简介：Synopsis: AgroupofcosmopolitanwomenpassengersaboardtheTrans-Siberian/MongolianRailwayaretakenprisonerbyUlanIga,awarriorprincess.Therigorsoftheharshdesertlandscapeinsummertesttheprisoners'endurance,unlikePrincessUlanandhertribe,whoareunitedwiththephysicalenvironmentbytraditionandnecessity. OttingeraboutherFilm: Thisisafilmaboutdifferentkindsofnarration.Inmyfilms,thereisneverasingularplot.Neverthelessthereisastory.ThefirstpartofthefilmisatripthroughhistoryontheTrans-SiberianRailroad,agrandoldtrainonwhichpeopletraveledfromEasttoWestandWesttoEastforoverahundredyears.Iwasfascinatedbythestoryofthistrain.Ifounditawonderfulplacetobringtogetherpeopleofalltypes.Ifocusedhereonfourverydifferentfemalecharacterswhorepresentstoriesfromdifferentepochs.ThereistheelegantLadyWindermerewhoisanamateurethnologistfromlatenineteenthcentury.Sheiswhatwascalleda"privatescientist,"arichpersondevotedtoasingularobsessionofstudy,asinoldEnglishnovels.LadyWindermerewasinspiredbytheVictoriantrendsofthistimeandhighlyinfluencedbyalltheexperiencesinthecoloniesoftheBritishEmpire,tostudythecultureofMongoliannomads.Sheisseentravelinginasalonwagon,herownsumptuousprivatetraincar.Thissignifiesthatsheisfromthetimewhenthediplomaticcorps,princes,andkingstraveledontheTrans-SiberianRailroadasinaluxurioushotel.Thenthereisabeautifulyounggirl,Giovanni(latercalledJohanna),whoisfromourcontemporarytimestoday.Sheisanadventurer,travelingwithaknapsackandaWalkman.Atfirstsheisinthethirdclasscarriagewithsoldiersandpeasantswhotravelwiththeiranimals.ThensheisinvitedtojoinLadyWindmereatherdinnertableandinherprivatecar.ThereisaGermanprofessor,FrauMuller-Vohwinkel,whotravelswithaBaedeker,thefamoustravelguidethatshereadscarefully,sothateverythingsheseeshasalreadybeeninterpreted.AndthereisFannyZiegfield,amusicalstarfromthenineteenthirtiesorfortiesofthegreatmusichalls.TheyareallonthetraintravelinginalinearpathfromWesttoEast.MostofthetravelersplantogothroughMongoliaonthewaytootherdestinations.OnlyLadyWindemereintendstoremaininMongolia,tocontinueherenthnographicstudies.Inadditiontothesecharacters,thereisalsoathreewomanentertainmenttroupe,theKalinkaSisters.TheyarelikeatravelingYiddishversionoftheAndrewSisters.Thereisalsoamalecharacter,MickeyKatz,whoisaYiddishtenorenroutetoHarbin,ChinatomeetupwithitslargeJewishcommunity.WhileonthetrainhejoinstheothersingersinpresentingwonderfulsongsfrommusichallsofthethirtiesandfortieslikethosefromNewYork'soldSecondAvenue. Thefilmisdividedintothreesections.Inthefirstandlastpartsofthefilm,theactionisonthetrain.Thesesceneswereallshotinmeticulouslyconstructedsetsmadeinthestudio,eventheglimpsesofthepassingoutsidelandscape,asseenthroughthewindows.Iwantedtheaudiencetotrulyseetheartificialityofthatconstruction.So,youcatchaglimpseofaripinthebackwallofLadyWindemere'sprivatecar.Buttheripisreallyatrompel'oeilpaintingmadebytheatricalsetpainters.ItsignalsthisasanintentionallyhighlyartificialpresentationoftheWesternworld. Incontrast,thecentralsectionofthefilm,whenthetrainreachesMongolia,wasallshotonsite,inthenaturallandscape.HerethetrainisstoppedandthewomentravelersarekidnappedbyabandofMongoliantribeswomen,ledbyPrincessUlunIga,whotakethemfromthetraintotheirseasonalencampment.Everythingchanges.Inthisnomadiclandscapethereisnolinearpathtofollow.Thisgoesalsoforthedramaturgy.TheslowepictimeoftheMongoliansbegins,withfairytales,rhapsodicnarration,andwonderfulepopees--theoldtraditionalsongsinwhichtheytelltheirwholehistory.ItisanolddramaturgyasinShakespeare--verysimple,askeletonthatyoufillwithanythingyouwish.Likeanepic,thisisaspacefortheactualities,dailylife,religiousrituals,andsoonofthislargelyfemalenomadicMongolcommunity.Asrelationshipsdevelop,weseevariousculturalconfrontationsbetweennomadicandsettledcultures,betweenfictionanddocumentary,betweentheperiodcostumesoftheEuropeansandthelavishtraditionaldressofthePrincessandherretinue. WhenIbeginanewfilm,theinspiration,content,andstyleofthefilmcomesfromtheplaceinwhichIstart.HereitisMongolia.Ialwaysliketochangethepointofview,togoaroundathemelookingatitfromvariousperspectivesanddifferentpointsofview.Thismakesthingsmorecomplexandabitmoredifficultinaworldwherecinemaisexpectedtobesimplyentertainment.Ofcourse,Iamnotinterestedinthis.Johanned'Arcisanamusingfilm.Butitisamusingonanotherlevel.Itisafilmaboutculturalmisunderstandings,whichcanbequitefunny.IhavetraveledalotinothercountriesandlearnedagreatdealaboutmisunderstandingsthatIfoundhighlyinteresting.Itisimportantformetotalkaboutthat. TheCritics: "Thewholefilmisatwinstructure,cutthroughbydoubles,repetitions,similaritiesandendlessreflections.Theimageshaveacrease,establishedbythestories[...]InthiswaytheMongolianworldcastsareflectinglightonwesterncustomsandhabitsandcinemarecommendsitselfastheinstrumentofinvestigationandtheagentofoldandnewmyths."--FriedaGrafe,SuddeutscheZeitung,April,3rd,1989 "JOHANNArepresentsthefancifulattemptofauniqueGermanfilmmakertoexplorethewayextremelydifferentculturesmigrateandinfluenceeachother.Thethemeofthewanderer/outsider,carrierofdiverseideas,runsthroughallofUlrikeOttinger'sstrikinglyoriginalfilms."--JudyStone,SanFranciscoChronicle…