over AmAzoniA - It is the season of low water, and clouds like flocks

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3
FLIEGER
ÜBER AMAZONIEN
AVIADORES
SOBRE A AMAZÔNIA
FLYERS
OVER AMAZONIA
É na época da vazante e nuvens feito flocos de algodão
flutuam num límpido céu azul.
It is the season of low water, and clouds like flocks of
cotton float over the deep-blue sky of Amazonia.
Flying as a dream and a passion, a job
and a fate. That’s the story of pilots
Nilton and Fernando, hoboes of the air.
They fly over Amazonia, the largest river
region on the planet and its greatest
forest, both a miracle of creation and a
target of deforestation.
Amazonia is portrayed in brilliant
bird’s-eye-view images, through
authentic characters and their stories,
actors, the pilots’ voices, their thoughts
concerning flying, fact and invention.
A film that maintains a balance
between realism and poetry, everyday
life and dreams, combining them to pull
the viewer into this world.
An invitation to fly along.
Es ist die Zeit der Niedrigwasser und Wolken wie Baumwollflocken treiben unter einem tiefblauen Himmel.
Fliegen als Traum und Passion, Job
und Schicksal. Das ist die Geschichte
der Piloten Nilton und Fernando,
Streuner der Lüfte.
Sie fliegen in Amazonien, die gewaltigste Flusslandschaft dieses Planeten
und sein größter Wald zwischen
Schöpfungswunder und Abholzung.
Die Landschaften Amazoniens aus
der Vogelperspektive in grandiosen
Bildern, authentische Figuren und ihre
Geschichten und Schauspieler, die
Stimmen der Piloten, ihre Gedanken
zum Fliegen, Fakt und Erfindung.
Ein Film, der Realismus und Poesie,
Alltag und Träume in der Schwebe hält
und zu einem Sog verbindet.
Eine Einladung zum Mitfliegen.
O sonho e a paixão de voar, o trabalho
e o destino de quem voa. Esta é a
história dos pilotos Nilton e Fernando,
vagabundos dos céus.
Eles voam na Amazônia, a maior
floresta e a mais extensa paisagem
fluvial do planeta, entre milagre da
criação e desmatamento.
As paisagens da Amazônia vistas do ar
em imagens grandiosas, personagens
autênticos e suas histórias e atores, as
vozes dos pilotos, seus pensamentos
sobre voar, realidade e invenção.
Um filme que mantém em equilíbrio
realismo e poesia, rotina e sonhos,
formando um turbilhão.
Um convite a voar.
5
IN DIE LÜFTE
NOS ARES
IN THE AIR
I am still flying for the sake of
pleasure,a feeling of joy in an open
space, one which can’t be controlled or
owned.
A dream and a trauma. Years ago,
Nilton and Fernando were victims of
a dramatic kidnapping attempt. The
kidnappers also tried to steal their
plane and Fernando shot and killed one
of them. Near the film’s end they meet
and are confronted with this event,
which continues to haunt them both.
The dream of flight was violated by
violence.
When it was over, Fernando cried. If it
weren’t for Fernando I wouldn’t have
survived the kidnapping. He grew up
with nothing but the heart of a lion and
an iron will to get through life. Our lives
are similar.
Amazonia, that’s rivers, clouds that
tower up to heaven, wind, fat raindrops, heavy rainfall, beauty, and
places where no one has ever set foot
before, fortunately.
Brazilian pilots Fernando and Nilton,
who live in the jungle metropolis of
Manaus, are accustomed to taking off
from land and water and under
conditions that only the best are able
to deal with, where death is never far
away.
On the Day of the Republic a pilot
circled overhead. Him up there and me
down here. I’m tired of being on the
ground, I want to be in the air.
Nilton left a seminary and became a
pilot. A brooding family man, he flies
a Cessna Caravan through the lonely
stretches of the immense interior.
Transporting whores and plaster
angels, mail-order packages and Indios,
dead bodies and vegetables.
He started as Captain Juarez’s copilot,
flying baby chickens across Amazonia.
Now Juarez is in a prison psychiatric
ward, painting the skies and all the
things that move through them, and he
enjoys Nilton’s visits.
I’m attracted to the water, my plane
has to be in the water. Maybe I’m a son
of Yemanjá, the mother of all waters,
Flying is what I need.
Fernando, the nomad and water bug, is
flying a Lake Renegade with his boss,
who owns the floating gas stations on
the Rio Negro. His idols are Mary
Poppins, who can fly and do magic, and
his Uncle Valdivino, a legendary coke
smuggler whose period of glory and
downfall he experienced, and who has
a special place in his heart.
Flying is a lonely job. You’re up there
for hours, in the rush of your feelings,
alone, between an utter sense of
security and holes as black as night.
And then you see the sun rising or
disappearing on the horizon.
The film accompanies Nilton and
Fernando on their flights in the cosmos
of Amazonia. In voice-overs they
describe their lives as flyers in flashbacks, dreams for the future, and
reflections.
The next morning the shadows of the
past are gone. Fernando plans a new
adventure, and Nilton thinks about his
beloved. Then the flyers wing through
the blue sky side by side before curving
out of sight in opposite directions.
Flying means looking into the skies,
the ground and the horizon line in
between, which clearly separates light
and dark and gives you a reference.
Herbert Brödl develops his stories on
a realistic basis created through
research, then easily combines
documentary, semi-documentary and
fictional elements, the found and the
invented, authentic figures and actors,
reality and fantasy, thoughts, voices
and images. This unique combination
gives his films their special character,
and is what makes them fascinating.
‘Flyers’ is the sixth film in Brödl’s
Equator cycle, its conclusion after
‘Eclipse’ (2002), ‘Bad Boy’ (2000), ‘Little
Fruit’ (1998), ‘Goldland’ (1996) and
‘Jaguar and Rain’ (1994). These films are
set at the center of the world, scenes
and stories from the Tropics.
‘I accompany, observe and make films
about individuals undertaking
journeys and trips of exploration,
wanderers between the worlds who
find their inner selves in a foreign
place.’
Herbert Brödl
7
IN THE AIR
NOS ARES
Mich zieht‘s zum Wasser, mein Flugzeug muss im Wasser sein. Vielleicht
bin ich ja ein Sohn von Yemanjá, der
Mutter der Flüsse. Fliegen ist jedenfalls das, was ich brauche.
Fernando, der Nomade und Wassermann, ist mit der Lake Renegade seines Chefs unterwegs, dem die schwimmenden Tankstellen auf dem Rio Negro
gehören. Seine Vorbilder sind Mary
Poppins, die fliegen und zaubern kann,
und sein Onkel Valdivino, ein legendärer
Koksflieger, dessen Glanz und Niedergang er miterlebt hat und an dem sein
Herz hängt.
Fliegen ist ein einsames Geschäft.
Du bist da oben, Stunde um Stunde,
allein, im Wechselbad deiner Gefühle,
zwischen heller Geborgenheit und
rabenschwarzen Löchern. Und dann
siehst du, wie die Sonne über den
Horizont kommt oder verschwindet.
Der Film begleitet Nilton und Fernando
auf ihren Flügen im Kosmos Amazonien. In zwei Monologen aus dem Off
erzählen sie ihr Fliegerleben in Rückblick, Ausblick und Reflexion.
Ich fliege immer noch um des Vergnügens willen, Glücksgefühl in einem
freien Raum, der nicht zu besitzen
und zu beherrschen ist.
Traum und Trauma. Vor Jahren waren
Nilton und Fernando Opfer eines
dramatischen Entführungsversuchs,
bei dem ihr Flieger geklaut werden
sollte.
IN DIE LÜFTE
Amazonien, das sind Flüsse, Wolken,
die sich himmelhoch bauschen, Wind,
fette Tropfen, schwere Regen, Schönheit und Orte, wo noch kein Mensch
seinen Fuß hingesetzt hat, zum Glück.
Die brasilianischen Piloten Fernando
und Nilton leben in der Dschungelmetropole Manaus und heben zu Lande
und zu Wasser in Amazonien ab unter
Bedingungen, in denen nur die Besten
bestehen und der Tod gegenwärtig ist.
Am Tag der Republik hat über uns ein
Pilot seine Runden gedreht. Der dort
oben und ich hier unten. Mir reicht‘s
am Boden. Ich will in die Luft.
Also ist Nilton aus dem Priesterseminar ausgetreten und Pilot geworden.
Der Familienmensch und Melancholiker fliegt mit einer Cessna Caravan
in der Einsamkeit des Hinterlandes.
Transportiert Nutten und Gipsengel,
Versandhauspost und Indios, Tote und
Gemüse. Mit Captain Juarez hat er als
Copilot angefangen und Küken durch
Amazonien geflogen. Jetzt ist Juarez in
einer geschlossenen Anstalt, malt den
Himmel und was sich darin bewegt und
wird gern von Nilton besucht.
Es kam zu einer Schießerei, und
Fernando tötete einen der Entführer.
Am Ende des Films treffen sie sich und
auf diese gemeinsame Geschichte,
die beiden nachgeht. Die Verletzung
des Traums vom Fliegen durch Gewalt.
Als alles vorbei war, hat Fernando
geweint. Ohne ihn hätte ich die
Entführung nicht überlebt. Er kommt
von ganz unten, mit nichts als einem
Löwenherz und eisernem Willen, sich
durchzubeißen. Unsere Wege sind
ähnlich.
Am nächsten Morgen sind die Schatten
der Vergangenheit gebannt. Fernando
schmiedet Pläne für neue Abenteuer,
und Nilton denkt an eine Liebe. Dann
ziehen ihre Flieger nebeneinander
durchs Himmelsblau, bevor sie in entgegengesetzten Kurven aus dem Blick
verschwinden.
Fliegen heißt in den Himmel schauen,
auf die Erde und den Horizontstrich
dazwischen, der Hell und Dunkel
trennt und dir Anhalt gibt.
Herbert Brödl entwickelt seine Geschichten aus einem recherchierten
realistischen Bodensatz und mischt
dann mit Selbstverständlichkeit Doku,
Halbdokumentarisches und Fiktion,
Gefundenes und Erfundenes, authentische Figuren und Schauspieler, Realität
und Fantasie, Gedanken, Stimmen und
Bilder. Diese ganz eigene Verbindung
der Elemente macht den besonderen
Charakter seiner Filme und ihre
Faszination aus.
‚Flieger‘ ist der sechste Film von Herbert Brödls Äquator-Zyklus und sein
Abschluss nach ‚Eclipse‘ (2002), ‚Bad
Boy‘ (2000), ‚Früchtchen‘ (1998), ‚Goldland‘ (1996) und ‚Jaguar und Regen‘
(1994). Filme, deren Schauplätze in
der Mitte der Welt liegen, Geschichten
und Ansichten aus den Tropen.
‚Ich begleite, beobachte und inszeniere Menschen auf Reisen und
Erkundungen, Wanderer zwischen
den Welten, für die sich das Eigene im
Fremden erfüllt.‘
Herbert Brödl
9
IN THE AIR
IN DIE LÜFTE
A água me atrai, meus aviões têm que
estar na água. Talvez eu seja filho de
Iemanjá, a mãe-d’água. É disso que eu
preciso: voar.
Fernando, nômade e homem d‘água,
pilota o Lake Renegade do seu patrão
que é dono de postos de gasolina
flutuantes no rio Negro. Seus ídolos são
Mary Poppins, que sabe voar e fazer
mágicas, e seu tio Valdivino, a quem ele
tanto ama, lendário piloto de coca, cuja
ascensão e declínio Fernando presenciou.
Voar é um negócio solitário. Você lá no
alto, horas a fio, num redemoinho de
sentimentos, sozinho, num pinguepongue entre plena segurança e buracos escuros como breu. E aí
você vê o sol aparecer ou sumir no
horizonte.
O filme acompanha Nilton e Fernando
em seus vôos no cosmo da Amazônia.
Em dois monólogos em off eles narram
suas vidas de piloto em retrospectiva,
perspectiva e reflexão.
Voar pra mim é diversão, um prazer
num espaço livre, que não pode ser
dominado nem possuído.
Sonho e trauma. Alguns anos antes
Nilton e Fernando foram vítimas de
uma dramática tentativa de seqüestro quando tentaram roubar o avião
deles. Acabou em tiroteio e Fernando
matou um dos seqüestradores. No
final do filme eles se reencontram com
essa história em comum que ainda os
persegue. O sonho de voar ferido pela
violência.
Fernando chorou depois que tudo acabou. Sem ele eu não teria sobrevivido
ao seqüestro. Ele vem de baixo, com
um coração de leão e uma vontade de
ferro de vencer. Nossos caminhos são
parecidos.
Na manhã seguinte as sombras do
passado já estão desfeitas. Fernando
faz planos para novas aventuras e
Nilton pensa em sua amada. Depois
seus aviões cruzam lado a lado o azul
do céu, antes de desaparecer fazendo
uma curva, um para cada lado.
NOS ARES
Amazônia é rio, nuvens empilhadas
céu acima, vento, gotas grossas, chuva
grossa, muita beleza e lugares onde
ninguém jamais pisou, por sorte.
Os pilotos brasileiros Fernando e Nilton
moram em Manaus, a metrôpole no
meio da selva amazônica, levantando
vôo em terra firme e na água sob condições onde só os melhores sobrevivem e
a morte é um perigo constante.
No feriado da República um piloto
dava voltas lá no alto. Ele lá em cima e
eu aqui em baixo. Tô de saco cheio. Eu
quero voar.
Então Nilton largou o seminário e
tornou-se piloto. Pai de família e melancólico voa com um Cessna Caravan
na solidão do interior. Carrega putas e
anjos de gesso, encomendas de correio
e índios, defuntos e verduras. Ele começou de co-piloto do comandante Juarez
voando pintinhos por toda a Amazônia.
Hoje Juarez está numa prisão-manicômio. Ele pinta o céu e tudo que nele
se move e gosta de receber visitas do
Nilton.
Voar é olhar para o céu, para a terra,
e a linha do horizonte no meio separando o claro do escuro, orientando
a gente.
Herbert Brödl desenvolve suas histórias a partir de fatos reais que ele pesquisa e mistura então com naturalidade documentário e ficção, descobertas
e invenções, personagens autênticos
e atores, realidade e fantasia, idéias,
vozes e imagens. Esta combinação
única de elementos constitui o caráter
especial e o fascínio dos seus filmes.
‚Aviadores‘ é o sexto e último filme
do ciclo equatorial de Herbert Brödl
depois de ‚Eclipse‘ (2002), ‚Mau garoto‘
(2000), ‚Frutinha‘ (1998), ‚Terra do ouro‘
(1996) e ‚Onça e chuva‘ (1994). Filmes
rodados no meio do mundo, histórias e
cenários dos trópicos.
‚Eu acompanho, observo e faço filmes
sobre pessoas viajando, explorando,
viajantes entre mundos nos quais a
pessoa se realiza no desconhecido.‘
Herbert Brödl
11
NILTON
BICUDO
NILTON
BICUDO
NILTON
BICUDO
What everybody says, that the jungle sucks you in and
devours you, is the absolute truth. I took antidepressants,
and this prepared me for flying through Amazonia, where
I was in the good company of the ‘Flyers’ crew. Its pilot,
Herbert, guided us with a sure hand, at the same time
exposing us to reality in such a way that it went under
our skin.
It was crazy. I felt vulnerable, was scared of flying and was
in mourning for an aunt I was very close to. It was her time
to go, and my time to fly. And before I knew it, I threw the
antidepressants away and was full of energy, because
I was playing this character in the film, the other one,
someone I would like to be so much, the ideal role, real life.
A careful pilot and a kamikaze at the same time, that sums
the film up. Are his actions driven by the courage to overcome
the fear of death so that he can live? I don’t know. There
are just these two pilots and their thoughts. Thoughts in
the skies, high over the jungle, with the aid of tranquilizers,
cigarettes and poetry. That’s what this film offered me,
and I fell hopelessly in love with Amazonia.
Dieses Gerede, dass der Urwald dich in seinen Bann zieht
und verschlingt, ist die nackte Wahrheit. Ich hab Antidepressiva geschluckt und bin so gerüstet durch Amazonien geflogen, gut begleitet von der ‚Flieger‘-Crew, deren Pilot Herbert
uns mit sicherer Hand steuerte und gleichzeitig der Realität
so aussetzte, dass sie uns unter die Haut ging.
Es war verrückt. Ich fühlte mich verletzlich, hatte Angst vorm
Fliegen und vorm Sterben und trauerte um eine Tante, mit
der mich viel verband. Für sie war es Zeit zu gehen und für
mich Zeit zu fliegen. Und eh ich‘s mich versah, hatte ich die
Antidepressiva weggeworfen und war voller Energie, weil ich
diese Figur im Film spielte, den Andern, der ich selbst so gern
wär, die ideale Rolle, das wahre Leben.
Umsichtiger Pilot und Kamikaze zugleich, das charakterisiert den Film. Handelt er vom Mut, die Angst vor dem Tod
zu besiegen, um zu leben? Ich weiss es nicht. Da sind einfach
zwei Piloten, die sich ihre Gedanken machen. Gedanken in
den Lüften, hoch über dem Dschungel, unter Zuhilfenahme
von Beruhigungsmitteln, Zigaretten und Poesie. Das hat mir
dieser Film geboten und dabei hab ich mich hoffnungslos in
Amazonien verliebt.
Esse papo de que a floresta te engole, que a floresta exerce poder, é a pura verdade, eu pude voar à base de antidepressivo por toda Amazônia e muito bem acompanhado
pela equipe de aviadores, cujo piloto, Herbert, pilotava com
segurança e nos deixava expostos o suficiente para que percebêssemos a subjetividade.
Um tipo de perversão. Eu me vi frágil, com medo de voar, com
medo de morrer, de luto pela morte de uma tia que era inspiradora embora triste, tava na hora dela morrer mesmo e eu
de voar e, quando dei por mim havia jogado o anti-depressivo
fora e me encontrava em meio a tanta energia que era eu
mesmo, fazendo um fantasma no filme. O meu outro, o que
eu queria ter sido, o papel ideal, a vida certa.
Piloto seguro e kamicase, uma característica do personagem. O filme fala da coragem de enfrentar o medo da morte
pra viver? sei lá. São imagens de dois pilotos simplesmente
raciocinando sobre impulsos de morte e de vida, uma análise
feita no ar, sobre a floresta, à base de calmantes, cigarros e
poesia, é o que o filme nos ofereceu e em troca nos apaixonamos pela Amazônia, perdidamente.
Nilton Bicudo no papel de Nilton em ‚Aviadores‘
Nilton Bicudo, who plays Nilton in ‘Flyers’
Nilton Bicudo, der Darsteller von Nilton in ‚Flieger‘
13
FERNANDO
ALVES PINTO
FERNANDO
ALVES PINTO
FERNANDO
ALVES PINTO
‘Flyers’, for me that meant two months in a Brazil that I didn’t
expect. Amazonian dialect with an Austrian accent, the
overwhelming beauty of nature from a bird’s-eye perspective,
the frightening amount of destruction through garimpos, the
fascinating stories of the people who live in the forest. Three
different Amazonias provided us with shelter between the
flights. Manaus, with its trees, their roots breaking through
the pavement, a dialogue between nature and urbanity.
Barcelos, with its view of the Rio Negro and the omnipresent
rainbow. São Gabriel da Cachoeira and its rapids singing day
and night.
And again and again the view of the Earth’s green skin from
above, an untouchable, passionate life, with bizarre shapes
formed by the rivers. What we call a river here in the South
might be considered a trickle there.
‘Flyers’ is a courageous Austro-Amazonian view of human
actions and pursuits, of the ‚chauffeurs of the skies‘ and their
stories at the most beautiful location in the world. For me,
a city dweller who visited the Rio Araguaia as a child, the
invitation to Amazonia was like a blessing. I’m grateful for it.
Fernando Alves Pinto, who plays
Fernando in ‘Flyers’
‚Flieger‘, das waren für mich zwei Monate in einem Brasilien,
auf das ich nicht gefasst war. Amazonischer Dialekt mit
österreichischem Akzent, überwältigende Schönheit der
Natur aus der Vogelperspektive, beängstigende Zerstörung
durch Garimpos, faszinierende Geschichten der Waldbewohner.
Drei Amazonien haben uns zwischen den Flügen beherbergt.
Manaus mit Bäumen, deren Wurzeln durch den Asphalt
brechen, Dialog der Natur mit der Urbanität. Barcelos mit
dem Blick auf den Rio Negro und der Allgegenwart des
Regenbogens. São Gabriel da Cachoeira und seine Stromschnellen, die Tag und Nacht singen.
Und immer wieder der Blick von oben auf die grüne Haut
der Erde, unantastbares furioses Leben, in das die Flüsse
fantastische Formen zeichnen. Was wir hier im Süden einen
Fluss nennen, geht dort vielleicht als Rinnsal durch.
‚Flieger‘ ist ein mutiger austro-amazonischer Blick auf menschliches Tun und Trachten, auf die ‚Chauffeure der Lüfte‘
und ihre Geschichten am schönsten Schauplatz der Welt.
Für mich, den Stadtbewohner, der als Kind am Rio Araguaia
war, kam die Einladung nach Amazonien wie ein Segen.
Dafür bin ich dankbar.
Fernando Alves Pinto, der Darsteller
von Fernando in ‚Flieger‘
Para mim, ‚Aviadores‘ representou dois meses em um Brasil
inesperado onde se ouvia alemão com sotaque manauara
e manauara com sotaque austríaco; surpreendente pela
beleza gigantesca do sobrevôo à natureza; assustador em
razão de cancros como o garimpo; e fascinante pelas
histórias contadas pelos nativos das selvas e arredores.
Três amazônias nos abrigaram entre os vôos:
Manaus, com árvores rompendo o asfalto amolecido pelo
calor, mostra a força da floresta sempre dialogando e
adequando a arquitetura do homem; Barcelos, de frente para
o rio Negro e os onipresentes arco-íris; e São Gabriel da
Cachoeira, com suas águas em corredeiras cantando o
dia e a noite inteira.
E do alto muito se via - uma pele verde, viçosa, intocável com vida pujante e desenhos fantásticos dos mares e pulsos
d’água. O que se chama de rio aqui no sul não passa de um
humilde igarapé do Amazonas.
O filme ‚Aviadores‘ é um olhar austro-manauara corajoso
que mostra mecanismos humanos, os ‚choferes de taxi‘
amazônicos contando histórias e o mais belo cenário do
planeta, possivelmente do universo.
Eu, rapaz da cidade, tinha visitado a bacia do rio Araguaia
quando menino e recebi o convite pra voltar ao norte,
ir à Amazônia, como uma benção. E agradeço.
Fernando Alves Pinto no papel de
Fernando em ‚Aviadores‘
15
HERBERT BRÖDL
IM GESPRÄCH
BATE-PAPO COM
HERBERT BRÖDL
How important is work on the screenplay to you?
I began as a writer and started
directing later. I approach my theme
by writing about it. The screenplay is
the process of this approaching and
reflecting about the results of the
research and how it’s turned into
images, including verbal images.
AN INTERVIEW
WITH
HERBERT BRÖDL
Why do you do so much filming in
Amazonia?
I was completely taken with the Rio
Negro. I saw this river and knew that
this is my place. An encounter like
this might happen only once in a lifetime, like meeting a soul partner.
What’s special about the people who
live in Amazonia?
An endless amount of patience in
dealing with extremely difficult living
conditions, the potential for a great
deal of passion and an inexhaustible
supply of talent for improvisation
and coming to terms with seemingly
hopeless situations.
Why a film about flying in Amazonia?
Because of a love of flying, and because flying is especially important
there. Brazil’s Amazonia measures
an enormous five million square
kilometers, and airplanes are the
primary means of transportation in
places where there are no roads and
the alternative is river travel lasting
days or weeks. And because flyers
have a bird’s-eye perspective. As a
result, they see the world differently,
in a more comprehensive way.
How did you find your two protagonists?
I spoke with twelve pilots and took
down their stories. The most interesting, in my opinion, were the ones
Nilton and Fernando told, and what
they said about flying was as well.
They’re antagonists. One is a family
man building his nest, the other’s a
nomad who’s attracted to danger. And
there’s the thing that links the two,
the kidnapping they went through
together, which was a matter of life
or death.
In the film the pilots are portrayed by
actors. Why?
In fact, I wanted to use the two pilots.
That wasn’t possible, because they
would have lost their jobs if they
spent months working on a film production. So I decided to use actors,
but without abandoning the documentary approach and the improvisation during shooting.
You aren’t very strict about the dividing
line between documentary and fiction
film
I’m not a fundamentalist in that
respect. ‚Flyers‘ contains elements
of both genres, like most of my films.
The point of departure is and remains
the authentic. I then react to that
with my own ideas and imagination.
In other words I complement found
elements with others that were
invented.
How long did shooting take?
Ten weeks, during which we undertook a great journey through
Amazonia. I wanted to show not only
Amazonia’s jungle, which resembles
an endless field of broccoli from
above, but also its mountains and
savannahs and enormous river archipelagos, the diversity to be found in
the cosmos of Amazonia.
The film’s rhythm is slow.
That was my intention. I want my
films to breathe in contrast to the
widespread breathlessness.
Interview: Ernst Pohn
How did you develop the pilots’
stories?
At the beginning, there was the
research and many hours of conversations with the pilots. The transcriptions of these conversations was the
material I started working with. The
pilots’ monologues in the film are
based on this authentic background,
and I put them into literary form.
17
AN INTERVIEW WITH
HERBERT BRÖDL
BATE-PAPO COM
HERBERT BRÖDL
HERBERT BRÖDL
IM GESPRÄCH
Warum drehen Sie immer wieder in
Amazonien?
Der Rio Negro hat's mir angetan. Ich
hab den Fluss gesehen und wusste,
das ist mein Ort. Eine solche Begegnung hat man vielleicht nur einmal im
Leben, wie die Begegnung mit einem
Lebensmenschen.
Was zeichnet die Menschen in Amazonien aus?
Unendliche Geduld, schwierigste
Lebensumstände zu ertragen, große
Leidensfähigkeit und ein unerschöpfliches Improvisationstalent,
ausweglose Situationen zu meistern.
Warum gerade ein Film über das
Fliegen in Amazonien?
Aus Liebe zur Fliegerei und weil
Fliegen in Amazonien eine besondere Rolle spielt. Das brasilianische
Amazonien ist enorme 5 Millionen
Quadratkilometer groß und Flugzeuge sind das Fortbewegungsmittel, wo es keine Straßen gibt und
die Alternative tage- und wochenlange Flussfahrten sind. Und weil
sich Fliegern die Vogelperspektive
eröffnet. Dadurch haben sie einen
anderen, umfassenderen Blick auf
die Welt.
Wie haben Sie die beiden Hauptfiguren
gefunden?
Ich habe mit zwölf Piloten gesprochen und ihre Geschichten
aufgezeichnet. Die von Nilton und
Fernando fand ich am spannendsten, auch ihre Aussagen übers
Fliegen. Sie sind Antagonisten. Der
eine ein Familienmensch, der sein
Nest baut, der andere ein Nomade,
den die Gefahr lockt. Und schließlich die Schnittstelle zwischen den
beiden, die gemeinsam erlebte
Entführung, bei der es um Leben
und Tod ging. Im Film werden die
Piloten von Schauspielern dargestellt.
Warum?
Eigentlich wollte ich mit den beiden
Piloten drehen. Das ging dann nicht,
weil sie ihre Jobs verloren hätten,
wenn sie für Monate zum Film
gegangen wären. Also entschloss
ich mich für Schauspieler, ohne
aber den dokumentarischen Ansatz
und die Improvisation beim Drehen
aufzugeben.
Welchen Stellenwert hat für Sie die
Arbeit am Drehbuch?
Ich hab ja als Autor begonnen und
bin erst später zur Regie gekommen. Mit dem Schreiben nähere ich
mich meinem Thema. Das Drehbuch
ist der Prozess dieser Annäherung,
Reflexion über das recherchierte
Material und seine Umsetzung in
Bilder, auch Sprachbilder.
Wie entwickelten Sie die Geschichten,
die die beiden Piloten erzählen?
Am Beginn standen die Recherche
und viele Stunden Gespräche mit
den Piloten. Die Niederschrift dieser
Gespräche war das Material, mit
dem ich zu arbeiten begann. Die
Monologe der beiden Piloten im
Film haben diesen authentischen
Hintergrund und sind literarisch von
mir verfasst.
Die Trennlinie zwischen Dokumentarfilm und Spielfilm ziehen Sie nicht so
strikt?
Da bin ich kein Fundamentalist.
'Flieger' hat grenzgängerisch
Elemente beider Genres, so wie die
meisten meiner Filme. Ausgangspunkt ist und bleibt das Authentische. Darauf reagiere ich mit meinen
Gedanken und meiner Fantasie.
Gefundenes also, das ich durch
Erfundenes erweitere.
Wie lange haben die Dreharbeiten
gedauert ?
Zehn Wochen, in denen wir eine große Reise durch Amazonien gemacht
haben. Es ging mir auch darum,
nicht nur den Urwald Amazoniens
zu zeigen, der von oben wie Brokkoli
in Endlosigkeit aussieht, sondern
auch seine Gebirge und Savannen
und immensen Flussarchipele, die
Vielfalt der Landschaftsbilder im
Kosmos Amazonien.
Der Rhythmus des Films ist langsam.
Mit Absicht. Ich will, dass meine Filme einen Atem haben, im Gegensatz
zur weit verbreiteten Atemlosigkeit.
Interview: Ernst Pohn
19
AN INTERVIEW WITH
HERBERT BRÖDL
HERBERT BRÖDL
IM GESPRÄCH
BATE-PAPO COM
HERBERT BRÖDL
No filme, os pilotos são representados
por atores. Por quê?
Na verdade eu queria fazer o filme
com os dois pilotos. Mas não foi
possível porque senão eles teriam
perdido o emprego, se eles tivessem ficado meses ocupados com as
filmagens. Então eu optei por atores,
mas sem abrir mão da abordagem
documental e da improvisação durante as filmagens.
Você não faz uma divisão muito rigorosa entre documentário e filme de
ficção?
Eu não sou nenhum fundamentalista. ‚Aviadores‘ tem elementos dos
dois gêneros, como a maioria dos
meus filmes. Ponto de partida é e
continua sendo o autêntico. Em cima
disso eu reajo com minhas idéias e
imaginação. Eu amplio inventando a
partir do que eu encontrei.
Como você desenvolveu as histórias
contadas pelos pilotos?
No início eu pesquisei e fiz entrevistas de longas horas com os pilotos.
As transcrições dessas conversas
foi o material com o qual eu comecei
a trabalhar. Os monólogos dos dois
pilotos no filme têm esse cenário
autêntico e foram escritos em prosa.
Quanto tempo durou a filmagem ?
Dez semanas, onde fizemos uma
longa viagem pela Amazônia. Eu não
queria mostrar só a floresta amazônica, que vista do alto parece um
campo de brócolis até aonde a vista
alcança, mas também suas montanhas e savanas e imensos arquipélagos fluviais. A diversidade da
paisagem no cosmo da Amazônia.
O ritmo do filme é lento.
É proposital. Eu quero que meus
filmes tenham fôlego, ao contrário da
falta de ar generalizada.
Entrevista: Ernst Pohn
Quão importante é para você trabalhar
no roteiro?
Eu comecei como autor e só vim
trabalhar como diretor mais tarde.
Escrevendo eu me aproximo do
tema. O roteiro é o processo dessa
abordagem, a reflexão sobre o material pesquisado e a transformação
em imagens, também em imagens
faladas.
Porque sempre Amazônia?
Por causa do rio Negro. Eu vi o rio
e soube que ali era meu lugar. Isso
talvez só aconteça uma vez na vida,
é como encontrar uma pessoa.
O que distingue o povo na Amazônia?
Uma paciência infinita para suportar
condições de vida difíceis, uma grande capacidade de sofrer e um talento
de improvisação inesgotável para
saber lidar com situações críticas.
Porque um filme sobre voar na Amazônia?
Por paixão por voar e porque voar na
Amazônia tem um significado muito
especial. A Amazônia brasileira tem
5 milhões de quilômetros quadrados
de extensão e o avião é o meio de
transporte onde não existem estradas. A única alternativa é viajar dias
ou até semanas de barco. E porque para os aviadores se abre uma
perspectiva, a de poder ver tudo de
cima. Assim eles têm outra visão do
mundo, uma visão muito mais ampla.
Como é que os dois personagens principais foram encontrados?
Eu entrevistei doze pilotos e documentei as conversas. As histórias do
Nilton e do Fernando foram as que
eu achei mais emocionantes, inclusive seus depoimentos sobre voar.
Eles são antagonistas. Um é pai de
família, constroi seu ninho, o outro é
um nômade que gosta do perigo. E,
por último, o ponto de ligação entre
os dois, a experiência do seqüestro
vivida por ambos, que foi um caso de
vida ou morte.
21
BIOGRAFIE/FILMOGRAFIE
HERBERT BRÖDL
BIOGRAFIA/FILMOGRAFIA
HERBERT BRÖDL
BIOGRAPHY/FILMOGRAPHY
HERBERT BRÖDL
Herbert Brödl, born in St. Pölten,
Austria, in 1949, visited the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar from 1968 to 1969 and
studied Philosophy at the University of
Vienna from 1969 to 1973. In 1971 and
1972 he made his first films for ORF,
the Austrian broadcasting company.
In 1974 Brödl moved to Hamburg and
wrote screenplays that were made into
films by Peter Lilienthal, Rainer Boldt
and Volker Vogeler. His books have been
published by S. Fischer Verlag and
Suhrkamp Verlag.
From 1976 he has written and directed
films in Peru, Italy, South Africa,
Vanuatu, Benin, Zimbabwe and São
Tomé e Príncipe, plus eight in Brazil.
In 1982 he founded Baumhaus Film
Brödl in Hamburg, which produced his
films until 2002. From 1994 to 2008 he
worked on an equator cycle of six films
with locations and stories in equatorial
regions.
Herbert Brödl, geboren 1949 in
St. Pölten, Österreich, besuchte von
1968 bis 1969 das Max-ReinhardtSeminar und studierte von 1969 bis
1973 Philosophie an der Universiät
Wien. 1971 und 1972 drehte er seine
ersten Filme für den ORF. 1974 zog er
nach Hamburg und schrieb Drehbücher, die von Peter Lilienthal, Rainer
Boldt und Volker Vogeler verfilmt
wurden. Bücher von ihm erschienen
im S. Fischer Verlag und im Suhrkamp
Verlag.
Ab 1976 realisierte er als Autor und
Regisseur Filme in Peru, Italien,
Südafrika, Vanuatu, Benin, Simbabwe,
São Tomé und Príncipe und immer
wieder in Brasilien, wo acht seiner
Filme entstanden. 1982 gründete er
in Hamburg die Filmproduktion
Baumhaus Film Brödl, mit der er bis
2002 seine Filme herstellte. Von 1994
bis 2008 arbeitete er an einem Äquator-Zyklus, der sechs Filme vereint,
deren Schauplätze und Geschichten
in den äquatorialen Tropen angesiedelt
sind.
FILMS
1971
1976
1979
1980
1982
1984
1986
1987
1988
1990
1991
1994
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2006
2008
HERBERT BRÖDLS
ÄQUATOR ZYKLUS
CICLO EQUATORIAL DE
HERBERT BRÖDL
00º00'00" EQUATOR CYCLE
BY HERBERT BRÖDL
Herbert Brödl, nasceu em 1949 em
St. Pölten, Áustria, cursou artes cênicas
de 1968 a 1969 no Max-ReinhardtSeminar em Viena e depois estudou
filosofia de 1969 a 1973 na Universidade de Viena. Em 1971 e 1972 fez seus
primeiros filmes para ORF (Radiodifusão Austríaca). Em 1974 mudou-se
para Hamburgo e escreveu roteiros que
foram filmados por Peter Lilienthal,
Rainer Boldt e Volker Vogeler. Teve
livros publicados pelas editoras
S. Fischer e Suhrkamp.
A partir de 1976 realizou filmes como
autor e diretor no Peru, Itália, África do
Sul, Vanuatu, Benin, Zimbábue, São
Tomé e Príncipe e muitas vezes no
Brasil, onde foram feitos oito de seus
filmes. Em 1982 fundou em Hamburgo
a produtora Baumhaus Film Brödl,
com a qual produziu seus filmes até
2002. De 1994 a 2008 trabalhou num
ciclo equatorial que une seis filmes
com cenários e histórias passados nos
trópicos equatoriais.
Flyers Flieger
Eclipse
Bad Boy
Little Fruit Früchtchen
Goldland
Jaguar and Rain Jaguar und Regen
SCREENPLAYS
News Manipulates Nachrichten richten nach
Civilized Tropics Zivilisierte Tropen
Arnulf Rainer-Body Art Körperkunst
Signorina Mafalda
Prison Mailbag X4 Gefängnispostsack X4
The Snake-Fish-Canoe Das Schlangenfischkanu
Fire Mountain Feuerberg
Isles Of Illusion Inseln der Illusion
The Colors of the Birds Die Farben der Vögel
Trance-Atlantic Trance-Atlantik
Djadje
Arnulf Rainer-Star Seeker Sternsucher
Jaguar and Rain Jaguar und Regen
Goldland
Little Fruit Früchtchen
Bad Boy
Eclipse
Amazona – Video Miniatures
Flyers Flieger
1974
1976
1977
1979
Professor Hofer Hauptlehrer Hofer
Directed by Peter Lilienthal
Missed Goal Fehlschuss
Directed by Rainer Boldt
The Road Die Straße
Directed by Volker Vogeler
Fire Signs Feuerzeichen
Directed by Rainer Boldt
BOOKS
1972
1972
1980
Fingerprints Fingerabdrücke
Suhrkamp Verlag
Arms Manufacturer Waffenfabrikant
Suhrkamp Verlag
Silvana
S. Fischer Verlag
www.herbertbroedl.net
23
CREDITS
CRÉDITOS
With
Valdivino Almeida
Rosa Malagueta
Juarez Gomes
Elivaldo Anjo
David Almeida
João Reis
Denis Mendes
Laureane Gomes
Ramon Queiroz
Carla Nazareth
Carlos Silva
Ney Barros
Ednelza Sahdo
Acácia Pantoja
Luna Rodrigues
Mahara Rodrigues
and many others
Special Thanks To
Ricardo
Cleiton
Gabriel Gentil
CREDITS
Nilton
Nilton Bicudo
Fernando
Fernando Alves Pinto
Written and Directed by
Herbert Brödl
Photographed by
Volker Tittel
Edited by and Dramaturgy
Katrin Köster
Music
Karwan Marouf
Sound
Eckehard Braun
Set Design
Buy Chaves
Assistant Director
Rune Tavares
Coach
Inês Aranha
Paintings
Naia Arruda
Juarez Gomes
Lighting and Stills
Thomas Rotsching
Flight Coordination
Walter Lincoln
Assistant Cameraman
Wolfram Wuinovic
Pilots
Elivaldo Anjo
Juscelino de Souza
Randal Antonio
Donovane Mota
Assistants Set Design
Ney Barros
Elias Loureiro
Hospital de Custódia – Manaus,
Hospital João Lúcio – Manaus,
SOS Funeral – Manaus,
Hotel Tropical – Manaus,
Rainer Heuermann, Rainer Männer,
Fallschirmspringerclub Linz,
Guido Bruck, Dr. Gilberto Falcao,
Beatriz Moreira,
and the many people in Manaus,
Boa Vista, Barcelos,
São Gabriel da Cachoeira,
Porto Velho, Nova Olinda do Norte
and São Paulo, who made this film
possible.
HD Postproduction & film prints
LISTO VIDEO
Additional Tracks
Naná Vasconcelos
HD online
Geoff Kleindorfer
Translations
Andréa Otersen
Steve Wilder
Colour Grading
Thomas Varga
Sound Design
Veronika Hlawatsch
Production Assistants
Liniane Brum
Sandra Bonates
Nora Morat
Leila King
Caetano de Souza
Vladimir Bilic
Nicole Scherg
Anne Wendelin
Barbara Kern
Foley Artist
Andreas Schneider
Logistics
Miriam Gerber
Flight Simulation scenes made
possible by
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Foley Recording
Philipp Kemptner
Production Manager
Giba Cuscianna
Marcos Tupinambá
“Only Angels Have Wings”
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
ADR
Martin Greunz
Film Recording
Herbert Fischer
Sound Postproduction
TREMENS
Sound Mixing
Bernhard Maisch
Preproduction Amazonia
Herbert Brödl
Production
NGF Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Filmproduktion GmbH
Supported by
In cooperation with
commissioning editor: Heinrich Mis
In coproduction with
In cooperation with
commissioning editor: Reinhard Wulf
Developed with the Support of
the MEDIA Program of the European
Union
Line Producer
Renata Druck
Executive Producer
Michael Kitzberger
www.flyers-amazonia.com
Producers
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Markus Glaser
Michael Kitzberger
Wolfgang Widerhofer
© 2008 NGF Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Filmproduktion GmbH
design: sensomatic
25
FILMOGRAFIE NGF
FILMOGRAFIA NGF
FILMOGRAPHY
NGF NIKOLAUS GEYRHALTER
FILMPRODUKTION GMBH
www.geyrhalterfilm.com
2009
The Robber Der Räuber - in production
(A/D + 90 min. + Feature Film +
Director: Benjamin Heisenberg)
2008
A White Substance Eines Tages, Nachts...
(A + 21 min. + Short Documentary +
Director: Maria Arlamovsky)
2009
The Final Days Die Letzten Tage - in production
(A + 100 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
2008
Figuring Out Father Die Vatersucherin
(A/D + 45 min. + TV-Documentary + Director: Sandra Löhr)
2009
Goisern Goes West - in production
(A + 2 x 30 min. + TV-Series in 2 parts +
Directors: Markus Wogrolly, Harald Aue)
2008
Food Design - in production
(A + 52 min. + TV-Documentary +
Director: Martin Hablesreiter)
2008
7915 km
(A + 106 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
2008
Flyers Flieger
(A + 82 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Herbert Brödl)
2008
A Mountain Musical Eisenwurzen. Das Musical
(A + 52 min. + TV-Documentary + Director: Eva Eckert)
2008
Goisern Goes East
(A + 5 x 30 min. + TV-Series in 5 parts + Directors:
Markus Wogrolly, Robert Lakatos, Harald Aue)
2008
Bahrtalo! Good luck! Bahrtalo! Viel Glück!
(H/A + 90 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Robert Lakatos)
2006
I Am Me Ich Bin Ich
(A + 55 min. + Documentary + Director: Kathrin Resetarits)
Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion
was founded in 1994 by Nikolaus
Geyrhalter. In 2003 it was turned into a
limited-liability company with partners
Markus Glaser, Michael Kitzberger and
Wolfgang Widerhofer. While the core
competence of Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Filmproduktion is producing full-length
documentaries for theatrical release
with special attention to the author’s
point of view and work on quality TV
productions, the company moved into
fiction productions and TV-documentary series in 2008. Our particular interest
is encouraging interesting, innovative
and promising talents of European
cinema, both established and up and
coming.
In the past few years Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion has co-produced
films with associates in Germany, the
Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia.
Our films have received numerous
international awards, and have been
broadcasted and screened in theaters
in many countries around the world.
2004
Across The Border. Five Views From Neighbours
Über Die Grenze. Fünf Ansichten Von Nachbarn
(A + 131 min. + Feature Documentary + Directors:
Pawel Lozinski, Jan Gogola, Peter Kerekes, Robert Lakatos,
Biljana Cakic-Veselic)
2004
Kanegra
(A/D + 50 min. + Documentary +
Director: Katharina Copony)
2004
Pessac. Living In A Laboratory Pessac. Leben Im Labor
(A + 52 min. + Documentary +
Directors: Claudia Trinker, Julia Zöller)
2006
Mountain Meadow Movie Almfilm
(A + 55 min. + Documentary + Director: Gundula Daxecker)
2004
The Souvenirs Of Mr. X Die Souvenirs Des Herrn X
(A/D + 98 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Arash T. Riahi)
2006
Good Morning Austria! Guten Morgen Österreich!
(A + 90 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Hannelore Tiefenthaler)
2004
Carpatia
(D/A + 127 min. + Feature Documentary +
Directors: Andrzej Klamt, Ulrich Rydzewski)
2005
Our Daily Bread Unser Täglich Brot
(A + 90 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
2003
Senad And Edis. Once There Was A War
Senad Und Edis. Es War Einmal Der Krieg
(D/A + 30 min. + TV-Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
2004
Flight Number 884. Returning Home
Flug Nummer 884. Eine Heimat Auf Zeit
(A + 52 min. + TV-Documentary + Directors:
Wolfgang Widerhofer, Markus Glaser)
2002
Loud And Clear. Life After Sexual Abuse
Laut Und Deutlich. Leben Nach Sexuellem Missbrauch
(A + 67 min. + Documentary + Director: Maria Arlamovsky)
2002
Temelin. A Village In Southern Bohemia
Temelin. Ein Dorf In Südböhmen
(A + 30 min. + TV-Documentary + Directors:
Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Markus Glaser, Wolfgang Widerhofer)
2001
Elsewhere
(A + 240 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
1999
Pripyat
(A + 100 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
1997
The Year After Dayton Das Jahr Nach Dayton
(A + 204 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
1997
Kisangani Diary
(A + 52 min. + Documentary + Director: Hubert Sauper)
1995
The Dream That Remains Der Traum Der Bleibt
(A + 155 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Leopold Lummerstorfer)
1994
Washed Ashore Angeschwemmt
(A + 86 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
2008
(Half) The Time Of My Life Mein Halbes Leben
(A + 92 min. + Feature Documentary +
Director: Marko Doringer)
27
VENEZUELA
French
GUYANA
SURINAME
GUYANA
ap
Branco
rr
BOA
VISTA
COLOMBIA
NEGR
MACAPÁ
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AS
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MA
Barcelos
AYO
Japurá
belém
u
Xing
A
A
IR
E
D
jó
Tapa
s
MANAUS
A
M
am
pa
ma
PURUS
ac
PERU
porto
velho
to
Amazonia
ro
BOLIVIA
FLYERS was shot in Brazil’s Amazonia
between August und November 2007.
This region is five million square kilometers in size (in comparison, that of
the European Union measures 4.3 million), representing 59% of the country’s
area of Amazonia. Shooting took place
in Manaus and Barcelos, São Gabriel
da Cachoeira, Porto Velho, Nova Olinda
do Norte, Jacareacanga, Boa Vista and
Lethem, Guyana.
Austria
MT
Brazil
27
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Developed with the support of the
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