IF I THINK OF GERMANY AT NIGHT

... I am jolted from my sleep," as Heinrich Heine wrote in a poem in 1843. Heine was tormented by nostalgia and worries, while Romuald Karmakar, whose latest film bears the title of Heine's poem, gives us an alternative explanation for insomnia: the collective intoxication of endless raves, fired up by the incessant rhythmic hammering of beats. After [196 bpm] (2002), [between the devil and the wide blue sea] (2005) and [Villalobos] (2009), [If I Think of Germany at Night] is the fourth attempt of the renowned auteur and documentarist Karmakar to portray techno, its related styles and the tradition of electronic music in Germany. Five protagonists from the scene – Ata Macias, Roman Flügel, David Moufang, Ricardo Villalobos and Sonja Moonear – talk about their work and end up on philosophical digressions. Karmakar listens to them and accompanies them to the studio, the night club and on stage. In the conversations, the musicians reveal a serious side to their nature, while the dancefloor scenes wonderfully introduce us to the various different sounds. And night becomes day in the most beautiful way: with dancing.