Mensch Puppe | A Documentary by Thomas Janze

Synopsis

Heinrich Sabl devoted nearly 25 years to creating his first feature-length animated film, Memory Hotel, beginning work in 1999.

This painstaking creative mission was extensively documented in a film that followed Sabl and his small crew from 2002 until 2025, capturing their struggles with very limited financial resources.

Facing constant challenges, they worked day and night, driven by Sabl’s singular vision. As writer, director, cinematographer, editor, and producer, Sabl meticulously crafted this haunting stop-motion puppet animation, reflecting his deep commitment to telling a complex story of war, memory, and trauma.

The documentary reveals the perseverance behind every frame of this unique cinematic journey.

Trailer

A documentary film about Heinrich Sabl, who spent three decades creating exclusively his stop-motion film Memory Hotel with minimal financial resources.

Movie

The documentary film is accessible by private request. Festival programmers, curators, and selected viewers may request access to a private screening link.

To request access, please contact the filmmaker directly.

Great filming! The madness, the loneliness, the stagnation – none of it is boring. I love how the rhythm varies. And: funny how the protagonists age, similar to the main characters in Memory Hotel.

Frank Eggers

culture editor for ARTE, 3sat, ZDF

Filmmaker

Thomas Janze is a director, producer, and cinematographer with a diploma from the Film & TV University Babelsberg. In the documentary field, he has both produced and served as cinematographer on several notable theatrical releases.

His film Der rote Elvis explores the life of American singer and actor Dean Reed in East Germany and premiered at the Berlinale festival. Janze produced and was cinematographer for Science of Horror, the first comprehensive analysis of women’s evolving roles in horror cinema.

He continued his dual role in the documentary Queercore: How to Punk A Revolution, which highlights the cultural impact of the Queercore movement, featuring artists like Peaches and Gossip.

Thomas Janze | [email protected] | https://totho.de

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