‘I have told you all this as if it had already happened,’ says Master Hora in the epilogue to Momo. ‘I could also have told it as if it were happening in the future.’
Director Christian Ditter has taken up this possibility – his new film adaptation of Momo transposes the story to a possible future and uses impressive images to ask what time means to us today.
At the beginning of August, eight children were able to immerse themselves in the magical worlds of Michael Ende for a week during a summer holiday workshop at the International Youth Library. Together, they created an audio guide for the Michael Ende Museum in Blutenburg Castle.
To mark the 75th anniversary of The Folio Society, the English translation of Michael Ende's The Neverending Story has been published in a lavish luxury edition, beautifully illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel, an award-winning artist with a flair for the fantastical.
After 40 years of “Momo” her magic ist still unbroken. What better occasion than this joyous anniversary to give Michael Ende's website a commemorative, yet fresh new look?
Stay tuned for more news on “Momo”'s anniversary as well as event information and a fantastic announcement!
Football fans might know it already: From this season, FC Augsburg play in the Bundesliga – the top league! And it is not only the club that was promoted but Jim Button as well. After every goal Augsburg score the tune „Eine Insel mit zwei Bergen“ (“An Isle with Two Mountains”), will be played, the song from “Jim Button”, the famous classic from Augsburger Puppenkiste. In the ARD sports programme “Sportschau” on 6 August, the Jim Button puppet was even shown after a goal by Augsburg! Jim Button became a symbol and mascot for FC Augsburg when the club started cooperation with the puppet theatre of Augsburger Puppenkiste, probably the most famous attraction of the city. Jim and Luke are thrilled. And so are we!
Dear Fans of Michael Ende all over the world,
Because of the huge interest during the last few months, we have decided to translate our Website about the life and work of Michael Ende into English and go online with it under the address "www.michaelende.com".
This means that for the first time comprehensive information about the fantastic storyteller and explorer of inner worlds are available in English.
Where current news is concerned, this will in future also be translated into English and published on the English website as quickly as possible.
We hope with this step we have helped all the fans of Michael Ende who cannot read German to satisfy their curiosity.
Have fun exploring!
Roman Hocke
„What is mirrored in a mirror mirroring a mirror?“ This fundamental question from Zen meditation is what Michael Ende’s surreal poetry collection "Der Spiegel im Spiegel" (The Mirror in the Mirror) is based on. And indeed – when the Zen speaks of the “wayless way” or the “gateless gate”, the “Mirror in the Mirror” has to offer incredible stories full of illustrious, mythical characters that tell us of their very own cosmos of beauty, but also of the futility of life and its efforts.
As visual models, Michael Ende uses the surreal paintings of his father Edgar Ende, which had a vital influence on Michael Ende’s complete work.
„Der Spiegel im Spiegel“ (The Mirror in the Mirror) is now available as a radio play from steinbach sprechende bücher, aptly adapted by the Künstlergruppe Mediabühne (www.mediabuehne.de).
The Düsseldorfer Marionetten-Theater (Marionettes/Puppet Theatre of Düsseldorf) has chosen the literary work of Michael Ende as their main focus. They have already adapted numerous of his works for the puppet theatre. Part of the theatre’s repertoire are among others: „Norbert Nackendick (Norbert Fatnoggin)“, „Der satanarchäolügenialkohöllische Wunschpunsch (The Night of Wishes)“, „Das Gauklermärchen (The Entertainer's Tale)“, „Momo“and the two newest productions „Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver)“ and „Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13 (Jim Button and the Wild 13)“.
Last year, Michael Ende’s children’s book hero „Jim Button“ had a special birthday – the novel „Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver“ was first published exactly 50 years ago.
Who can still remember? In the first editions of Jim Button the country where Li Si was princess was still called China. In later editions the realm in the east was given a new name, a fantasy name. Ever since then it is called “Mandala”. Why did Michael Ende rename his China into Mandala? Whoever who would like to know more about it can read a one page report about the subject in the FAZ. See under: