Agostino Imondi
Encyclopedia
Agostino Imondi is an Italian documentary film
director
based in Berlin
, Germany
.
for Melbourne
community TV station
Channel 31
.
Over the years, Imondi collaborated under the pseudonym
Videoteppista with various guerilla film
groups and grassroots medias, including SKA TV in Melbourne, Indymedia Italy, and Berlin-based videoactivist collective Ak-Kraak.
His first documentary, Waking up the Nation
(2002, 2005), a guerilla film, told the story of a group of Australian human rights activists, who travel on an old bus, the Freedom Bus, to visit asylum seekers imprisoned in immigration detention centres across the country. Shot and released in Australia in 2002, the film was primarely used by Australian human rights groups for their campaigns.
Upon his return to Europe, Imondi re-edited the documentary for international audiences, where the film had limited screenings in German
movie theatres, as well as being screened at some
international film festivals.
In 2003 he worked with British
director Christina Hotz on the Dutch
-South African co-production Orange Farm Water Crisis, which deals with water privatisation in the South African township
Orange Farm
. The short documentary was screened at various film festivals around the world.
After moving to Berlin
he worked as editor on Unsere Mutter (Our Mother), an experimental film by Iran
ian filmmakers Kia Kiarostami and Daryush Shokof
, shot by Kiarostami and fellow Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi
.
In 2006 he started research for a new documentary, which later would become the film Neukölln Unlimited
, co-directed with the German director Dietmar Ratsch. For this movie he won a Crystal Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival in 2010.
He is currently working on a new documentary feature with co-director Francesca Araiza (Noise and Resistance
).
Complete filmography listed in IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2536898/?fr=c2M9MXxsbT01MDB8ZmI9dXx0dD0xfG14PTIwfGh0bWw9MXxjaD0xfGNvPTF8cG49MHxmdD0xfGt3PTF8cXM9YWdvc3Rpbm8gaW1vbmRpfHNpdGU9ZGZ8cT1hZ29zdGlubyBpbW9uZGl8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20.
for Orange Farm Water Crisis, won
2010: Crystal Bear for best Feature Film, 60th Berlin International Film Festival
for Neukölln Unlimited
, won
2010: Peace Film Award
for Neukölln Unlimited
, nominated - (lost to Mohamed Al-Daradji
for Son of Babylon
)
2010: Buster Award for best Documentary, Buster Film Festival, Copenhagen, won
2010: 1st Prize for Feature Documentary, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, won
2011: German Documentary Award, nominated - (lost to Wim Wenders
for Pina
)
2011: German Film Critics Award, nominated - (lost to Hajo Schomerus for Im Haus meines Vaters sind viele Wohnungen)
2011: MovieSquad All Rights Award, Movies That Matter Film Festival, The Hague
, won
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
based in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Career
Imondi set foot in the media industry in the year 2000, starting as a volunteer camera operator and editorEditor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
for Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
community TV station
Community television
Australia's Community Television is a form of Citizen media much like Public Access Television in the United States and the Community Channel in Canada...
Channel 31
Channel 31 Melbourne
C31 Melbourne, formally known as Channel 31 Melbourne , is a public television station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-The Channel:Its signal is transmitted from Mt...
.
Over the years, Imondi collaborated under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Videoteppista with various guerilla film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
groups and grassroots medias, including SKA TV in Melbourne, Indymedia Italy, and Berlin-based videoactivist collective Ak-Kraak.
His first documentary, Waking up the Nation
Waking up the Nation
Waking up the Nation: The Freedom Bus is an Australian documentary film shot in 2002 and internationally released in 2005, directed by Agostino Imondi .-Plot:...
(2002, 2005), a guerilla film, told the story of a group of Australian human rights activists, who travel on an old bus, the Freedom Bus, to visit asylum seekers imprisoned in immigration detention centres across the country. Shot and released in Australia in 2002, the film was primarely used by Australian human rights groups for their campaigns.
Upon his return to Europe, Imondi re-edited the documentary for international audiences, where the film had limited screenings in German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
movie theatres, as well as being screened at some
international film festivals.
In 2003 he worked with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
director Christina Hotz on the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-South African co-production Orange Farm Water Crisis, which deals with water privatisation in the South African township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
Orange Farm
Orange Farm, Gauteng
Orange Farm is a township located approximately 45 km from Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is the largest informal settlement in South Africa, with most estimates giving a population of 1 million people. Additionally, it is one of the youngest, with the original inhabitants;...
. The short documentary was screened at various film festivals around the world.
After moving to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
he worked as editor on Unsere Mutter (Our Mother), an experimental film by Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian filmmakers Kia Kiarostami and Daryush Shokof
Daryush Shokof
Daryush Shokof is an Iranian artist, film director, philosopher, writer, art director, and film producer, and singer...
, shot by Kiarostami and fellow Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film director of Kurdish ethnicity. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Kurdistan Province. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.-Biography:...
.
In 2006 he started research for a new documentary, which later would become the film Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited is a 2010 German documentary. The film follows three Lebanese siblings - Hassan, Lial and Maradona - through their daily lives in Berlin's district of Neukölln....
, co-directed with the German director Dietmar Ratsch. For this movie he won a Crystal Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival in 2010.
He is currently working on a new documentary feature with co-director Francesca Araiza (Noise and Resistance
Noise and Resistance
Noise and Resistance is a German documentary. The film follows the European DIY punk music scene. The directors enter the centres of a vivid and vibrant, a rebellious and self-conscious scene...
).
Filmography (as director)
- 2002 Waking Up The Nation
- 2003 Orange Farm Water Crisis
- 2010 Neukölln Unlimited
Complete filmography listed in IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2536898/?fr=c2M9MXxsbT01MDB8ZmI9dXx0dD0xfG14PTIwfGh0bWw9MXxjaD0xfGNvPTF8cG49MHxmdD0xfGt3PTF8cXM9YWdvc3Rpbm8gaW1vbmRpfHNpdGU9ZGZ8cT1hZ29zdGlubyBpbW9uZGl8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20.
Awards and nominations
2003: Prize for best Video, Festival dei Diritti, Italyfor Orange Farm Water Crisis, won
2010: Crystal Bear for best Feature Film, 60th Berlin International Film Festival
60th Berlin International Film Festival
The 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to February 21, 2010, with Werner Herzog as President of the Jury. The opening film of the festival was Chinese director Wang Quan'an's romantic drama Apart Together, in competition, while the closing film is Japanese...
for Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited is a 2010 German documentary. The film follows three Lebanese siblings - Hassan, Lial and Maradona - through their daily lives in Berlin's district of Neukölln....
, won
2010: Peace Film Award
for Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited
Neukölln Unlimited is a 2010 German documentary. The film follows three Lebanese siblings - Hassan, Lial and Maradona - through their daily lives in Berlin's district of Neukölln....
, nominated - (lost to Mohamed Al-Daradji
Mohamed Al-Daradji
Mohammed Al-Darraji is an Iraqi Dutch film director. Al-Daradji is a dual Dutch-Iraqi citizen. He studied theatre directing in Baghdad and fled to The Netherlands in 1995, where he specialised as a cameraman. Later he graduated with two MA's in cinematography and directing in Leeds at The Northern...
for Son of Babylon
Son of Babylon
Son of Babylon is a 2010 Iraqi drama film directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji, Variety's Middle Eastern Filmmaker of the year 2010.The film was developed through The Sundance Institute and was selected as Iraq's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but it didn't...
)
2010: Buster Award for best Documentary, Buster Film Festival, Copenhagen, won
2010: 1st Prize for Feature Documentary, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, won
2011: German Documentary Award, nominated - (lost to Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
for Pina
Pina (film)
Pina is a 2011 German 3D dance film directed by Wim Wenders. The film premiered Out of Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. The trailer features the song "Lilies in the Valley" by Jun Miyake...
)
2011: German Film Critics Award, nominated - (lost to Hajo Schomerus for Im Haus meines Vaters sind viele Wohnungen)
2011: MovieSquad All Rights Award, Movies That Matter Film Festival, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, won