Michael Haesters

Movies

Fußball und Bier: Wo Geld und Alkohol fließen
Camera Operator
For many fans, they simply belong together: football and beer. But is that really just a harmless connection of sport and pleasure? Because football clubs and breweries are often closely connected in Germany. Every club in the second and first division of the Bundesliga, without exception, is being sponsored by a brewery and also many amateur clubs are reliant on the money of the beer industry. And yet, alcohol causes great damage in Germany: 1.6 million people are addicted to alcohol, more than 14,000 die annually in direct consequence of alcohol consumption. This film corresponds to the state as of November 16th, 2022. At that point in time, Qatar had allowed the selling of alcohol in and around world cup stadiums before and after the games. A few days before the beginning of the World Cup, an alcohol ban was announced for these areas, nonetheless.
The Strange Sound of Happiness
Sound
After years adrift, Diego returns to his hometown in Sicily. His dream of becoming a musician did not come true. He doesn't have a job, he has no plans for the future and has just been given up by his girlfriend. Looking at the rusty skeletons of the ships in the Harbour, he is kidnapped by an hypnotic sound: an ancient musical instrument, the Jew's harp, seems to indicate a way. Thus begins a journey of redemption, from the torrid coasts of Sicily to the frozen plains of Yakutia in Siberia, where the Jew's harp is a spiritual instrument and national symbol.