Hansa-Theater Varieté (2002)

Overview

The film tells the story of the Hansa Theater in Hamburg, Germany's oldest variety theater, interweaving it with observations from the last season in 2001. It documents the work behind the scenes, the effort that had to be made month after month to bring a new program to the stage. The film lovingly observes the arrival of the artists in their trailers in the courtyard, their daily training, and the preparations made by the kitchen, service, and technical staff, and shows the performances as the culmination of this work. Above all, however, the images convey the joy that the work brings to everyone involved. Memories of Telse Meyer-Grell are visually complemented by archive footage and old photos.