Johnny & Me - a journey through time with John Heartfield

The graphic designer Stephanie is in a creative crisis. Boring advertising assignments and a boss who does not value her work. On a visit to a museum, she is magically attracted by the satirical photomontages of the world-famous colleague and Nazi opponent John Heartfield. Then the miracle happens. She ends up in his studio, where she finally picks up scissors and paper again. An adventurous journey through Heartfield's extraordinary life 100 years ago begins.

Synopsis

Bertold Brecht called him one of the most important European artists. Rosa Luxemburg personally handed over the party book to the communist of the first hour in 1918. George Grosz and Kurt Tucholsky are among his closest friends and artistic companions. He gave himself an English name in protest against German warmongering. For the Nazis, however, the father of political photomontage John Heartfield quickly became one of the most dangerous enemies of the state. For years he is a fugitive in Europe, and later finds no safe home even in the socialist GDR.

The graphic artist Stephanie, plagued by a creative crisis and self-doubt, is fascinated by John Heartfield's work, which she discovers in an exhibition. Through a time tunnel, she ends up in a studio where the artist, who has become a cartoon figure, takes her on a journey through his eventful life. A loving friendship develops between the two colleagues. And Stephanie takes up scissors and paper again.

Duration: 100min

Genre: Hybrid, documentary Animation

Theatrical release Germany: 25th January 2024, Real Fiction, Joachim Kühn

Theatrical release Austria: June 2024, filmdelights, Christa Auderlitzky

Distribution: Newdocs, Elina Kewitz, Luisa Schwamborn

TV stations involved: RBB, Arte, SRF

Format: 16:9 (4K, DCP, MOV)

Stream available with at Vimeo (only in germany and switzerland)

Festivals

** World premiere at the Annecy Festival 2023 **

** Swiss premiere at FANTOCHE 2023 **

** Masterclass with Katrin Rothe in Brazil, ANIMAGE 2023 **

** German premiere at the DOK Leipzig 2023. **

** GoEast 2023, Cottbus. **

** FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL 2023, Italy Bologna & Malaga. **

** Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival 2023, China. **

** Pontevedra International Film Festival 2023, Spain. **

** Trickywoman 2024, Wien, 8 - 10.März **

** Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film ITFS 2024, 23. - 28. April **

** Beijing International Film Festival 2024, China, 22. April **

Film tour Switzerland 4–13 December 2025

St. Gallen

Thu, 4 December 8:00 PM
KINOK Cinema in der Lokremise
With Stephanie Stremler

Liestal

Fri, 5 December 3:00 PM
Kino Sputnik
With Anne‑Sophie Raemy and Swiss

Lucerne

Sat, 6 December 2025 1:15 PM
Bourbaki Panorama / Stattkino
With Swiss (producer)

Bern

Sat, 6 December 8:00 PM
Kino in der Reitschule
With Bernese animator Kerstin Zemp, Anne‑Sophie Raemy and Swiss

Zurich

Sun, 7 December 11:00 AM
Kino Riffraff 1
With graphic designer Adrian Elsener and Swiss

Basel

Thu, 11 December 1:00 PM
School of Design
With Basel costume designer and puppet maker Anne‑Sophie Raemy
(school event)

Credits

Author & director: Katrin Rothe

DoP: Thomas Eirich-Schneider

Cast: Stephanie Stremler and Manuel Harder

Puppetry and voices: Michael Hatzius and Dorothee Carls

Music: Micha Kaplan and Thomas Mävers

Editing: Hannes Starz and Katrin Rothe

Assistant director: Katharina Biro

Storyboard & Main Designs & Artwork: Lydia Günther, Tonina Matamalas, Caroline Hamann, Gyula Szabo

Design secondary characters: Konrad Weiße (D)/ Benjamin Swiczinsky (A)

Puppet making & costume: Anne-Sophie Réamy, Werner Kernebeck, Lisa Sinram

Animators: Lisa Neubauer, Lydia Günther, Jonathan Schwenk, Malte Stein, Mandy Müller (D)/ Amélie Cochet, Kerstin Zemp, Igor Kuzmic (CH)/ Wolf Matzl, Birgit Scholin, Rosanne Janssens (A)

Production manager: Bettina Morlock (D)/ Susanne Berger (A)/ Sereina Gabathuler (CH)

Producers: Gunter Hanfgarn, Andrea Ufer, Ralph Wieser, Sereina Gabathuler, Werner Schweizer

Editors: Rolf Bergmann (rbb), Carolin Mayer (rbb/Arte), Urs Augstburger (SRF), Gabriela Bloch Steinmann (SRF)

Production companies: HANFGARN & UFER, Mischief Films, Dschoint Ventschr

Funded by: BKM, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Filmförderungsanstalt, DFFF (D)/ Österreichisches Filminstitut, Fisa, Filmfonds Wien (A)/ BAK, Zürcher Filmstiftung, Studienbibliothek (CH)

TV stations: RBB, Arte, SRF

Trailer

Making Of Video & Press kit

10 mins about film shoot in Vienna and animation at the Berlin Studio by Angela Christlieb. (Available on request)

Contacts