Der Platz

A video documentary about a German building site may not sound exciting. Rest assured: it isn't. I suppose you could say Schüppel's film draws on the tradition of Walter Ruttmann's 1927 Berlin, Symphony of a Great City and Wenders' Wings of Desire, but all it really boils down to is monochrome footage of construction work at the Potsdamer Platz, with voice-over reminiscences from the labourers, reflecting on their own special places - pastoral, to a man. Music by former Einstürzende Neubauten musician FM Einheit.