September 26 marks an important date for breast cancer paddling in Germany, as the film “Pink Power” premiered in a special movie theatre, the Kulturbrauerei (a historic brewery used as a cultural center nowadays) in Berlin – a truly powerful story of two strong women and their team, the Küsten Pinkies from Wilhelmshaven.
Jasmin and Konni who both live in the far North of Germany volunteered to open their very different lives and stories to the young directors and producers Chiara and Marianna, who at first planned a short TV documentary when getting in touch with one of the 40 breast cancer survivor dragonboat teams in Germany. They brought a film team to the club in Wilhelmshaven, visited Jasmin and Konni in their homes but also accompanied the Küsten Pinkies to the European Club Crew Championships in Ravenna, Italy, in September 2023, more than 1.400 km from the shore of the North Sea to the Adriatic shore in their team bus. The camera never failed to capture the tiniest and the most important scenes and tell an intimate and catching story of two lives changed by the power of pink paddling. After more than a year spent together, a whole movie was published instead.
While Jasmin, then 43, the mother of a young daughter and self-employed architect was hit by the diagnosis in the middle of a huge construction project, can always count on the support of her husband. Konni, then 69 and celebrating her 70th birthday on the movie screen, was starting to settle into her retirement after a long life working as a nurse and pampering her husband when diagnosed, had trouble organizing support for Erich who stayed at home when the team took off to Ravenna.
Both amazing ladies tell the story of how they found out about dragonboating and its positive effects for breast cancer survivors, but mainly about the team spirit experienced in breast cancer paddling! As so many other pink ladies, Jasmin and Konni are perfect examples of how a devastating diagnosis can change your life for good – not only gaining medals, but mainly lasting friendships, power and support in the national and international pink dragonboat family!
During Pinktober, the film starring two pink ladies in very different stages of life was shown in theatres across Germany and Austria. Jasmin & Conny with Chiara & Marianna toured from Berlin to Essen, from Hamburg to Salzburg and many other cities for meet and greet events, both were interviewed on a TV show and by radio stations – to make their personal stories and the power of pink paddling known and spread breast cancer awareness. The film “Pink Power” even won the prizes for best documentary and best soundtrack at the Stavanger Indie International Film Festival in Norway – so if you want any more information, you can check the website pinkpower-film.de/en/.
