On the second day of this year’s Küstendorf, Professor Emir Kusturica opened an exhibition honouring the famous producer Karl Baumgartner – Baumi. At the very beginning of the opening, we heard a rendition of Baumgartner’s favourite song Zajdi, zajdi. Baumi specifically asked for this song to be performed at his funeral, when his ashes were scattered on the playground of a local football team he used to play for.
Professor Emir Kusturica then told the guests about his first encounter with the producer from South Tyrol at an airport in Germany. They both shared a love of football and they were both filmmakers. It was the start of a great friendship and a long-lasting collaboration. Kusturica described Baumgartner as “the most significant European film producer of the previous two decades”. One of the first films by his production company Pandora was Underground, and he continued his collaboration with the Professor on the film Black cat, white cat. Referring to the topic of this year’s festival saying that geese would save film, he highlighted that despite all problems in the world of film, he still believed that there is hope for film. The Professor pointed out that Baumgartner was one of the people who believed in a brighter future for the art of film.
Reinhard Brundig, Baumgartner’s associate from Pandora also addressed the guests, followed by Martina Baumgartner, the producer’s daughter. They were both very moved by the honour shown to one of the great friends and close associates of Professor Emir Kusturica.
The exhibition shows a selection of posters among over 70 films from the producer work of Karl Baumgartner, as well as some family photos.
See photo gallery here.