German directing talent: Marco Kreuzpainter

Marco Kreuzpainter

Whilst Emmerich is Germany’s most famous Hollywood producer, Kreuzpainter is known only to industry insiders and film buffs in Germany. Yet that could be about to change: On October 11, German director Marco Kreuzpainter and producer Roland Emmerich presented their movie to selected guests at the official Charity premiere at the Filmpalast Berlin, before the movie goes on general release on October 18. And on October 12, Kreuzpainter will receive the Hesse Film Prize in the category Cinema for Peace Special Award.

The award acknowledges Kreuzpainter’s contribution in bringing the issue of sex trafficking to the public’s attention. The movie is based on a controversial 2004 New York Times Magazine article "The Girls Next Door,"by Peter Landesman. It tells the story of the 13-year-old Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) who is kidnapped in Mexico City and taken to New Jersey in the US, where she is to be auctioned off on the Internet as a sex slave.

Enraged, her older brother Jorge (Cesar Ramos) takes up the pursuit crossing the border illegally, hidden in the trunk of Texas cop Ray’s (Kevin Kline) car, without him knowing. The story unfolds as Ray and Jorge become partners and travel to New Jersey together where the victims are being held before the auction.

Kreuzpainter’s movie puts the spotlight on a huge global problem: The U.S. State Department estimates that as many as 800,000 people are trafficked internationally each year for purposes of sexual exploitation.

A promising career in the making

The young director (30) from Bavaria looks set to make his mark in the industry: He is a visiting professor at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg and was the youngest member of Germany's Regional Parliament. He is also a member of the German Film Academy, the German Directors Guild and the Directors Guild of America.

And he recently worked with one of Germany’s biggest film stars – Daniel Brühl (Good Bye Lenin, The Bourne Ultimatum) – as he completed work on Krabat , a fantasy film  based on Otfried Preussler's 1971 literary adaptation of a 17th Century legend, The Curse of the Darkling, which is set for an October 2008 release.

Watch the Trailer for Trade here: