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Brienen's films are transgressive cinema at its very best. Now released as BRIENEN COLLECTION, his first five films on DVD (international edition): Terrorama!, Life Pornography, Both Ends Burning, Last Performance and Hysteria. All films include English, French and German subtitles. Click on the ORDER link and buy them all.
After studying philosophy and psychology, Edwin Brienen embarked on a career as a radio host at the age of 22. His programs for Dutch broadcasting association VPRO, attracted a nationwide following. On television he starred in the underground series Ultra Vista!, as well as directed -during a two and a half year hiatus from the VPRO- several much talked about programs for Veronica Television, including Buch, Burgers & Buitenlui and Hoe Hoort het Eigenlijk? with Theo van Gogh.
In the year 2001 he wrote, directed and edited his debut feature film Terrorama! A dark story about a group of dispirited people who seek out 'psychological freedom' by committing an act of terror. A year later, Brienen returned to the VPRO, and in September, 2001, created a series about the New York underground scene. He witnessed the attack on the Twin Towers and was forced to cancel the NY premiere of Terrorama!
Terrorama! went on to win several awards at international film festivals, notable among them being Esther Eva Verkaaiks distinction as Best Leading Actress at the Toronto Independent Film Festival.
In September, 2004, Brienens follow-up feature Lebenspornografie (Life Pornography) was finally released (the film was originally shot in 2002 but due to legal problems hold back for release). It details the downfall of a nightclub owner and a group of self-destructive Amsterdam artists living in Berlin. Lebenspornografie stars Esther Eva Verkaaik, Eva Dorrepaal, Nicole Ohliger, Jean-Louis Costes and two-time winner of the Golden film price, Peter Kern.
Brienen’s third feature Both Ends Burning had its premiere during the Brienen Festival in 14 Dutch theaters, January 2005. The film probes the underbelly of relationships and is suffused with an atmosphere reminiscent of French cinema of the ‘70’s but also contains bone-chilling moments that recall Carrie and Repulsion. ARTE TV broadcasts in 2005 a documentary about Brienen, where they compared his work and intensity with Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange. In May, Brienen directs the short film Das Absolut Böse, that appears on the DVD release Dark Shots. The dark comedy Why Ulli Wanted to Kill Himself on Christmas Eve premieres half December in several German theaters.
2006 is for sure Brienen's most productive year so far. His first theater play Loaded premieres in the prestigious Berlin Sophiensaele during 'the long weekend of free theater'. A filmed impression can be seen in My First Show. He finishes the American production Last Performance, about the self-chosen downfall of a woman in the theater world of New York (world premiere at the Dutch Film Festival, September 27th 'til October 6th 2006).
In June, the feature film Edwin Brienen's Hysteria can be seen in German cinemas. Hysteria is a political horror that addresses topics such as mind manipulation and false reality. Hysteria is certainly the most bizarre cinema experience of the year. The dark film looks like a Richard Kern remake of The Addams Family or a John Waters and Fritz Lang collaboration.
For the London based duo Noblesse Oblige, he directs a music video for their hit Quel genre de garcon (check out Noblesse Oblige's MySpace profile). During the unbearable heat of July, he shoots the feature film I'd Like To Die A Thousand Times. The film follows two couples during twenty-four hours of summer distortion and deadly heat. A controversial story, again written and filmed by Brienen self. New actors join the Brienen club: American Clayton Nemrow, Possession actor Shaun Lawton and Verliebt in Berlin star Bärbel Schleker.
Together with Thomas van Aalten, Brienen wrote the post-apocalyptic script for the abstract film L'amour toujours, which had its world premiere during the Brienen Tribute Festival, 3 May 2008 in Amsterdam. New releases planned for the upcoming months: Revision - Apocalypse II (post-production), Phantom Party (post-production), Exploitation (post-production) and Viva Europa (pre-production).
The Brienen DVD Collection is now released through Filmfreak Distribution.
FILMOGRAPHY
2009 Viva Europa (pre-production)
2009 Freier Fall - eisern einsam ist des Rummelkäpt'ns Weg (filming)
2009 Exploitation (post-production)
2009 Phantom Party (post-production)
2008 Revision - Apocalypse II
2008 L'amour toujours
2007 Ich fang den Schuss mit meinem Gehirn
2007 I'd Like to Die a Thousand Times
2007 U zij de Glorie (short)
2006 Last Performance
2006 Edwin Brienen's Hysteria
2006 My First Show (short)
2005 Warum Ulli sich am Weihnachtsabend umbringen wollte
2005 Das Absolut Böse (short)
2004 Both Ends Burning
2003 Lebenspornografie
2002 Antifilm
2001 Terrorama!
1999 Liefde in de nacht (short)
1998 Sweet Surprise (short)
MUSIC VIDEOS
2009 Ravage! Ravage! - Last Night's Party
2009 Rummelsnuff - Nathalie
2008 Virgin Fang - Skidder
2007 Joachim Witt - Herbergsvater 2007 (with Sebastian H. Zeitschnitt)
2007 Bunny Lake - Twisted Forever
2007 Joachim Witt - Goldener Reiter 2007
2006 Joachim Witt - Wem gehört das Sternenlicht
2006 Noblesse Oblige - Quel genre de garçon
www.edwinbrienen.com
www.imdb.com/name/nm0108889
TRAILER Last Performance
TRAILER Edwin Brienen's 'Hysteria' - Apocalypse 1
MUSIC VIDEO Joachim Witt - Goldener Reiter 2007, directed by Edwin Brienen