fatherly joys
Howard Carpendale is the singer with the unmistakable accent that he brought with him from South Africa, where he was born in 1946. A man whose voice nestles in your ears with songs like “Hello Again” or “Ti Amo”. Especially in the 1970s and 1980s, he could often be heard with his hits on German television and radio. In his long career, Carpendale has sold more than 25 million records. Real Howie fans know a lot more about the tall, blonde man who has lived in Munich with his second wife Donnice Pierce for years. Through son Wayne Carpendale (right) you can now get a little closer to the singer. He obviously inherited a lot of creativity from his father. Wayne Carpendale, born in 1977, says about this talent in a video clip: Creativity means a lot of preparation, experience, courage and quotes his father: “If you want to be successful overnight, you have to work hard during the day.” Together with the Munich cameraman Clemens Bittner He accompanied the singer on tour. Away from the spotlight, father and son meet in quiet moments. In Wayne Carpendale's film “Through My Eyes – My Father Howard Carpendale” you can see not only the stage star, but also a sensible artist. This perspective is a godsend for all fans. Clemens Bittner brings a lot of know-how from the music genre. His production company produces films about Freddie Mercury, Al Bano and Romina Power, Kim Wilde. The documentary was produced by WDR and can now be found in the ARD media library.
Comic template
It's not often that a German comic is made into a film. The Munich-born draftsman Frank Schmolke was accordingly thrilled that director Matthias Glasner staged his graphic novel “Night in Paradise” (Edition Moderne) as a six-part series. Jürgen Vogel, Birgit Minichmayr and Lea Drinda play the roles. The story about taxi driver Vincent and the harsh conditions on the streets of Munich during the Oktoberfest season has already been shown in nine European countries. “The series can finally be seen in Germany,” says Frank Schmolke happily. From January 8th on Magenta TV.
Photo project
Decades of lignite mining have left their mark on nature in the Rhineland. The photographer follows how significantly the extraction of mineral resources changes the landscape Daniel Chatard with his camera for many years. He was awarded the “World Press Photo Award” for his project “No Man’s Land,” which was published as a book by The Eriskay Connection in 2024. At the invitation of the design faculty at Munich University of Applied Sciences (Lothstraße 17), Chatard will speak about his investigative work in a public lecture in the large lecture hall on December 17th. Starts at 6:30 p.m.
Chatard visited Europe's largest opencast mine in Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden for over seven years. The coal mines are the largest source of CO₂ emissions on the continent and have swallowed up fields, forests and entire villages. He accompanied the conflict over coal production between activists, residents and the energy supplier RWE with a sensitivity for all of them. Chatard's aesthetic images are touching and shocking at the same time. His documentary examines the current struggle in Germany between ecological, social and economic interests, he explains on his website. “While Germany claims to be a leader in renewable energy, the country still relies heavily on coal production for energy – one of the dirtiest sources of energy.” Daniel Chatard, born in Heidelberg in 1996, specializes in documentary photography studied at Hanover University. He lives and works in Hamburg.
haven of peace
To take a break from the hunt of your life, that's what Christmas time is for. And there are places in Munich for that: for example the Star Children's Tree in the garden of the Bamberg House in Luitpoldpark. “With the tree we want to give parents the opportunity to remember their deceased children and make it clear that they leave traces,” explains Astrid Gosch-Hagenkord. She is the project coordinator for the Orphaned Parents and Grieving Siblings Association. The memorial tree, which will stand until January 6th, is intended to set an example and draw attention to the taboo topic of star children.
Nativity play
The Church of Saint Ursula on Kaiserplatz in Schwabing maintains an original Osterrieder nativity scene with 45 figures. The artist (1864-1932), who had his studio in Schwabing and successfully sold his nativity scenes to famous churches and many countries, installed the first scene in St. Ursula in 1922. Annette Krauss maintains the local tradition. The Protestant nativity scene maker rearranges the biblical scenes in the Catholic Church not only during Christmas, but every six weeks, all year round. For her, this nativity scene is a “mirror of the soul” and she wrote a book about it together with Pastor Thomas Schwaiger. Now they had a 40 centimeter high elephant produced using a 3D printer in the Maker Space at the Technical University of Munich, the twin of an original Osterried elephant that stands in the living room of a Munich family. He accompanies the three wise men from the Orient until December 18th, then a new arrangement will be made and he will return as an Epiphany.
