Die Nibelungen

Film still from Die Nibelungen

Late in the fall of 2014 Nature Theater of Oklahoma partnered with Matchbox Festival to make a new project in the Rhine-Neckar region of Germany. Over the course of 2015 directors Kelly Copper and Pavol Liska visited the region, made connections with people in ten local towns, wrote their own version of the Nibelungen saga (a story which originates here in this area) and cast it from an acting pool of its citizens and locals. Then, in fall of 2015, they set off with a movie camera and a core cast of eight on bicycle to various locations where they staged and shot a film over the course of 3 intense weeks, working with local artists, clubs, church groups, choirs, fire departments, historical re-enactors, office workers, dogs, and farm animals.  Their script called for a dragon, a Viking ship, a storm at sea, a treasure, a magic cloak which makes people disappear, a trained German shepherd, a state funeral, a double wedding… They were not at all sure what they would find.  They were surprised every step of the way..

A production of Nature Theater of Oklahoma and Matchbox – Das Kunst- und Kulturprojekt in der Region Rhein-Neckar, Kulturbüro der Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH Direction and Script Kelly Copper and Pavol Liska Featuring Fernando Gomez, Monika Loser, Annette Moll, Petra Grafenhorst, Marilyn Nova White, August Richard, Arne Löber, Reinhard Küßner, Jens Schambach, Astrid Lichti, Pia Marienfeld, Daniel Kennig, and German Sheppards Centa and Ilse Production Management Désirée Blank Filmed on Location in the towns of Bensheim, Einhausen, Fürth, Hemsbach, Lindenfels, Lorsch, Mörlenbach, Rimbach, Weinheim and Worms

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Production chronology Die Nibelungen was staged live at site-specific locations and performances were open to the public – to watch or to participate in September 2014.

The resulting film was later screened at the following times and locations:

September 29, 2017, steirischer herbst festival, VAS Mürzer Oberland  Austria

August 12, 2017, Nibelungen Festspiele, Worms, Germany

June 11, 2017 Staatstheater Darmstadt, Germany

September 9, 2016 Schauspielhaus National Theater in Mannheim, Germany (premiere)