Ex-JazzRadio presenter Joanna Ratajczak is carving out a new career for herself in television as the director/producer of her own rbb documentary, the ARD-networked Oh, wie schön ist Brodowin which debuts on your TV screens tomorrow (Sunday 16 August).
Unusually for a TV documentary, there is no commentary, no cultured voice telling us what’s what. The 450 inhabitants of the village, 50 Km northeast of Berlin and 20 Km from the Polish border, do all the talking.
It is, to say the least, an unconventional approach.
Joanna says, “I wanted to capture the energy and atmosphere. There are lots of different people, and they are so different from each other. There is a lot of conflict but people are having to learn to live with each other to create a good quality of life”.
Brodowin certainly has all the ingredients: beautiful nature, seven lakes, wild forest and a shared commitment to ecology. More people are coming to live in Brodowin than are leaving.
The villagers now include residents from Portugal, Great Britain, and other countries, as well as Germany and nearby Poland – including ethnic minorities.
“People can’t be anonymous like in a city,” Joanna says. “They’ve introduced a village Parliament so everyone can have a say – it’s fascinating”.
What is it really like to live in such a community? Tune into Joanna Ratajczak’s Oh, wie schön ist Brodowin and let the villagers tell you themselves.
- Oh, wie schön ist Brodowin… ARD Das Erste: 17.30 Uhr, So 16.08
