Fränz Hausemer created Terre Rouge, a documentary about Gaston Rollinger. which will be screened at the Luxembourg Film Festival on March 14. The film focuses on Gaston, a Luxembourgish poet and filmmaker, whose life and work left a lasting impression on Fränz. Their first encounter was when Fränz was just eight years old, watching Gaston film a documentary about his father. This experience ignited Franz’s passion for filmmaking, leading him to reconnect with Gaston years later when he was living in seclusion, surrounded only by books and film reels.

Terre Rouge is named after an old steel factory in Esch, near Gaston’s home. The documentary explores Gaston’s poetry, which Fränz describes as simple yet profound, deeply rooted in working-class experiences and the landscape of Luxembourg’s south. The film also captures Gaston’s decline over six years of filming, touching on themes of aging, loss, and the passage of time, all central elements in Gaston’s poetry.

Fränz hopes the documentary will offer viewers a glimpse into Luxembourg’s cultural heritage and Gaston’s unique artistic voice. Subtitled in English and French, it makes Luxembourgish poetry accessible to a wider audience.