Leibniz - Chronik eines verschollenen Bildes

In 1705, Queen Charlotte of Prussia requests a portrait of her mentor, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, so they can continue their stimulating conversations in absentia. Dutch painter Aaltje van der Meer presents herself for the job and as she starts her work, the small room next to a garden where Leibniz sits for her becomes an agora to explore the fundamentals of representation. The smooth camerawork creates space for fluid dialogue, and the passionate performances inject liveliness into thought. The philosopher theorises about almost everything as he poses, and van der Meer proves an amazing interlocutor. His melancholic gaze never leaves his beloved Charlotte, while the painter incessantly searches for the truth of art. For all the sobriety of the setup, moments of visual rapture still emerge, such as when we see through the eyes of one character or the sudden camera obscura effect on a wall. The genius of LEIBNIZ – CHRONIK EINES VERSCHOLLENEN BILDES lies in how it allows the gestures of philosophy and the act of painting to ripple and resonate in unison, constantly moving between concreteness and abstraction. Brushstrokes have never seemed so philosophical and Monadology has never sounded so sensual. (Victor Guimarães)

On the 17th of October in the presence of Edgar Reitz, Aenne Schwarz, Lars Eidinger, Salome Kammer, Antonia Bill (actors) and Matthias Grunsky (Camera).

AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
Audio description will be provided for the screenings. More info here.

Edgar Reitz (selection): FILMSTUNDE (1968), HEIMAT – EINE DEUTSCHE CHRONIK (1984), DIE ZWEITE HEIMAT – CHRONIK EINER JUGEND (1992), HEIMAT 3 – CHRONIK EINER ZEITENWENDE (2004), DIE ANDERE HEIMAT (2013), FILMSTUNDE_23 (2024)