benjamin Rost, 86 min.
Composition: Alexander Vicar
The film follows the four Moroccan boys Imad (15), Nourdine (17), Walid (18) and Hamza (17) living in a cave under the lighthouse in Melilla. They call themselves: Harragas – those who burn their lives.
HOLLYWOODGATE
Germany/USA 2023, Ibrahim Nash’at, 91 min.
Composition: Volker Bertelmann
After the USA’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Taliban forces take over the former “Hollywoodgate” CIA base, which they see as an “enemy camp.” They are accompanied by the director Nash’at. His footage gives us a unique cinematic experience and a record of contemporary history, that observes the terrorist militia without commentary as they are carried away by the euphoria of their power trip, a fervour to explore and megalomania.
IM LAND DER WÖLFE
Germany 2023, Ralf Bücheler, 101 min.
Composition: Cico Beck
The wolf has entered our man-made landscapes and is here to stay. Hardly any other wild animal is better monitored, studied and observed. At the same time, wolves are surrounded by myth, embody emotions and fear and divide opinions like no other. Through observation and listening, Ralf Bücheler creates a reflective, comprehensive piece of work on the topic of wolves that provides an alternative to hasty polemics.
JOHATSU – INTO THIN AIR
Germany/Japan 2024, Andreas Hartmann, Arata Mori, 85 min.
Composition: Jana Irmert
Japanese night moving companies specialise in the art of disappearance and help those who need or want to leave their former lives behind. On their nightly missions they discretely and efficiently orchestrate people’s transition to a new existence. In the process, they often skirt the boundaries of legality due to the diverse motivations behind the disappearances.
WATCHING YOU – THE WORLD OF PALANTIR AND ALEX KARP
Germany 2024, Klaus Stern, 98 min.
Composition: Michael Kadelbach
With his company Palantir, businessman Alex Karp created a powerful piece of data analysis software. It provides intelligence service, the military and police investigators with information that can be used to solve crimes or kill people. But what drives the creator of the software – ethical fundamentals or a thirst for power, is he a Faust, a Mephisto or both at the same time? An investigative journey in search of one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive CEOs.
Winning film:
MY STOLEN PLANET
Germany/Iran 2024, Farahnaz Sharifi, 82 min.
Composition: Atena Eshtiaghi
As early as 8 March 1979, shortly after the Islamic revolution, Iranian women protested against the compulsory wearing of headscarves. MY STOLEN PLANET acts as a reminder of their on-going struggle for freedom and the discrepancy between private and public life. Archive images, Super-8, VHS and mobile phone footage document personal acts of resistance and joie de vivre that call out for “Woman! Life! Freedom!”
- The 2024 jury of the German Documentary Film Music Award
- Press release on the winner of the German Documentary Film Music Award 2024 (in German)
- More about the award-winning film
The film at the festival
The winning film MY STOLEN PLANET and some of the other nominated films will be screened at the 39th DOK.fest München in May 2024:
2 to 12 May at the Munich venues
6 to 20 May @home
The German Documentary Film Music Award will be presented at a festive award ceremony with film screening on Sunday, 5 May 2024 at 8.00 pm at HFF Munich.
Many thanks to our award donors and funders:
