News from the journey

Arriving at the Atlantic

This time our journey took us to Andalusia – to the Costa de la Luz – to speak to Janice Jakait about love. Janice once crossed the Atlantic alone in a rowing boot as well as the Straits of Gibraltar. So we were actually within a stone’s throw of where this all happened and were able to gain some deep insights from the conversations that took place over the following days. Even the first moments following our arrival were very moving and emotional as we made a short stop at the sea. “I’m back,” cried Janice and it was almost as if she had come face-to-face with an old friend and companion.  And the Atlantic gave us a wild welcome – with sunshine, an icy-cold wind and crashing waves.

Our first opportunity to relax and enjoy a short break at a beach bar with a coffee, a Spanish omelette and a cigarette before getting down to work.

Having started the day in Frankfurt at 5.30am, we were somewhat fatigued but could make the most of a whole day ahead of us. Sabine, who did the research on this shooting location next to the Atlantic, had arranged for a wonderful finca surrounded by palm trees and orange groves to be our home base for the next few days. Here we had a large kitchen where we could all plan the day over breakfast in the mornings and cook and dine together in the evenings while discussing the day and sifting through the film material.  

Within seconds of setting down our luggage there, we were on the move again. This time to conduct a location check. Special compliments go to the team from Sidekick Pictures with Serdar, Atilla and David. Any previous traces of fatigue had now vanished. Without further ado they got down to the various tasks and made advance visits to the locations in a highly professional, focused and tireless manner. After all, everything has to be right when the time comes to do the filming: location, light and mood. Nothing was too much for these guys. In the end, all of us set the bar high as we all want to make a really good film that will impress and leave you being swept along on the journey.

More information will appear here on this website in the coming days.

Last Friday, I had the wonderful pleasure of spending an evening with Janice Jakait. She is a unique woman who lives and acts in such an unbelievably authentic way that the fact that she crossed the Atlantic in a rowing boat, alone and unaccompanied, practically falls into insignificance. Of course she has experienced things that ordinary people can only dream of and yet only a few of us can claim to be in the prime of our lives to the same degree that she can.

She asked herself, what will come next. What will happen when I get home after all the adventures. Do I go back to my old life and return to my old job or do I embark on the next project that will take me to a new level in the Guinness Book of Records. She dismissed both.

She wrote a few books, gave a numerous lectures (recommendation: Freut euch nicht zu spät) and is now back to where it all began several years ago. She used the years to address many spiritual concepts, made headway, became more mature and has a lot to tell.

Her last book “Liebe” Love are her thoughts on this subject in extracted form and we hope that she will offer us a deep insight into her soul during our meeting. Her blog is outstanding.

Sometimes it is simply fascinating to speak to people who open up new horizons to you. Artist Gottfried Helnwein is without doubt one such person. An exceptional artist and lateral thinker. An inspiring man and interlocutor.

After spending the whole evening and following morning with him, we were rewarded with an insight into his world and his way of thinking. We were delighted with his commitment to our project and his openness towards our theme.

What you can view here is just a tiny excerpt from our conversation that lasted over an hour. Look forward to seeing his contribution which we have condensed into 20 minutes and will be putting online soon.

We look forward to receiving your comments and input. It was an exciting time and a wonderful experience. Thank you, Gottfried Helnwein, for being so open. His website

It was an intensive and inspirational time. Not only for our film crew from Sidekick Pictures, but also for unbelievably open and tolerant hosts Renate and Gottfried Helnwein.

As you can see from the pictures, things on the one hand were amicable and very relaxed, while on the other they were focused and professional. You can’t ask for more. And added to this an interlocutor in the form of Gottfried Helnwein, who gave us a deep insight into his thoughts and feelings. For which we are most grateful.

His castle in County Tipperary is, of course, also a wonderful place to dwell upon the topics of love and other beautiful things. The sunny weather was so inviting on the first evening we were able to take some impressive shots of the location. Jonas Hofmann, one of the Sidekick cameramen, had his drone with him, resulting in some breath-taking images being taken, which you will be able to view here shortly.

On the first evening, we were invited to a delicious dinner in the castle’s kitchen. The chef conjured up a wonderful meal for us, which, combined with the wine, helped give rise to some moving conversations that continued until midnight.

The following morning, we conducted our interview with Gottfried Helnwein during which he gave us a deep insight into his thoughts and inner life. We are extremely grateful for his openness and his positive attitude to our film project.

Afterwards, he opened his studio and our team could film him while painting. An extremely impressive experience.

Once back in Germany, I was immediately struck down with a cold. But things are moving forward again now and everyone is working flat out on the video. So look forward to what awaits you in the next few days.

We join Serdar Dogan, our director and cameraman, in celebrating the cinema release of his new film on Reformation Day.

A cutting from today’s newspaper. These are exciting times and we’re crossing our fingers that the film will be a success.

Our latest interview was conducted with Friedrich Hechelmann. In it he speaks about his love of art and his life with regard to the topic of love. Even during the course of our conversation, his first work as a writer was a central theme.

Manolito is a modern fairy tale in which Friedrich Hechelmann writes about the state of our world, the dangers to our planet and the power of friendship. His debut novel is published by Knesebeck (ISBN 978-3-95728-060-2). Copies are also directly available from the Schloss Isny art gallery.

Last weekend, Daniel and I had the pleasure of being invited to the official presentation of the debut novel by Friedrich Hechelmann in Schloss Isny. A very moving experience. Together with our friend Sabine Sormani, who also took care of many organisational matters in the background, we travelled – like hundreds of other guests– to celebrate with him and to listen to his speech. Afterwards in the on-site art gallery, the exhibition of the book’s drawings and illustrations was opened. In the coming days, we will publish online extracts of Friedrich’s moving speech.

Also part of the occasion: after the work was done it was time to celebrate, discuss and laugh a little in small groups. Friedrich is not only a wonderful artist and now a writer too, but also an excellent host. Thank you for a wonderful evening, Fritz.

Away from the commercial art market, Friedrich Hechelmann is a successful pioneer of figurative painting. He became known as the illustrator for the children’s fiction authors Michael Ende and Cornelia Funke. His fantasy paintings express what he is: someone who loves art, but not the art business. His Bible illustrations are unbelievably expressive and move the observer regardless of religious beliefs.

It was a wonderful encounter for us and a close bond was formed instantly. There was intensive exchange, enrichment and mutual agreement during every moment we spent with him. Both the interview and the time before when we had dinner together and visited his studio were imbued by these feelings. We recorded our one-hour interview with him in his residence in Schloß Isny. There you can sense the spirit that radiates from this extraordinary man.

We would like to thank him for letting us get so close and for being so open when speaking about concerns of the heart. Daniel and I conducted the interview in the form of a frank discussion and Serdar – our gifted filmmaker – captured these moments in his own matchless way. I would like to thank all involved with special thanks going to Thomas Braunagel, one of our ambassadors who made this interview possible.

Take a look at this short, but moving, excerpt from the interview. Enjoy it and look forward to how he will influence our film.