REKORDER: The Ideas Generator With Filmmaking at Its Heart
“I think one misconception people have about directors is that they can be a little bit obsessed with their own talent”, observes Werner Klemm, founder of REKORDER. “But for me it’s always been the opposite - I am obsessed with other directors’ talent!”
The Berlin-based cinephile is explaining what motivated him to start up REKORDER. For someone who lives and breathes his craft of filmmaking, the move to a more business-oriented role might have seemed slightly unnatural at first. “The great advantage of it”, explains Werner, “is that it gives us the chance to collaborate with all these other filmmakers that I admire. It lets us tell stories in ways I wouldn’t have imagined doing, which is so exciting”.
That dedication to collaboration and storytelling has seen REKORDER evolve a great deal in the near-twenty years since Werner founded the company in 2001. Today, the business spans four offices, including post production facilities, as well as an art gallery in the heart of one of Europe’s most creative cities.
Above: The REKORDER family
But REKORDER’s ‘DNA’, as Werner describes it, remains firmly rooted in that spirit of collaboration and creative experimentation. Most recently, that DNA manifested itself in a new relationship with the acclaimed directors Lope Serrano and Nicolás Méndez, aka CANADA, a creative production company based in Barcelona and London. CANADA’s diverse roster of directors is now represented by REKORDER in the German market.
“That was something which was new for us, but it felt like such a natural move to make”, recalls Werner. “We love CANADA, for everything they have done and continue to do, so we were honoured to begin a working relationship, and a friendship, with them. There’s no doubt we share a similar creative vision, and we love to express it”
Above: Barcelona and London-based CANADA are now represented by REKORDER in Germany.
REKORDER’s dedication to putting film first has seen the company work with some of the most exciting names in the industry over the past few years. In 2019, the company facilitated a collaboration between director Yorgos Lanthimos and Droga5 for the short film NIMIC.
“What I loved so much about that project”, explains Werner, “was that it was, in a very pure sense, everything that REKORDER strives to be. Providing a space to a singular artist whose work refuses to be contained by any perceived limits of cinema – that is our signature service”.
Above: NIMIC tells the story of a professional cellist and an encounter he has on the subway which has unexpected and far-reaching ramifications on his life. The film was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos in collaboration with REKORDER and Droga5.
Another example of REKORDER’s focus on artistic expression can be found in their work for the luggage manufacturer RIMOWA. A stunningly-shot film focuses on the existential conflict of two travellers returning from space.
Above: REKORDER’s work for RIMOWA tells the futuristic story of two space travellers.
Indeed, the company’s commitment to art extends beyond even the world of filmmaking. By Berlin’s Chamissoplatz you can find the REKORDER Art Gallery, another way in which artists’ voices can be amplified by the company.
“It’s a fantastic space for us to have”, says Werner, “given that we can use it to hold events which bring the creative community together, as well showcase brilliant art. For example we recently held an event called ‘ERROR’, in which we invited some guests to talk about their experiences of failure. So we had people from agencies, but also artists and engineers come to talk about their experiences and what they learned. So it’s great for us to listen and learn, and also great for the community, I hope, to take from it as well”.
Above: A selection of the art, people, and food at REKORDER's gallery in Berlin
For a company so rooted in Berlin, REKORDER has always kept a firmly international focus. “Really that’s why we are here in Berlin to start with”, notes Werner. “It’s a place that’s always been something of a magnet-pull for creative people, and so it’s the perfect city to work internationally from.
“One of the many heartbreaking things about the time we’re living in now is how it has made our individual worlds feel so much smaller. I hope that, once this time has passed, we can rediscover that international outlook and excitement to invest in creativity and art. That’s always what has driven REKORDER, and I think it makes the world a better place.”
