> TÒ SU < Rhaeto-Romanic:
to record, to document, to include
TÒ SU is the German-Italian duo of Martina Mahlknecht and Martin Prinoth, working at the intersections of visual genres and narrative formats. Their work explores transcultural spaces and challenges Eurocentric narratives, while reflecting on their own border identities. They collaborate with artists, scientists, and experts from everyday life to create research based films, theater performances, and multimedia installations. Whether digital or analog, their projects invite audiences not just to watch, but to take part. TÒ SU works across borders, mainly between Germany and Italy, creating hybrid formats that are presented internationally at film festivals, in theaters, and within exhibition spaces. The name TÒ SU means to record, to document, to include in Rhaeto-Romanic – a language spoken by a small Alpine community in northern Italy.
Martina Mahlknecht was born in Bressanone, Italy. She lives and works between Bolzano and Hamburg, Germany. She studied art and stage design at the Academy of Fine Arts HfbK in Hamburg and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Since 2022 she is teaching at the HfbK Hamburg.
Martin Prinoth was born in Rhaeto-Romanic Urtijëi, Italy. He lives between Bolzano and Hamburg. After studying communication sciences at the University of Salzburg, Austria he graduated in film and digital cinema at the Academy of Fine Arts HfbK in Hamburg. He leads film workshops and film seminars.
© Fotos: Mohammed Al-Bdairi, Anja Beutler, Giuseppe Carotenuto, Mona Rizaj
AWARDS
2025 part of MOIN NEST community
2024 Zeit Stiftung Bucerius scholarship
2023 College Cinema VR at La Biennale di Venezia
2023 Stiftung Kunstfonds NeustartPlus scholarship
2022 Wim Wenders scholarship NRW
2022 scholarship for research #TakeHeart Fonds DaKu
2021 residency #TakeCare Kampnagel
2020 Stiftung Kunstfonds scholarship
2019 Grenzgänger scholarship Robert Bosch Stiftung
2019 Visioni DOC best italian debut
2017 nomination doc award Goethe-Institut
2017 Gerd Ruge scholarship Dokumentarfilm NRW
2017 Elbkulturfonds of the city of Hamburg
2016 atelier scholarship of the city of Hamburg
2015/16 artist fund of South Tyrol
2013 artist fund of South Tyrol
2012/13 Freundeskreis scholarship of the HfbK
COMPLICES
Against Reality Pictures, Stefano Bernardi, Konstantin Bessonov, La Biennale di Venezia Cinema, Attila Boa, Chiara Cordaro, Fonds DAKU, Dokomotive, Katharina Duve, Jan Eichberg, Moritz Frischkorn, Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann, Fünferfilm, Pier Paolo Giarolo, Greta Granderath, Juha Hansen, Nicolas Humbert, IDM Filmförderung, Marie Jung, JYOTI Film, Kampnagel Hamburg, Kiné-Doc, Büro KLASS, Kulturstiftung HH, Künstler*innenförderung Südtirol, Tom Lane, Jonas Link, Magazin, MARKK Hamburg, MOIN Filmförderung, Yolanda Morales, Miramontefilm, Filmstiftung NRW, Peter Ott, Andreas Pichler, Pinkmovies, Pose Dia, Produzentengalerie, Ines Richter, Rudolf Augstein Stiftung, Rykena/Jüngst, Schaller08, Annika Scharm, Sounding Situations, Barbara Schmidt-Rohr, Helge Schmidt, Stiftung Kunstfonds, Stückliesel, Studio Peragine, Lilli Thalgott, transart, Maria Pina Usai, Gianna-Sophia Weise, Jonas Woltemate, Ivna Žic