Ihre ergebenste Fräulein
Well Ordered Nature
Director
Eva C. Heldmann
Germany / 2024
73 min
/ Original version with English subtitles
Original language
German
A tender film, despite the fact that it speaks of how people were moulded into useful citizens during the second half of the eighteenth century, the time of the Enlightenment. This occurs in two ways. The “Dillenburg Intelligencer”, mouthpiece of the Hague-based Prince of Orange, ruler of the town, passes a degree to prohibit customary activities like begging and collecting wood from the royal forest. At the same time, the unmarried Ms. Dörrien, whose publications and letters advise women to make the most of their time and manage it wisely, tries to influence her readers with advice on how to perfect themselves through patience and diligence. She has also distinguished herself as a botanist by drawing and colouring plants and, in particular, by describing her learning processes to this end. The beauty and elegance of her language, an expression of her devotion to people and things, is a real discovery!
We see today’s Dillenburg, teenagers, little games. But mostly we see flowers, their absolute beauty and dignity. Known as an experimental filmmaker, Eva Heldmann constructed this essay film with rigour – in the images of flowers, freedom breaks through. (Angela Haardt)
Eva C. Heldmann, born in Dillenburg in 1951. After studying German, she founded a repertory cinema in the countryside with friends. Her first 16mm drama Johnny oder das rohe Fleisch was made in 1984. During longer stays in southern Africa, the USA, India and Berlin, she made experimental documentary films.
Production company eva c. heldmann films (Berlin, Germany). Director Eva C. Heldmann. Cinematography Eva C. Heldmann, Vita Spieß, Lisa C. Heldmann. Editing Eva C. Heldmann, Renate Merck Supervision. Music Hubert Machnik. Sound Michel Klöfkorn. Speaker Elisabeth Gugel, Jochen Nix. Dancer Annemie Noeh.
Films (selection): 1984: Johnny oder das rohe Fleisch / Johnny or a Raw Piece of Meat (4 min.). 1994: 1000 Küsse an Wanda / 1000 Kisses to Wanda (22 min.). 1999: Fremd gehen. Gespräche mit meiner Freundin / Stepping out (64 min., Forum 2000). 2006: The Queens Courtyard (80 min.). 2008: Five Sex Rooms und eine Küche / Five Sex Rooms and a Kitchen (79 min.). 2011: Prufrock Back in America (8 min., Forum Expanded 2011). 2012: r i v e r r e d (8 min., Forum Expanded 2012). 2015: Strom (81 min., Forum Expanded 2015). 2017: Im Gehäus / In His Room. 2024: Ihre ergebenste Fräulein / Well Ordered Nature.
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