Between 1991 and 1995 Steff Gruber was working on a new film, in which he aimed to investigate the erotic codes in interpersonal relationships. But after he had already filmed more than 120 hours’ worth of materials, he felt his theme had been overtaken by media developments and so abandoned it. Thirteen years later, Secret Moments was completed after all. Created exclusively from the original film materials, this is a reflection on the project and the reasons for its initial failure.
CH 2006
Docudrama Feature
DigiBeta (3:4)
82 min., colour / b&w
Location: Netherlands (shot 1991/92)
Language: English, Dutch, German
Subtitles: German, English, French
Credits
Director: Steff Gruber
Script: Steff Gruber, Mauro Lando
Photography: Sigi Meier, Kurt Würmli, Darpan van Kulik
Editing: Steff Gruber, Bettina Seuffert
Original Music: Marc Bänteli, Markus Wyrch
Additional Music: Ruedi Burkhalter
With
Judith van den Heuvel, Mauro Lando, Arthur Gernandt, Egbert Prent, Linda van Exter, Sandra Slagt, Joop, Jacob Djjkstra, Hendricus J.A. Tijssen, Steff Gruber a.o.
Producer: Steff Gruber
Co-Producers: Cyrille Kazis, Andreas Züst
Executive Producer: Mathias Frey
Production: Verascope Films, Swiss Television (SF)
Distribution: Filmcoopi Zürich
World Sales: KINO.NET AG
In the course of frequent visits to Holland in the early 1990s, Gruber develops his film SECRET MOMENTS with the aim of casting light on the darker secrets of eroticism. He follows up all his leads, one resulting in an encounter with Henrikus Tijssen, the biggest producer of pornography in Europe, whom he interviews – also talking to pornography consumers, erotic models, a necrophiliac man and figures from the night life of Amsterdam.
This is all linked in with a search for the leading lady of the film. In order to find her, the film maker organises a big public casting in Amsterdam.
But when Gruber is ready to start filming a year later, his favourite candidate has disappeared without trace, and he has to opt for another actress.
In the end, the film maker has not found his ideal leading lady, nor has he succeeded in deciphering the secret of eroticism.
One conclusion resulting from his film investigation, though, is – in a free paraphrase from Georges Bataille – that ‘eroticism can only happen in secret, it cannot be a public phenomenon’.
While filming was still going on, the European media environment underwent drastic changes. The previously unchallenged monopoly of national broadcasting stations was broken: private broadcasting companies started to spring up like mushrooms. The competition was merciless. Viewing statistics were now being clocked up above all by broadcasts featuring sex and erotic themes. As it only involved a modicum of naked flesh, Gruber’s film work lacked sensation value and the television companies showed little interest. Gruber decided to leave his film unfinished.
Only some 15 later did the former co-producer, Swiss Television, ask him to complete the film after all.
The film was recut, with the original material giving rise to reflections on social changes in relation to eroticism and love, not to mention changes in the author’s own point of view.
Shot on location in Holland and Switzerland 1991-1992
Edited in Switzerland
Edited, produced and directed by
STEFF GRUBER
Story developed by
STEFF GRUBER
MAURO LANDO
Photography by
SIEGFRIED MEIER
KURT WÜRMLI
Original Soundtrack written and performed by
MARCUS WYRSCH
MARC BÄNTELI
Additional Music composed and played by
RUEDI BURKHALTER
“Cordoba” composed by
ISAAC ALBENIZ
and played by
RUEDI BURKHALTER
Cast in order of appearance
STEFF GRUBER
JUDITH VAN DEN HEUVEL
MAURO LANDO
ARTHUR GERNANDT
EGBERT PRENT
SHEILA
HENDRICUS J.A. TIJSSEN
JACOB DIJKSTRA
NICK BARENDSEN
SUSANNE SCHREWE
MIKI KOBOSSEN
CHRISTINE HAMELBERG
CAROL BROERE
SAMANTA
JRENE
‘MR. MOUSTACHE’ JOOP
SANDRA
DEVA CHINTA
MARCUS EBBELING
The girls in the train
CAROL BROERE
JACKEY DE HAAN
MIEKELIN BOSMAN
TRACEY BEVAN
JUDITH BOERSEN
NATHALIE RINGROSE
JENNIFER FRANCIS BOUT
MONIQUE MASSELINK
MARTINE FEBERWEE
MANDY KLEIN
PAULA MORALES
QUERINE VAN EMMERIK
The girls in the Roxy
HELEN DORDER
PAULINE PINAS
MIEKELIN BOSMAN
CHRISTINE HAMELBERG
SACHA WANSTEHER
MERET VAN DER VEEN
LISETTE WENNEKERS
JESSYCA LANCASTER
MONICA LANCASTER
KARLIEN PYNENBORG
BRIGITTE SINS
ROMY VAN OOYEN
MARUSJKA SISTERMANS
MONIQUE MASSELINK
MOOS D’HERRIPON
HELEN ROYE
EVA VAN HEYNINGEN
JUDITH RADEMA
MONIQUE SLUYTER
SANDRA VAN DYK
JENNIFER FRANCIS BOUT
MIKI KOBOSSEN
and others
Dance school
BELINDA PETERS
PATTY VAISSAIRE
ELLEKE ANTONIUS
DIANA WEMPE
ROELI ZWIKKER
Choreography
DANCE UNLIMITED, Amsterdam
Boy with shoebox
DANIEL HAMELBERG
Produced by
STEFF GRUBER
Associate ProducerS
ANDREAS ZÜST
CYRILLE KAZIS
Produced by VERASCOPE FILMS
operated by ALIVE PRODUCTIONS LTD.
Zurich, Switzerland
Executive Producer
MATHIAS FREY
Produced in Association with
SF Swiss Television
SF Commissioning Editors
MADELEINE HIRSIGER
ERWIN KOLLER
PAUL RINIKER
In cooperation with
FILMCOOPI Zurich Ltd. Switzerland
FELIX HÄCHLER
WOLFGANG BLÖSCHE
TRUDI LUTZ
Additional Photography
DARPAN VAN KULIK
CYRILLE KAZIS
YEL KOCH
Additional Light
JÖRG BÜHLMANN
Assistant Director
TATIANA DE RIEDMATTEN
Production Coordinator (Holland)
MADHAV WILLEM HILGEMANN
Assistant Producer
CLAUDIA EICHHOLZER
Editing Assistants
BETTINA SEUFFERT
MARTINA BERLI
Editing Advisor
BENI MÜLLER
Postproduction Supervisor
CYRILLE KAZIS
Music recorded at
PIXXEL.COM Digital Mobile Studio
Engineering
STEFF GRUBER (SMPTE)
Additional Music recorded at
PLATINUM ONE STUDIO
Engineering
URSLI WEBER
Postproduction Facility Engineering
TONY LENHERR
Transcript
JANINE BLATTER
MARTINA BERLI
Graphic Design and Titles
ANKE FELGENHAUER
Narration Text Supervisor
RENE GROSSENBACHER
English Narration
AL RHEINHEIMER
Still Photography
LEONARD ZUBLER
Production Secretaries
KATHARINA WERNLI
ESTHER FORRER
Equipment
CINERENT AG, Zurich
HOLLAND EQUIPMENT, Amsterdam
PIXXEL.COM, Zurich
AV GANZ AG, Kloten
Film to Video Transfers
APPI TV
RENE F. APPENZELLER
Skipper
GERROT GROPSTRA
Driver
JAN BEUKEN
Casting-Team at the Roxy
EVA KAZIS
CYRILLE KAZIS
MADHAV WILLEM HILGEMANN
TATIANA DE RIEDMATTEN
Advertisement and Public relations
ALIVE Ltd. Zurich
www.ALIVE.ch
Film Research
EBS Publications Ltd. Zurich
Text Research
BENI MÜLLER
Photographs on apartment wall
courtesy of
BRUNO BISANG
SEVENTEEN Photo and Video Quotations
coutesy of
JAN WENDERHOLD & ARTHUR GERNANDT
BOOKPRESS B.V.
Text Quotations from:
GEORGES BATAILLE
‘L’Erotisme’
GEORGES BATAILLE
‘Das obszöne Werk’
FRANCESCO ALBERONI
‘L’Erotismo’
WITTGENSTEIN
‘Tractus logico-philosophicus’
NAGISA OSHIMA
‘Filme von NAGISA OSHIMA.
Filmpodium Zürich’
ROLAND BARTHES
‚Le chambre clair.
Note sur la photographie’
JEANLOUP SIEFF
‘Über Erotik’
SIGMUND FREUD
‘Über die allgemeinste Erniedrigung des Liebeslebens’
WALTER BENJAMIN
‚Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit’
Many thanks to the companies who supported this project kindly.
SONY BROADCAST (SWITZERLAND) AG
CROSSAIR Ltd.
BUDGET RENT A CAR (SWITZERLAND) AG
FOTOSTOP, Amsterdam
And the people in the sex industry
BOOKPRESS B.v. SEVENTEEN
JAN WENDERHOLD
ARTHUR GERNANDT
EGBERT PRENT
CLUB CHEVEUX
SANDRA SLAGT
DOMA-CLUB, The Hague
TANIA and JOHN
MARYKE MANTEL
EMMY DE JONG
COCK DE JONG
WILMA PUHEN
WILMA BRÖKLING
FIN HANSEN Photography
Copenhagen, Denmark
CCC Color Copira Corporation
Copenhagen, Denmark
Thanks to
YOOP DE SCHEPPER
VICE SQUAD, Amsterdam Police
RENE DESIREE MARX (Crossair)
NORBERT KLOSE
Special thanks to
YEL KOCH
BENI MÜLLER
JÜRG HASSLER
KATIE MEISTER
RENE GROSSENBACHER
ANKE FELGENHAUER GRUBER
Postproduced at
PIXXEL.COM
Digital Postproductions
with CANOPUS PROFESSIONAL
Soft- and Hardware
Entire Film recorded with
SONY VIDEO EQUIPMENT
Copyright © 2005 by VERASCOPE FILM,
STEFF GRUBER ENTERPRISES
Zurich, Switzerland. All Rights Reserved.
ISAN 0000-0000-5FBA-0000-8
«Heute da die Dokumentarfilme formal immer konventioneller und inhaltlich immer braver werden, wirkt ‚Secret Moments’ wie ein Findling.»
Thomas Allenbach,
Der Bund, 7. März 2007
Der Bund
7. März 2007
(PDF – 304.8 kb)
