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Stefan Sarazin
… finances his acting studies in Munich, by working as an assistant to various photographers. After his stage debut under the direction of Ingmar Bergman, he moves on to the HB Actors’ Studio in New York. Because of a simple technical error on his Green Card, he misses out on a decisive part in a movie, playing alongside Jody Foster. This incident, along with several weeks spent on the set of “The Godfather, Part III”, strengthens his long-cherished desire to switch behind the camera. On a scholarship for outstanding talent, he attends film school in Munich and Rome. As early as his first film, he addresses multi-ethnic conficts, when he shoots his documentary “FILM FOR A FATHER” in the middle of the Balkan war in 1992. During filming he comes to realize that his father is not, as he had always believed, a Catholic Croatian but, instead, an Orthodox Serbian from the other side of the fence. “NITSCHEWO”, his first feature-length drama follows up in 2001 and wins several international awards. During numerous travels to the Middle East, inspired by an abandoned boat in the desert and the friendship to an elderly Bedouin, the idea for “NO NAME RESTAURANT” is born.
Peter Keller
… grows up in Munich, part Greek, part German, which may be a possible explanation for his pronounced interest in foreign cultures and languages. He quenches his thirst for knowledge, at least temporarily, by attending medical school in Germany and Ireland. Further medical studies take him as far as Cuba. The creative energy of this passionate cineaste, however, has always pushed him towards filmmaking. First small opuses are shot while still enrolled in university; financially he keeps his head above water by working as swimming instructor, taxi driver, waiter and opera dancer. After graduating from medical school, the fledging doctor finally decides to subject himself to yet another hard grind, i.e. from cable carrier to director. Of various projects, the well- traveled short film SHIFT (2002) is his first professional footprint, followed by LAST RIDE UP (2008).
Stefan Sarazin & Peter Keller
… meet for the first time in 2005, seemingly by coincidence, aboard the ferry making its way across San Francisco Bay. Both are on their way to the Tiburon Film Festival, still oblivious to the fact that their paths must have already crossed several times during their lifetimes. It turns out that they not only share similar family histories, but also numerous stages and places in their curriculum vitae – whether it be the same school playground or the artists’ dressing room in the same theatre. While initially still amazed by this uncanny synchronicity, both mavericks are completely perplex when they discover how congenially their nevertheless existing dissimilarities seem to complement each other. And by the time they both end up winning top prize at the festival – Best Film Award for NITSCHEWO and Best Short Film Award for SHIFT – they are already brooding over a story Stefan drags along: the chance encounter of yet another odd couple – Ben and Adel.
After three years and three extensive research trips to Israel and Egypt, the screenplay for NO NAME RESTAURANT comes into life in this highly productive collaboration. It is awarded the German Screenplay Award in 2011.
