Andreas Laux
I am…
Project Supervision Netflix
Producer
Christoph Hoppstädter
Written & directed by
Linda-Schiwa Klinkhammer
A megaherz Production for Netflix
“I AM” is a new series of portraits by Netflix that showcases the German-speaking talents behind Netflix Originals and which regularly allows us to explore our limits creatively. Each episode is unique – shot in the style of different genres and with unique looks inspired by the biographies of the people portrayed. With the “I AM” series, Netflix is making a small anarchic statement on its social media platforms, free of rules or guidelines. Each episode is created in close collaboration with the person it portrays, developing a very individual style.
The production of “I AM” is a creative paradise. It rebels against genre boundaries by mixing documentary and fictional storytelling. Each episode is unique in terms of tone and look. Scripted scenes coexist with documentary narratives born of the moment, biographical footage as well as choreography, song and symbolic images that leave room for interpretation. This is all united by the conviction that the portrait of a person always needs poetic space, conveying not only knowledge but feeling, not just content but questions.
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“Visual Realness describes a new way of documentary thinking and is my personal approach to the individual episodes of “I AM”. Research is the most important part of the documentary work. The protagonists do not appear as actors, but move naturally through the scenes that emerge from their own imagination. I am less interested in how a moment looked from the outside than in how my protagonists experienced it, how it felt to them. The inner worlds of the characters become emotionally tangible – with enigmatic symbols, imaginative images and feelings.”
Quote Linda-Schiwa Klinkhammer
Boundaries are also crossed within individual episodes, for example, when the protagonists break through the fourth wall and narrate their own story. By talking directly to the camera, they share their secret thoughts and feelings with us. They turn us into accomplices by commenting in a humorous way on the storyline.
Youtube Comments
“It’s really cool that Netflix makes something like this possible! It certainly makes the monthly subscription worth paying 🙈“ – vejan
“I am confused and impressed in equal measure.“ – Chesra
“I think, as an artist, personal insight is the best gift you can give your fans. I’m really impressed, this clip is great, it’s art, it touches the soul and makes you feel – thank you!” – Stephanie Dormann
“I don’t know exactly WHAT this was but it captivated me from the get-go. So wonderfully different, acting really is your passion.” – R. H.
“Wow, it hits you right in the feels. Awesome artistic performance.”– Heather Hiuvf
“I’m just speechless. It was inspiring, exciting and at the same time it made me think. I laughed and I cried. I can’t find the right words, but congrats, this is wonderful.” – Sonja
“Wow!!! Just wow!!! This is art…” – Balaton Mieze