What are neighbours actually like? We posed this question a year ago when we decided to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by Thomas Tode. We immediately delegated the task OV coming up with an answer to the world's film-makers in the form OV the theme OV this year's Three Minute Quickie competition.
Some OV the films submitted turned were so confusing we had to take another look at the application form. But no, »Neighbours« , there it was in black and white. There was nothing about milk, horses shagging, crocodiles, Indian national heroes or Father Christmases.
So, it could hardly have been clearer: films submitted for this competition had to be less than 3 minutes long and be connected to the topic »Neighbours« , remember? - in some way or other.

As it turned out, there were still plenty OV films submitted which did conform to the entrance criteria, in fact, more than enough to make selection for the programme very difficult. It quickly became clear that the number OV certain types OV submissions »those which could be classed as either humourless, infantile doodlings or rollicking cinematic thigh-slappers« had fallen slightly compared to the previous year. At the same time, there was also a slight increase in the number OV films which had their sights set on classification as art.
Better? Well, look at it this way: as OVfensive as the floaters which bob to the surface in the Pro-7-compatible comedy gutter can be, leaping straight into bed with the »it's all art, you're all lovely« - faction would be an equally odious and foolish step to take.
This is what makes watching films so pleasant: the good swiftly follows the bad which, in turn, is followed by the downright ugly before the brilliant comes along and sometimes even brings the sentimental with it. For example, we were deeply touched to see Mr. Mahichi feature in one OV the submissions.
The cranky old bugger first turned up in 1999 playing the lead in an Iranian entry in the International Competition category, »The Song OV The Grey Man« - and instantly won a place in our hearts. In a film for the Three-Minute category last year, Mr. Mahichi sang a song to the short film festival, however, the film also came with the sad news that Mr. Mahichi had died.
This year, however, he's back »at least on the screen« and has invited all his neighbours to drop in too.

Together with another 29 contributors, he will try to show us what neighbours are actually like: lonely, curious, insulted, disturbing, murderous, entrepreneurial, ready and willing to help, friendly, jealous and dead.
So, drop in next-door or just round the corner, take your neighbour by the hand and bring them along with you to the cinema.

THREE MINUTE QUICKIE

Sunday, 3rd june 2001, 10.30 pm., Metropolis
Tuesday, 5th june 2001, 8.00 pm., Lichtmeß
Friday, 8th june 2001, 10.30 pm., Zeise1

1. Hamsayeh-ha
Amir Shahab Razavian, Iran 2001, 3 Min., Betacam SP, color, pers. OV, documentary
2. In der Nachbarschaft
Stefan Möckel, Germany 1993, 2'27 Min., Super 8, color, germ. OV, animation
3. Familiengespräche
Uwe Schwarze, Germany 2001, 2'30 Min., Betacam PAL, color, germ. OV, experimental
4. The Floor Became The Ceiling
Rudolf Buitendach, GB 2001, 3'05 Min., Betacam PAL, engl. OV, shortmovie
5. L'Hotel des Vies Reproductible
Pierre-Yves Cruaud, France 2000, 2'58 Min., VHS, color, no dialog, experimental
6. S-Crash
Lindsay Cox/Victor Holder, Australia 2001, 3 Min., Betacam SP, s/w, no dialog, experimenteller Musikfilm
7. Eaves
Mark Gilleece, Ireland 2001, 2'40 Min., Betacam Pal, color, engl. OV, shortmovie
8. Klaa Quetsch
Kyros Kikos, Germany 2001, 3 Min., VHS, color, germ. OV, documentary
9. Schüssel
Anna Berger, Germany 2000, 3'44 Min., Betacam SP, color, no dialog, documentary
10. Poloiset ja Paranormaali
Sami Hantula, Finland 2000, 1'20 Min., Betacam SP, color, no dialog, shortmovie
11. Hausbesuch
Kalle Anker, Germany 2001, 3'08 Min., VHS PAL, color, germ. OV, slide-show
12. Vis a Vis
Sebastian Linke, Germany 2001, 3 Min., S-VHS PAL, color, engl. OV, shortmovie
13. Juschi entdeckt des Nachbarn Frau
A. Jonathan Benny, Canada 2000, 1'02 Min., 35 mm, no dialog, experimentel horror comedy
14. Am Jahresende
Robert Thomai, Germany 2001, 2'30 Min., VHS PAL, germ. OV, shortmovie
15. Die Fischerswitwe
Daniel Nocke, Germany 1996, 2'30 Min., 16 mm, germ. OV, animation
16. Falcon Love Story
Jo Francis, USA/Danmark 2001, 2 Min., Betacam SP, color, engl. OV, shortmovie
17. Ikkuna
Timo Lähteenmäki, Finland 2000, 2'23 Min., Betacam SP, color, no dialog, experimenteller shortmovie
18. Silent Bob
Susanne HOVer/Urs HOVer, Switzerland 2001, 1'50 Min., Betacam SP, color, no dialog, animation
19. Potolok
Tanja Krivitskaya, Ukrain 2001, 3 Min., Betacam SP, color, russ. OV with engl. UT, shortmovie
20. Wolfgang Wilhelm - Ein Nachbar
Sönke Guttenberg, Germany 2001, 3'07 Min., S-VHS PAL, color, germ. OV, documentary
21. Endlich Ruhe
Nesih Munz/Manuel Schroeder, Germany 2001, 3 Min., S-VHS, color, germ. OV, experimental
22. The Neighbours
Jani Joenniemi, Finland 2001, 2'59 Min., Betacam SP, color, no dialog, experimental
23. Flatsch
Thomas Oberlies/Helge Weichmann, Germany 2000, 3'10 Min., Betacam SP, color, germ. OV, shortmovie
24. Nachbarn
Carsten Ost, Flex, Germany 2001, 3 Min., S-VHS PAL, color, no dialog, animation
25. Mein kleiner Garten
Stefan Möckel, Germany 2001, 0'17 Min., Super 8, color, no dialog, Found Footage
26. Dreamers OV Peace
Humayun N. Peerzada, India 2001, 1'40 Min., Betacam SP, s/w, engl. OV, documentary
27. Concern
Marc Roels, Belgium 2000, 2'45 Min., Betacam SP, color, engl. OV, animation
28. The Neighbours
Alexey Romanov, Russia 2001, 3 Min., Betacam SP, color, russ. OV m. engl. UT, documentary
29. Wir versaufen unserm Nachbarn sein klein Häuschen!
Reinhard Westendorf, Germany 2001, 3 Min., VHS PAL, color, germ. OV, documentary
30. Faule Säcke
Kalle Anker/Carl Alexander Rassler, Germany 2001, 0'47 Min., VHS PAL, color, germ. OV, shortmovie