Mother Berlin has devised an unusual campaign for a music artist. It’s a 12-minute short film for electronic music artist, Paul Kalkbrenner’s upcoming two-track EP.
The strange, engrossing film, Kabelmann, produced by Smuggler London and Berlin production company, Zauberberg, is made of two linked chapters, each accompanied by Kalkbrenner’s latest tracks serving as soundtrack. It follows the journey of Kabelmann, an otherworldly character perpetually tethered to endless cables.
Part one is the emotional story arc of an outsider. Kabelmann searches for human connection, hindered by a mysterious energy flowing through his cables. Small flashes of the artist himself hint at the source behind Kabelmann’s energy. The rhythm of Kalkbrenner’s song pushes the story forward. Most encounters on Kabelmann’s journey evoke rejection, aggression, and fear – except one with a mysterious woman in a diner, opening a hopeful path for our hero.
A short interlude ion which the artist appears again leads into the second part of the music short film. This chapter catapults viewers into a dreamlike afterlife juxtaposed with a violent showdown, leaving Kabelmann’s fate ambiguous. The second song by Kalkbrenner highlights the contrast between the story layers with its optimistic spirit.
Inspired by Mother Berlin’s film concept and title, Kabelmann (literally cable man in German), Kalkbrenner renamed his two featured songs to Kabelmann 1 and Kabelmann 2, originally bearing different titles.
The remarkable directing decisions come from Björn Rühmann and the film was shot on location in Manchester and Berlin. The team opted for an analogue aesthetic, capturing all footage on Kodak 16mm film and practical visual effects dominate, including a costume featuring 20-metre cables trailing the protagonist. Paul Kalkbrenner appears throughout the film as an enigmatic energy source.
Björn Rühmann, stated, “The process of finding our Kabelmann’s destiny took forever – in a great way. We loved exploring all the ways for this character to become the perfect blend of an alter ego of the artist – and a unique, otherworldly hero that captivates the audience. To create the most cinematic vision, we worked with fantastic people such as Kevin Howarth (Actor, Kabelmann) and Krzysztof Trojnar (DP, known for his work on Baby Reindeer), just to name a few.”
Alexander Nowak, CCO & Partner of Mother Berlin, commented, “This project showcases Mother’s love for storytelling and that we, as a creative company, want to express our appreciation to all cultural fields.”
Stefan Witteman, creative director of Mother Berlin, added, “This project was a dream brief. The idea of this character, Kabelmann, was truly inspired by the artist’s analogue ways of working. Bringing Kabelmann to life, from the story arc to all visual aspects, was a truly collaborative effort.”
Paul Kalkbrenner added, “Collaborating with Mother Berlin again has been an incredible experience. ‘KABELMANN’ represents a fusion of my music with visual storytelling in a way I’ve never explored before.”
This project is the second collaboration between Paul Kalkbrenner and Mother Berlin on a music video project, the agency also created the artwork for the songs – featured on all streaming platforms.
