Teaches of Peaches
Peaches – musician, producer, director, performance artist, rock star.
A queer-feminist icon, Peaches has spent two decades pushing boundaries, carving a bold, sexually progressive path in her own image that has opened the door for countless others to follow. While being a strong influence on pop culture, she has however always been at odds with the mainstream. Some of her lyrics and performances have been rejected due to them being potentially offensive. Peaches has always polarized with her sexpositive shows and explicit lyrics and has attracted misfits and ‘freaky people’ from the start making her an important voice for the queer community.
In 2000, Merrill Nisker takes a trip to Berlin, buys a synth, renames herself Peaches and, recovering from cancer and heartbreak, records an album in her bedroom.
It might be one of the most famous opening lines of all time, at least from the millennium, that she creates there: “Suckin’ on my titties like you wanted me ..”
Instead of writing a sad breakup album, she decides to “Fuck the Pain Away” and live her dream to move to Berlin and become a full-time musician. Her most popular song and genuine fist pumper holds a deeper meaning for her personal journey, which takes her back and forth between Germany and Canada. We meet the 2000s Peaches in a hotel packing her tiny suitcase ready to go on tour all by herself. From a cockroach infested house in Toronto to dark sweaty Berlin clubs, we follow Peaches take on the male dominated music industry and doing things her way.
20 years later, “The Teaches of Peaches” is considered one of the most influential rock albums of the early 2000s. “Fuck the Pain Away”, has long become a sex-positive anthem featured in movies and TV shows. Since the release of the album on German label Kitty-Yo, a lot has changed. Slowly but surely, the LGBTQAI+ community has gained mainstream visibility alongside with sexpositivity and gender fluidity, topics that were still too much for the mainstream in the year 2000. At the same time, a conservative backlash is in the air with anti-abortion, anti-queer, anti-trans voices getting louder.
We meet present-day Peaches in her Berlin flat, and she is packing to go on tour again. But not any tour – her 20-year anniversary tour of “The Teaches of Peaches”. The 55-year-old self-proclaimed rock’n’roll grandma is getting ready to teach again and the message is loud and clear as ever. Still in spandex bodysuits and camel toe she surrounds herself with old friends and a new team of musicians and dancers and sets out again with a general full-frontal ‘fuck you’ to the patriarchy.
The documentary THE TEACHES OF PEACHES // FUCK THE PAIN AWAY is the first full-length film about this extraordinary artist, a turbulent mix of tour documentary, live concert, and never seen before footage from Peaches’ personal archives. It allows an intimate glimpse into the life of a touring artist then and now, with her fellow artists and long-time friends Chilly Gonzales, Leslie Feist, Shirley Manson, and Charlie le Mindu shining a light on the private, intelligent person behind the loud flamboyant stage persona. With lots of humour and a striking sensitivity, Peaches faces the challenges of tour-life with her unusual team. After touring the US, she finally comes full circle playing a concert in Berlin, where it all began. In a wild celebration with hairy pussy creatures and a giant ejaculating dick, Peaches teaches self-love and free expression giving people from all walks of life space to “Fuck the Pain Away” – to find a way to exist and enjoy it.
Philipp Fussenegger
Philipp Fussenegger is an Austrian director, screenwriter, and producer. After completing his Bachelor of Arts in directing in Salzburg, he studied at the renowned Academy of Media Arts Cologne, where he shot his highly acclaimed diploma film “Henry.” This film received the FIRST STEPS Award in the category of “Medium-Length Feature Film” in 2016 and was nominated for the Austrian Film Award in 2017.
In 2016, he wrote the comedy TV series “Die Schilehrer” and directed the pilot episode titled “Geld spielt keine Rolex,” which became a favorite among the audience at the Hofer Filmtage in 2017 and sparked significant controversy in the Austrian region of Vorarlberg. As a result, he founded Funfairfilms. Fussenegger also achieved success as a producer with the diploma feature film “Bester Mann” (directed by Florian Forsch). It was awarded “Best Medium-Length Film” at the Max Ophüls Prize in 2018 and was nominated for the Austrian Film Award in 2019.
In 2021, Fussenegger made his feature film debut with the unconventional documentary film “I Am The Tigress,” supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and the State of Vorarlberg. “I Am The Tigress” delves into the life of the extraordinary Tischa ‘The Tigress’ Thomas, an African-American bodybuilder, offering deeply personal insights into her life. Through her eyes, we experience firsthand the discrimination she faces based on race, gender, and beauty.
Recently, he founded the innovative startup Cybrothel Berlin, where he combines his visionary filmmaking talent with his connection to the Berlin underground kink scene to create extraordinary worlds. He created the first human-based interactive Realdoll, Kokeshi.AI.
Fussenegger is currently working on his documentary film project titled “KitKatClub – das Leben ist ein Zirkus.” The film delves into the vibrant and unique atmosphere of the KitKatClub, exploring the lives and experiences of its patrons. It offers a captivating glimpse into their world, shedding light on the extraordinary stories and experiences within this iconic Berlin nightlife institution. Fussenegger is actively involved in the production of the documentary, which is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
Cordula kablitz-post
Cordula Kablitz-Post was born in Aachen and studied German studies, English studies, and theater sciences with a focus on film and television in Munich and Berlin.
In 1994, Cordula Kablitz-Post founded the production company Medusa Film, where she directed and produced music videos. A year later, she established the film and TV production company avanti media in Berlin.
Cordula Kablitz-Post has been involved in Christoph Schlingensief’s film works since the late 1980s. Together with Schlingensief, she developed the satirical talk show “Talk 2000” in 1997, featuring high-profile guests under her direction. She went on to create numerous documentaries for ARD, ZDF, Deutsche Welle, Spiegel-TV, Zeit-TV, and Premiere. In 2000, Cordula Kablitz-Post and Christoph Schlingensief resumed their collaboration for the cult series “U 3000” (MTV), which they developed. Since 2001, she has been producing the well-known documentary series “Durch die Nacht mit…” for Arte, which received four Grimme Awards in 2006.
In 2001, Cordula Kablitz-Post founded avanti media fiction, a production company specializing in feature films and high-quality documentaries for cinema and television.
For the film “Weil Du nur einmal lebst – Die Toten Hosen auf Tour,” Cordula Kablitz-Post wrote the screenplay, directed the film, and produced the first documentary about the band. The film premiered at the 69th Berlinale in 2019 and became the most successful documentary of the year.
Since 2020, Cordula Kablitz-Post has been working on the documentary film “Hyper Hyper – H.P. Baxxter und Scooter,” which is scheduled for release in cinemas in 2022.
Dino Osmanovic, born in 1985 in Doboj (BiH), pursued his studies in MultiMediaArt in Salzburg (Bachelor) after completing his Matura. He then completed his second degree at the University of Television and Film Munich, specializing in cinematography. In addition to working as a freelance cinematographer, he is an Artistic Research Associate in the cinematography program at the University of Television and Film Munich (50% position). As a lecturer, he teaches seminars on topics such as “Visual Impact,” “Theory of Camera Movement,” “Camera Movement,” and “Forms of Documentary Film.”
He has previously collaborated successfully with funfairfilms and Philipp Fussenegger as a cinematographer on projects such as “Henry” (First Steps Award 2016, nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2017) and “Bester Mann” (Max Ophüls Prize 2018, nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2019). The second funfairfilms production, “Bester Mann,” also achieved great success at international festivals, receiving accolades such as the Max Ophüls Prize 2018 for “Best Medium-Length Film” and a nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2019.
In the film “I am the Tigress,” he collaborated with funfairfilms as a cinematographer and co-director.
Dino
Dino Osmanovic, born in 1985 in Doboj (BiH), pursued his studies in MultiMediaArt in Salzburg (Bachelor) after completing his Matura. He then completed his second degree at the University of Television and Film Munich, specializing in cinematography. In addition to working as a freelance cinematographer, he is an Artistic Research Associate in the cinematography program at the University of Television and Film Munich (50% position). As a lecturer, he teaches seminars on topics such as “Visual Impact,” “Theory of Camera Movement,” “Camera Movement,” and “Forms of Documentary Film.”
He has previously collaborated successfully with funfairfilms and Philipp Fussenegger as a cinematographer on projects such as “Henry” (First Steps Award 2016, nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2017) and “Bester Mann” (Max Ophüls Prize 2018, nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2019). The second funfairfilms production, “Bester Mann,” also achieved great success at international festivals, receiving accolades such as the Max Ophüls Prize 2018 for “Best Medium-Length Film” and a nomination for the Austrian Film Award 2019.
In the film “I am the Tigress,” he collaborated with funfairfilms as a cinematographer and co-director.
Judy Landkammer
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in MultiMedia Art in Salzburg in 2010. From 2011 to 2014, she worked as a production assistant for Peter R. Adam and has been working as a freelance film and video editor ever since.
Her first feature film, “Die Misandristen,” premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2017. Her latest film, “Bester Mann,” had its world premiere at the Max Ophüls Film Festival in 2018, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Medium-Length Film and was subsequently nominated for the Austrian Film Award in 2019.
She is a co-founder of “Coven Berlin,” a “sex-positive transdisciplinary genderbender collective,” and has been a regular editor for Philipp Fussenegger’s film projects for several years.
| DIRECTOR | Philipp Fussenegger |
| PRODUZENTIN | Cordula Kablitz-Post |
| KAMERA | Dino Osmanovic |
| Co-DIRECTOR / EDITOR | Judy Landkammer |
| Dramtaturgy | Susanne Heuer |
| Editorial office ZDF/arte: | Anne-Kathrin Brinkmann |
| RUNNING TIME | 102 min |
| SHOOTING FORMAT | FS7 / Lumix S1 H |
| ASPECT RATIO | 16:9 |
| GENRE | Kino Dokumentarfilm |
| PRODUCTION | Avanti Media Fiction |
| FUNDING | BKM |
| Nord media | |
| Filmförderung des Landes Vorarlberg | |
| Distributor | Farbfilm |
| World Distribution | Magnet Film |
| Austrian Distributor | Polyfilm |
| **World Premier | 74th Berlin International Film Festival | Feb 15, 2024 – Sun, Feb 25, 2024 |
| Berlinale Teddy Award & Audience Award | ||
| CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival | March 13, 2024 – Ma rch 24, 2024 |
| Avanti Medi Fiction | avanti media fiction GmbH Savignyplatz. 6 10623 Berlin Tel.Nr. +49 30 2000 813 22 Mobile +49 1578 3333 667 office@avantimedia-fiction.com |
17. Januar 2024