aQua ad lavandum – in brevi
Year: 2008
Language: english
Length: 15:39 min.
Format: 2K uncompressed 4:4:4 (Arriflex D20)
Aspect Ratio: 1:1,85
Synopsis
An empty space surrounded by darkness. A door opens and two men storm through fighting. In the heat of the moment Debitus kills Causas. Debitus is able to get rid of the corpse but the victim’s blood is still visible on him. In order to get back through the door and to leave isolation behind he has to get rid of the blood from the murder. Out of the darkness, the mysterious creature Impedim leads him to a well, where he could wash himself. But the moment Debitus tries to bring up a bucket of water a giant portcullis rises from behind where Impedim crouches in the darkness. Debitus desire for the cleansing water is great and he ignores the danger that might come from the open gate. Just moments before he can reach the door, Impedim comes through the gate and steps into the light. Impedim is a grotesquely deformed, degenerated, and gigantic version of Debitus, who wants to drag him into the darkness. A fight begins, which Debitus can win at the last moment by pushing Impedim into the well. Now cleansed, he can finally leave his deeds behind and walk back through the door as if nothing happened.
Info
aQua ad lavandum – in brevi was realized as a cooperation with the “Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen – Konrad Wolf” and represents the thesis film for some of the crew member’s graduation. The movie was shot entirely in English. The time and place in which the story is set are not mentioned. This short film was a special project especially because Alexander Schubert, the main actor who is best known for his comedic performances on German television, played the role of Impedim who is a digitally engineered character. aQau ad lavandum – in brevi contains a lot of symbols and metaphors for a guilty conscience, and society’s acceptance of people who literally have skeletons in their closet is depicted very clearly. The film was equally praised for its entertainment value and profound nature, and received the title “wertvoll” (valuable) from the Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden (Film Board of Wiesbaden). It has shown around the world at over 20 international festivals, has won several awards, and was nominated several times for “Best Shortfilm” in the U.S. Although not specifically designed as such, aQua ad lavandum – in brevi has become surprising popular with horror and fantasy film enthusiasts.
aQua ad lavandum – in brevi – Film
Trailer 2013
Trailer
Featurette
Screenshots
Making of
Marketing
Concept Art
Press
Awards
Prädikat “Wertvoll” Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden
Winner: Best Cinematography (Dark Carnival Film Festival)
Winner: Best Special Effects (28 Hours Later Film Festival)
Winner: Best FX Short (Sacramento Horror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Cinematography (Action On Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Visual Effects (Action On Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Foreign Film (Action On Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Animation (Strasbourg International Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Director of Photography (Terror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Original Music Score (Terror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Special Effects (Terror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Sound Design (Terror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Cinematography (Dark Carnival Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Special Effects (Dark Carnival Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Short Film (Eerie Horror Fest)
Nominated: Best Director (Eerie Horror Fest)
Nominated: Peer Raben Music Award (SoundTrack_Cologne 6.0)
Nominated: Best Art & Animation (Radar Hamburg International Film Festival)
Nominated: Best Short Film (Sacramento Horror Film Festival)
Nominated: Best FX Short (Sacramento Horror Film Festival)
Official Selection 23rd international Film Festival Odense
Official Selection 7th international Video Festival Kansk
Official Selection 9th Rhode Island Int. Horror Film Festival
Official Selection 2nd Festival Internacional San Luis Cine
Official Selection 38th Sehsüchte
Official Selection 1st Detroit Shorts
Official Selection Zompire: The Undead Film Festival
Official Selection I´ve Seen Films International Short Film Festivalwards:
Official Selection Action On Film Festival 2009
Official Selection 5th Fright Night Film Fest
Official Selection Screamfest 09 Horror Film Festival
Official Selection Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival
Official Selection Strasbourg International Film Festival
Official Selection Sacramento Horror Film Festival
Official Selection Radar Hamburg International Independent Film Festival
Official Selection Terror Film Festival
Official Selection Horror UK 28 Hours Later Film Festival
Official Selection Dark Carnival Film Festival
Official Selection Eerie Horror Fest
Official Selection Sydney Fantastic Planet Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival
Official Selection Interfilm Berlin
Official Selection 14th International Filmfestival Weekend Of Fear
Official Selection 6th international Filmfestival “Fantaspoa”
Official Selection Moving Image International Film Festival
Official Selection ShockerFest 2010 International Film Festival
Credits
Alexander Schubert
Debitus/Impedim
Mirko Hannemann
Causas
written & directed by
Helge C. Balzer & Florian Metzner
produced by
Helge C. Balzer, Florian Metzner & Dennis Rettkowski
executive producer & production manager
Fabian Hoffmann
unit production manager
Grit Fischer
line producer
Anya Grünewald
1st AD
Sebastian Reiss
2nd AD
Marius Druschke
VFX supervisor, senior compositing, character rigging & software development
Dennis Rettkowski
animation, 3D sculpting, modelling, charakter texturing, compositing
Helge C. Balzer
virtual lighting
Olaf Aue, Dennis Rettkowski & Benjamin Bayer
digital intermediate consulting & additional compositing
Fabian Hoffmann
director of photography
Benjamin Bayer
camera operator
Olaf Aue
focus puller
Johannes Wiedermann
ARRI camera support
Andreas Berkl
Oliver Temmler
edited by
Florian Metzner
production design, art director, conceptual art, production illustrator, sculpting, painting and plastering
Helge C. Balzer
construction coordinator
Stefan Vogel
construction supervisor & carpenter
Lasse Kutzbach
gate rigging supervisor
Mirko Hannemann
gate rigging
Oliver “Dollyoli” Friederich
construction
Kathrin Najmrodski & Sandra Ulrich
construction trainee
Regina Servos
property master & costume
Dorothee Jensen
make up artist
Nadine Zins
music composed and orchestrated by
Stefan Maria Schneider
conductor
Bernd Wefelmeyer
music peformed by
Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
additional musicians
Evelin Achtenhagen
Tilmann Dehnhard
Daniel Eichholz
Elisaveta Ivanova
Fabian Koch
Sebastian Kunzke
Owen Molloy
Lou Paquin
Stefan Maria Schneider
Heinrich Schiffers
Tomas Svensson
Nobuyuki Takami
music recorded at
Scoring Stage Berlin
score recording supervisor
Tilman Hopf
score mixer
Alexej Ashkenazy
pro tools operator
Florian Marquardt
music producer
Stefan Maria Schneider
“boogie in your body” written & performed by
Daddy Two
sound design by
Florian Schäfer
supervising sound editor, foley mixer, ADR mixer
Tilman Hopf
sound re-recording mixer, foley mixer, ADR mixer
Alexej Ashkenazy
ADR editor
Florian Metzner
re-recording stage
Interaudio Tonstudio GmbH
foley artist
Günther Röhn
storyboard & animatic
Helge C. Balzer & Florian Metzner
storyboard artist
Helge C. Balzer
continuity
Florian Metzner
stunt coordinator & stunt rigging
Jason Oettlé
stunts
Mirko Hannemann
stunt development
Sascha Supastrapong
key grip
Oliver “Dollyoli” Friederich
grip
Jan “Joshi” Gießmann
grip assistent
Karl vom Böckel
rigging
Heiko “Ho” Herzmann
Mirko Hannemann
lighting 1st unit
Rene Gamsa
Tobias Lindner
Sven Platzk
Ole Schwarz
lighting 2nd unit
Christoph Kube
Kai Oliver Engelhardt
Fee Scherer
Manuel Tanner
Benedikt Sicheneder
still photographer
Jan “Joshi” Gießmann
catering
Tamara Schlüter
dialogue translation
Glen Maurer
trainee
Laura Elena Findeisen
set deconstruction and clean up
Dennis Rettkowski
Helge C. Balzer
Florian Metzner
special thanks to
Jürgen & Silke Balzer, Thomas Braune (Interaudio), Christian Benderoth (GF Messtechnik), Rasema Cibic (Interaudio), Mrs. Dietrich (Meon Gewerbepark), Êmma Dött, Stefan Ehrike, Fabian & Nancy Fulda, Wolfgang Gaube, Sascha Haber (Cologne d-eYe), Prof. Hans Hattop, Rebecca Hermann, Stephan Herzog (VCC), Tobias Hoffmann (AVICONET), Melanie Rauhöft (Interaudio), Martin Huber (Ntec GmbH), Dorothee Jensen, Monika & Gareth Jones, Peter Kreutz, Uta Kolano, Jörg Laß, LFB – Lichtforum Berlin GmbH, Lothar Lechtenberg (Fujitsu Siemens), Mr. Lissy (Tamuz LCD Video Monitors), Michael Melzig (Fujitsu Siemens), Bernd Metzner, Meon Gewerbepark, Helge Pahl, Hendrik Pahl, Dieter Plath, Stefan Rüdel (Interaudio), Karsten Rüter, Prof. Christina Schindler, Tamara Schlüter, Simon Schmid, Jan Sauer, Prof. Dietrich Sauter (IRT), Marc Shipman-Müller (ARRI Group), Nadine Sklodowski, Uwe Sorgalla, Ulrich Sparrer, Prof. Bernd Wefelmeyer, Prof. Ulrich Weinberg, Dirk Weinreich (AVID Technology), Christine Wagner (BVK), Michael Wurzbacher
a HFF Potsdam/Babelsberg “Konrad Wolf” production
developed & co-produced by
Amber Artworks – creative film