This is a big moment for me.

The chain of events that brought us here today sound like a magic fairytale

The fact that someone – actually Ido Fluk  – had the brains to think ahead 5 years ago and

The fact that someone else – actually Oren Moverman – happened to know a German film producer  who had the guts to say YES to the story instantly and  The fact that this guy – actually Sol Bondy – took it upon himself to find out where I was to ask me what I thought of the idea to make a movie about the Köln concert telling the story from MY perspective and The fact that by then, I knew enough about live and just enough about films to respond in the right way is in itself highly improbable.

But that is what makes fairytales magic: The unlikeliness of a miracle to occur in the moment of utmost despair and the trust of the characters in the imminent game-changing turn-around.

Unwavering belief in this film has steered clear of all obstacles, overcome all impossibilities and created a monument to an era when it seemed anything was possible.

Ido, you wrote a brilliant script and arranged the material like Duke Ellington, while giving the actors as much freedom as Miles Davis would have done. You also had an eye and ear for the highlights of the story that would have done Gil Evans proud.

And then you found such incredibly great actors who were all eager to be part of it:

Mala Emde, who played me with such convincing fervor, enchanting charm and loving devotion, as if she had been sitting on my shoulder 50 years ago. Susanne Wolff, who set exactly the right accents with an unerring instinct for the circumstances, Jördis Triebel, who embodied my magnificent, indomitable mother just as aptly. Ulrich Tukur, who was able to sense the energy of my father incarnate and brought him to life with such vehemence, Michael Chernus, who couldn’t have known how characters like his were typically portrayed back then, but got the frequency exactly right, and Alexander Scheer, who excelled once more and gave Manfred Eicher a radiance that was greater than that of his original. Benno Trebs, who not only looks like my future boyfriend, but also speaks like him. And finally, Jon Magaro. He had the most difficult task and mastered it brilliantly. I suspect that his portrayal of Keith will help Keith to make peace with this unloved moment in his life.

Fred, Daniela, Christoph, Jen, Annegret, Fabien, Elena, Tobias, Ewa, Emilia, Leontine, Kerstin, Annalena, Nadine, Elisa, Theklac and all the invisible wizards in the background: With your skills, you make sure that all the details, big and small, are just right, and you put so much heart into it, you’re amazing!

Thanks also to my ground crew and loyal friends: Renate Damm, Doris Graf, Tonia Madenford, Nina Buttmann, Wolf Reiser, Olof Schade, Petra and Christian Sailer and Miriam Anna Umhauer and my many wonderful supporters who have helped me and contributed greatly.

Above all, my deepest gratitude goes to my wonderful angel Dieter Broers, who never ceases to inspire and challenge me and carries me on his wings.

I hope the fairytale is not over yet. I believe in the forces that help us perform miracles and in the heavenly guidance that means well by us and in freedom as the driving force of art and life itself.