Gasoline Deluxe – A roadmovie with Friedrich Liechtenstein
German entertainer and musician Friedrich Liechtenstein is searching for happiness at the most unusual sites: at Gas Stations. On his mission to convince the world of gas stations being today’s most romantic places he embarks on a musical gas station road trip throughout Europe.
Synopsis
German entertainer and musician Friedrich Liechtenstein – the most surprising internet star who has become world famous since the release of his song and commercial “Supergeil” – doesn’t just rest on his 15 million hits on YouTube, bathing in the flood of “Likes” from all over the world. Quite the contrary, Mr. Liechtenstein and his signature tailored suits, golden fingernails and full white beard are already on a new mission: Instead of “supergeil” the word is now: “super filled-up”.
Of course, this journey is not just about pumping gas, but about the scent of freedom, about meeting charismatic fellow artists, critical economists, futorologists and historians as well as tired truck drivers, lovey-dovey couples and lonely commuters.
Gas Stations are the places to be – at least for Friedrich Liechtenstein. The anonymity of the transit allow elusive but truthful encounters with the most diverse protagonists: The owner of one of the oldest backyard gas stations in Vienna saw the city and their inhabitants change over the past 84 years. The notorious Fiat heir Lapo Elkann is eager to show Liechtenstein an exclusive insight into his rebuilding of the “Garage Italia”, a famous historic gas station in Milan. Léa Linster, the Michelin-starred chef from Luxemburg, welcomes Friedrich Liechtenstein at the former gas station of her father – now her top restaurant – to cook with him. There is dancing, music performance, discussion, sleeping, painting – as well as the beauty of everyday routines happening at gas stations.
Almost en passant Mr. Liechtenstein elaborates his very own philosophical theories about the sovereignity of the algae, the embrace of the ugly and the power of dancing.
“Gasoline Deluxe” is a pop-cultural tribute to the gas station as a non-place, a poetic embrace of a place that’s about to vanish, a roadmovie between reality and fiction, between trash and poetry.
Director
Jeremy JP Fekete, Marco Wilms, Tuan Lam
Co-Writer
Friedrich Liechtenstein
Assistant Director
Veronika Kaserer
Editing & Sound Design
Christian R. Timmann, Lisa Lischewsky
Camera
Axel Schneppat, Peter Erlemann, Marco Wilms
Additional Camera
Konrad Waldmann, Valentin Selmke, Sebastian Hattop
Grading
Christine Hiam
Sound Recordists
Thomas Warneke, Thomas Funk, Martin Rohrmoser
Mixing
Jörg Höhne
Graphic Artist
Xavier Agudo
Set Design
Stefanie Probst, Stefanie Hinterauer
Research
Laura Bull, Jano Ben Chaabane
Production Manager
Eva Weerts
Production Assistants
Anique Roelfsema, Meike Wenthe
Postproduction Supervisor
Xavier Agudo
Assistant Postproduction
Leonard Israel
Accountants
Daniela Schöne, Sandra Zentgraf
Producer
Georg Tschurtschenthaler, Tuan Lam
Coordination Postproduction & Assistant Producer
Caroline Schaper
Editorial Interns
Nina Hölzl, Julian Hohlfeld, Max Rodermund, Daria Pleggenkuhle
Executive Producer
Christian Beetz
Commissioning Editors
Wolfgang Bergmann (ZDF/arte)
Martin Traxl (ORF)
Olaf Grunert (ZDF/arte)
Ed Moschitz (ORF)
Catherine Le Goff (arte G.E.I.E.)