D A M N A T U S

D A M N A T U S
PRESS
08 / 30 / 2003
FRANKENPOST
Deep into the Middle Ages and the Future
Mystical and unusual things are going to happen in and around Marktredwitz come Monday.
A crowd of young people will be transforming into sinister medieval figures while at he same
time moving in a postapocalyptical setting of the far future. Those entering another world
here are passionate fans of the old English boardgame "Warhammer 40.000". The young
moviemakers, who have mostly met on the internet, are shooting a film based on that
boardgame, and some creative and enthusiasic citizens of Marktredwitz and its surroundings
are actively supporting them.
Starting point for the movie is a relatively old game. It hails from England but has long since
gained a cult following in Europe and the US as well. But it’s centerpiece is not the actual
strategic wargame, which might be described a a blend of Chess and "Risk", but the way it
inspires its player’s creativity. By converting and painting miniatures, drawing pictures and
writing short stories as well as new rules, they create a whole new world based on the gothic
darkness of the middle ages and the vision of a postapocalyptic future. The young people,
among them Huan Vu from Ludwigsburg, Tobias Reinold from Ingersheim and Stefan Reul
from Thiersheim got together through the Internet. There they also met Inge and Karin
Schemm from Brand near Marktredwitz, who have been avid fans of Tolkien’s "Lord of The
Ring" and thus had no problem entering the universe of Fantasy that is "Warhammer
40.000".
The students from the Stuttgart area developed the idea of making a movie out of their
hobby. The script for the 90-minute-flick was written by Huan Vu. It bears the title
"Damnatus", a term from ancient Rome, describing a person who is damned or sentenced to
death. The intricate story is set in a city of the far future, as big as a continent and deep
below ground. In this subterranean megalopolis, mercenaries have discovered a forbidden
cult they must now try to annihilate - the hunt for evil (and some shady figures) is on. "Apart
from the main story, there is a quite a lot to discover for fans of "Warhammer 40.000" " says
Tobias Reinold, who, however, won’t give away much more than that.
Shooting already started yesterday in Stuttgart, and this Monday, cast and crew are
scheduled to arrive in Marktredwitz. The first shooting is going to take place in the old
foundry of Fickert & Winterling, rent from the Town of Marktredwitz. Further locations are
the castle vaults in Brand near Marktredwitz, and the "Josefshof" near Erbendorf, owned by
Klaus von Glas. The young moviemakers are glad to have found a trusty ally in Inge
Schemm. It was her who obtained the permission to use all those places for shooting, and it
was her who got in concact with the "Hohenberg Knights", a reenactment group, who
provided tons of medieval props for the movie. Says Huan Vu: "All this wouldn’t have been
possible without Inge".

The nurse was also able to convince two well-known personalities from the region to appear
in "Damnatus": Forest warden Roland Blumenthaler will be impersonating a grim monk, and
German Schlaug, high school teacher and restaurant owner from Wunsiedel, was cast as an
Inquisitor. Stefan Reul from Thiersheim, together with Karin and Inge Schemm, will be
catering and aiding the crew.
They will be working alongside a team of about 30 professional and semi-professional actors,
photographers, composers and makeup artists. Huan Vu rejoices: "We have won over real
pros to this movie. Our leading roles are played by full-time actors from Hamburg and Berlin.
And everyone involved is working for free". This, of course, is of particular importance, as
none of the young producers would be able to muster the financial resources for a large
budget.
According to Huan Vu and Tobias Reinold , the online preview of the project already is a
huge success. "The first teaser trailer have been downloaded 25000 times so far", Vu ads.
"In England and the US, fans are already eagerly awaiting the story". The 90-minute movie
is not going to hit cinemas after being completed, but will instead be available for free
download on the internet. Says Huan Vu: "We hope for it to become the first online hit flick".
But before that can happen, the results of the shootings will have to be edited and
composed on the PC over the course of the next few weeks. "It’s gonna be a whole lot of
work. But it’s not as difficult these days as it used to be", Tobias Reinold points out. And
Inge Schemm is looking forward to her cooperation with the young enthusiasts. "It’s great to
see people from all over Germany, who actually barely know each other, working together
this way".
Copyright by Frankenpost - Used with friendly permission
www.damnatus.com