His own wide world.
Internet-addiction is a trend.
So is Geocaching.
Gero gets infatuated with both.
A film by Jo Danieli.
120 Min., Color, Stereo; HDV (Original version SD), PAL, German; & with engl. subtitles; © 2011
120 Min., Color, Stereo; HDV (Original version SD), PAL, German; & with engl. subtitles; © 2011
More about Jo? See www.jodanieli.weebly.com
An Internet-addict finds back to reality through the Internet-based game “geocaching”
and discovers himself and the world anew.
and discovers himself and the world anew.
Trailer-Links:
“GERONIA”-Trailer / English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrisAU3WKM0
“GERONIA”-Trailer / Deutsch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1UODwHa5kk
“GERONIA”-Trailer / Deutsch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1UODwHa5kk
Idea / Concept / Summary:
“Gero,” a man in his thirties who is an Internet-addict and has not left his home for years, is introduced to the Internet-based game “geocaching” by his desperate, long-time girlfriend “Linda.” While reluctantly and secretly beginning to hunt for “caches”, “Gero” can’t help but face his own timid and egocentric Self while rediscovering existence beyond the Internet. His own physicality, his new contact with nature and the scary and weird encounters he has in the world outside his room force him to deal with his most private feelings and needs. “Gero” begins to evaluate his life anew, while being challenged by his own “inner voice” and the geocaching-related Internet-personalities lead by “Sixtus Dahastus,” who unknowingly triggers “Gero” to hunt for a mystery: the “golden cache”. “Gero” indeed discovers that special treasure – but it is something entirely different than he had expected …
A special aspect of “Geronia” is the subject “Human Rights”. The protagonist “Gero” defines himself through everything he watches online – and the observer soon discovers that “Gero” is a very critical fellow and is interested in human rights issues. Later, when “Gero” ventures out into the “real” world, his own “Inner Voice” keeps reminding him that he actually possesses a soul that hungers for justice, equality and peace and is dedicated to a holistic world-view – but deems himself alone. Nevertheless – the episodic encounters that “Gero” has out there, in the world, prove to him, that he really is not alone with his criticism of his era and the world and with his longing for safety, understanding and also – rescue.
The film is altogether a plead for self-discovery, but such that is optimally tied into a social network in a world that – hopefully – will soon indeed be a “better one”. “Gero” could be a factor who might engage himself in the future in exactly that task (the audience might come to think): making the world a better place.
The highly trendy game “Geocaching” is in itself a symbol for the reconnection of people in the real world based on an initiative in the “virtual space”, that was actually created by humans themselves and is being maintained and updated by individuals who declare through there online-activity, that they are inspite of appearances (that signal “withdrawal from the world”) longing for real comradry, but because of fear of injustice and violence they barely dare to venture out in front of their homes’ doors – just like “Gero”. His view of his own wide world does change in the course of the film and connected with that – his outlook on his own future.
The film is altogether a plead for self-discovery, but such that is optimally tied into a social network in a world that – hopefully – will soon indeed be a “better one”. “Gero” could be a factor who might engage himself in the future in exactly that task (the audience might come to think): making the world a better place.
The highly trendy game “Geocaching” is in itself a symbol for the reconnection of people in the real world based on an initiative in the “virtual space”, that was actually created by humans themselves and is being maintained and updated by individuals who declare through there online-activity, that they are inspite of appearances (that signal “withdrawal from the world”) longing for real comradry, but because of fear of injustice and violence they barely dare to venture out in front of their homes’ doors – just like “Gero”. His view of his own wide world does change in the course of the film and connected with that – his outlook on his own future.
One day there just ain't enough adventure online anymore.
“Geocaching” is a trend that has been spreading all over the world since it’s introduction in the late 1990s. It is principally the hiding and seeking of plastic containers with the help of a GPS-device and sometimes connected with intense research. Every “cache” found brings a “point” to the cacher, which makes the game a competition. The “points” and cache-finds are registered on the Internet which is thus the connecting platform of this game: One can only learn about caches and join the groups of point-collecting cachers through logging onto the official geocaching-websites. Once a cache is found, the finder needs to register his or her cacher’s name in the paper-logbook in the container, but it is imperative to log the cache on the Internet as well. The virtual world of the Internet is thus the basis of a game that gets people out into the material world and into reality facing all of life’s joys and challenges, but especially – other human beings: the ones encountered in person while geocaching and those of times past related to the historical places that are visited due to the game’s requirements. “Geronia” is a modern fairy-tale – and in it’s content-presentation a mixture of “theater”, “episodic documentary”, “satirical feature action-drama movie” and “ avantgarde-style observation from the point of view of the fly on the wall”. The film prides itself in featuring real ambient sounds and in showcasing details of a person’s life and environment that are not usually prominent in movies.
The entire footage was shot in HDV with one single camera (Sony Z7), mostly during one-take-shoots, and the story consist of three different parts that are reflected by their very distinct lighting-conditions: “Gero at home before geocaching”, “Gero at home involved in geocaching” and “Gero outdoors geocaching”. The film’s visual style has thus three aspects: The “flickering cyberworld”, the “cosy dark home” with candle-light (that is later replaced by electrical light) and the “clear outdoors day and night”, and each of the three aspects is reflected in camera-work and pacing. Hand-held camera and locked shots are mingled in order to express the diversity of “Gero’s” experiences. The camera “looks” at events either from “Gero’s” perspective, or it “observes” “Gero” – and the people he encounters - from various of angles and from the perspective of those people he meets. The audience gets to live in “his own wide world”.
The film features a variety of websites that “Gero” visits on a regular basis and that constitute his “world,” supplying him with all the experiences he thinks he needs and wants, with friends, idols, artists, entertainment and information. The contents “Gero” watches and listens to, give a good picture of his personality. His girlfriend “Linda” is his only link to the outside world – until he gets infatuated with the idea that he could be the one to find the “golden cache” – an endeavor that changes his life (to the better).
The “voices” that keep occurring during the plot are reflective of the “chatter”, the “over-information” and the “opinions” in the cyberworld – but Gero’s truthful own “inner voice” soon becomes prominent as he leaves his hermitage more and more often …
The entire footage was shot in HDV with one single camera (Sony Z7), mostly during one-take-shoots, and the story consist of three different parts that are reflected by their very distinct lighting-conditions: “Gero at home before geocaching”, “Gero at home involved in geocaching” and “Gero outdoors geocaching”. The film’s visual style has thus three aspects: The “flickering cyberworld”, the “cosy dark home” with candle-light (that is later replaced by electrical light) and the “clear outdoors day and night”, and each of the three aspects is reflected in camera-work and pacing. Hand-held camera and locked shots are mingled in order to express the diversity of “Gero’s” experiences. The camera “looks” at events either from “Gero’s” perspective, or it “observes” “Gero” – and the people he encounters - from various of angles and from the perspective of those people he meets. The audience gets to live in “his own wide world”.
The film features a variety of websites that “Gero” visits on a regular basis and that constitute his “world,” supplying him with all the experiences he thinks he needs and wants, with friends, idols, artists, entertainment and information. The contents “Gero” watches and listens to, give a good picture of his personality. His girlfriend “Linda” is his only link to the outside world – until he gets infatuated with the idea that he could be the one to find the “golden cache” – an endeavor that changes his life (to the better).
The “voices” that keep occurring during the plot are reflective of the “chatter”, the “over-information” and the “opinions” in the cyberworld – but Gero’s truthful own “inner voice” soon becomes prominent as he leaves his hermitage more and more often …
Writer, producer, director, camera-operator, editor:
Jo Danieli
Co-producer, post-production editor:
Robert C. Stone
Produktions-Assistenz (fallweise):
Michael Smrz, Christian Kaminski, Julia D. Kosche
Cast:
Gero - Daniel Pospischil
Linda - Julia Resinger
Pizzaboy - Josef Borbely
Man from Gero's past - Milan Stodulka
Man on the cemetery - Hannes Bickel
Drunk woman - Elisabeth Spitz
“Schokosmoko”-man - Artur Ortens
Sandwich-warrior & “Announcer” - Anton Frisch
Passer-by on the bridge - Denise Teipel
Crazy man - Michael Duregger
Andi, new father - Marcus Hauser
Gang-leader - Christian Kocourek
Gang-members - Alexander Hoffmann - Julia D. Kosche - Stefanie Gaugl
Quarelling athletes - Isabella Jeschke - Gerald Walsberger
Homeless man - Christian Kaminski
C A M E O S:
Lancelot Lumsden (self)
Sixtus Dahastus (Michael Smrz, self)
Web-Guru - Walter Seidl (self)
Geocacher -Andreas C. Fischer - Regina Arthold & Franz Arthold - Gertraud Jelitsch
V O I C E S:
“Female Voice in Gero's head - Hyacinth Österlin
“Dramatic Voice” / “Announcer"-Voice - Anton Frisch
“Sexy Voice” - Jo Danieli
“Internet-Voices” - Julia D. Kosche, Michael Smrz, Stefanie Gaugl, Jo Danieli
Linda - Julia Resinger
Pizzaboy - Josef Borbely
Man from Gero's past - Milan Stodulka
Man on the cemetery - Hannes Bickel
Drunk woman - Elisabeth Spitz
“Schokosmoko”-man - Artur Ortens
Sandwich-warrior & “Announcer” - Anton Frisch
Passer-by on the bridge - Denise Teipel
Crazy man - Michael Duregger
Andi, new father - Marcus Hauser
Gang-leader - Christian Kocourek
Gang-members - Alexander Hoffmann - Julia D. Kosche - Stefanie Gaugl
Quarelling athletes - Isabella Jeschke - Gerald Walsberger
Homeless man - Christian Kaminski
C A M E O S:
Lancelot Lumsden (self)
Sixtus Dahastus (Michael Smrz, self)
Web-Guru - Walter Seidl (self)
Geocacher -Andreas C. Fischer - Regina Arthold & Franz Arthold - Gertraud Jelitsch
V O I C E S:
“Female Voice in Gero's head - Hyacinth Österlin
“Dramatic Voice” / “Announcer"-Voice - Anton Frisch
“Sexy Voice” - Jo Danieli
“Internet-Voices” - Julia D. Kosche, Michael Smrz, Stefanie Gaugl, Jo Danieli
Screen-shots will follow soon.
References: http://www.youtube.com/user/mauifilms
Movie-poster:
... and this is Sixtus Dahastus, our geocaching-"coach" ...
Geocaching-impressions by Andreas C. Fischer
Foto: Andreas C. Fischer