24h Berlin – A Day in the Life

24h Berlin is television’s longest programme ever: No actors, no screenplay, no tricks – just real life. A 24-hour documentary, told in real-time, airing September 5th at 6AM on rbb Fernsehen, ARTE, VPRO (Holland) and on YLE Teema (Finnland).

The journey begins …

On September 5th, 2008, a story both intimate and exotic began in Berlin, a story told from the perspective of the people. Exactly a year before the broadcast, 80 camera teams immersed themselves in the lives of Berliners, for 24 hours.

The film strives for an up-to-date image of life in a modern metropolis while simultaneously providing broad evidence of our present: The reality of work, family life, city spaces, fears and dreams, fleeting moments and relationships in their naturally colourful forms – they all interact with one another, with the city as the stage that binds them together.

A piece of art emerges The diversity of the parallel lives and realities comes to light when images of the city blend with portraits, conversations, encounters and quiet impressions. The film material capturing the German capital’s present is assembled in real time; and from it emerges evidence of an epoch, an historical document and a phenomenon whose sum of its parts creates something more than a typical documentary.

Behind-the-scenes technology and logistics On September 5th, 2008, 80 camera teams under the overall creative direction of Volker Heise were busy for 24 hours capturing images in HD that were then assembled into a single 24-hour television programme. These crews followed a precise plan that had been in preparation for more than a year. Countless protagonists, locations and film permits were painstakingly researched; myriad HD cameras, memory chips, automobiles, mobile phones and computers were put into use; some 400 people were part of the team.