Synopsis

In this alternate version, a decaying hospital becomes a nightmarish children's institution ruled by grotesque adults and haunted by the Sandman. Richard Kruspe lies trapped in a feverish dream as Melanie Gaydos appears as a disturbing, otherworldly figure. Till Lindemann embodies the Sandman, stalking corridors and tormenting the children, while the band members appear as sinister authority figures. The video unfolds like a dark fairy tale, using theatrical costumes, pale makeup, oppressive interiors, and surreal imagery to turn the song's childhood nightmare into a gothic horror tableau.

Factoids & Trivia

• This version was filmed at Beelitz-Heilstatten, an abandoned hospital complex near Berlin, from December 17 to 19, 2011.

• The imagery was created by Spanish photographer Eugenio Recuenco, who had previously designed the artwork for Rammstein's 2009 album "Liebe ist fur alle da."

• Rammstein did not use this cut as the main official video. The band felt that the edit did not sufficiently follow the rhythm and dramatic structure of the song.

• A second production period took place at Beelitz-Heilstatten on June 12, 2012. Material from the first shoot was later incorporated into the official version, which added newly filmed scenes and a different narrative structure.

• The Recuenco version was eventually made public in 2013, after the official video had premiered in December 2012.

• Melanie Gaydos, whose distinctive appearance became central to the video, plays the Sandman rather than a conventional child-friendly interpretation of the character.

• The video's elaborate, fashion-oriented visual design connects it stylistically with Recuenco's earlier work for Rammstein's "Liebe ist fur alle da" artwork.

• "Mein Herz brennt" was originally released on "Mutter" in 2001. Its music video was produced much later, after the song was included on the 2011 compilation "Made in Germany 1995-2011."