SELECTED REVIEWS

POETRY OF THE UNDERGROUND

Anyone who still considers the „expired“ GDR culture to be gray, dreary and boring today is either beyond help or should watch this film. Aberle dispenses with explanations and lets the material speak for itself, which is made up of original films from back then and current interviews with the protagonists. This no-comment strategy results in a high degree of intensity… absolutely worth seeing.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Poetry of the Underground, 2009

Now it could soon be over. No more pictures of the press conference with Günther Schabowski, none of the rush to the Bornholmer Strasse border crossing and none of the big demonstration on Alexanderplatz. And please: for the time being, no more anecdotes in which someone learns about the fall of the Wall while ironing in Castrop-Rauxel.
Not that these memories are unimportant. It’s just that the mass distribution of a few scenes has taken over the fall of 1989. Anything that is not part of the canonical opinions and sentiments has fallen by the wayside. When Bert Papenfuß, one of the most important lyricists, makes a documentary film with director Matthias Aberle, we can look forward to shades of gray and nuances.
Berliner Tagesspiegel, Poetry of the Underground, 2009

What makes the film „Poetry of the Underground“ particularly interesting is the decision not to show only the side of the non-conformists…
Taz, Poetry of the Underground, 2009

THE INAUGURAL SPEECH OF THE AMERICAN POPE

The play has been performed more than 60 times around the world. This was the highlight and the best of all previous productions…
Esther Vilar, author of The Inaugural Address of the American Pope, 1995

In his new production, Matthias Aberle creates a horror vision of the Catholic Church. Years of liberalization have brought it to the brink of financial and idealistic ruin. Advertising interrupts the sermons and tries to encourage the few faithful to buy consumer goods…
Berliner Zeitung, The inaugural address of the American Pope, 1995

Joan II refrains from any theatricality. Between the few props in the altar room, she demonstrates above all linguistic expressiveness. Even the sarcasm with which the Pope frequently interrupts her speech to grant advertising time to the sponsors of the election ceremony betrays inner irritation and measured aggression at best. In these moments, the director allows image scenes with a high advertising value to flicker across the pillars. That freedom always ends in submission to new idols is the Pope’s grim message in Berlin Cathedral…
Die Welt, The inaugural speech of the American Pope, 1995

WAITING FOR GODOT

Vladimir and Estragon pull political party posters out of the garbage can. Pozzo quickly gets into a rage, and it can happen that his arm flies up in a Hitler salute. The director takes aim at the general state of mind of the Germans in 1994, and he hits…
Berliner Zeitung, Waiting for Godot, 1994

THIS SWEET SICKNESS

I read your play with great pleasure. I congratulate you on a fascinating and intelligent rendering of my novel…
Patricia Highsmith, This sweet Sickness, Aurigeno 1986