SYNOPSIS Hamburg, three friends, one last night together. For years they have been inseparable, the thoughtful Floyd (Frank Giering), the loud-mouthed and yet so vulnerable Ricco (Florian Lukas) and the good-natured Walter (Antoine Monot Jr.). Out of the blue, Floyd drops the bombshell: He has signed on to a cruiser and is leaving for Singapore the very next day. Only one night separates the three of them from an irrevocable farewell. A last night that should be great, something very special,...
A conversation in german with director Pia Marais about her debut film THE DISOBEDIENT (german title: DIE UNERZOGENEN), together with Actress Céci Chuh. SYNOPSIS Stevie (Céci Chuh), a precocious 14-year-old girl must cope with the instabilities of her immoderate parents. When they decide to move to a small provincial town in Germany, Stevie attempts to slip into a normal life. Whilst her parents playfully escape their responsibilities, Stevie tries to make a good impression in town, spreadin...
A conversation in german with director Steffi Niederzoll about her debut film SEVEN WINTERS IN TEHRAN SYNOPSIS In the summer of 2007, an older man approaches Reyhaneh Jabbari and asks the architecture student who has a side job as an interior decorator for her help in the design of offices. During the site inspection, he tries to rape her. Reyhaneh stabs him in self-defence. She is arrested for murder and sentenced to death. Reyhaneh was to spend the next seven years in prison while her fam...
A conversation with director Damian Kocur about his debut film BREAD AND SALT. SYNOPSIS Tymek is a young pianist. He returns to his small hometown for vacation to visit his mother, younger brother and his childhood friends. The central meeting spot for the young people is local newly opened kebab bar. Tymek witnesses the growing tension between his friends and the bar employees of Arabic descend, resulting in tragic consequences. PRESS Damian Kocur is a director, screenwriter, a...
A conversation with Matthias Luthardt on his debut film PINGPONG. A Coming of Age drama in the seemingly intact world of the German middle class: when 16-year-old Paul shows up at his relatives’ house to gain distance from the death of his father, he triggers an emotional avalanche with drastic consequences. Director Matthias Luthardt's debut film was invited to the Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on May 19, 2006 and won two awards, the SACD Screenplay ...
Apichatpong Weerasethakul on his debut film MYSTERIOUS OBJECT AT NOON, the blurred lines between documentary and fiction, and on "Avatar" being a document of humanity. More about Apichatpong Weerasethakul https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/17/the-metaphysical-world-of-apichatpong-weerasethakuls-movies https://mubi.com/de/notebook/posts/soundtrack-mix-23-sonic-memoria-apichatpong-weerasethakul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMyTI5yrfk0 More about 35K https://www.35-k.de https://w...
A conversation with Céline Sciamma on her debut film NAISSANCE DES PIEUVRES. In her films, Sciamma challenges cinematic and cultural conventions regarding the field of growing up, bodies, love, family and the arts as such. Within her films, questions arise around the gazes we are used to follow and where they lead us: „The cultural realm and the fictional realm are not safe places for women. We are still in that same patriarchal system that we need to hack: the one in which women could...
SYNOPSIS Mika (Karolina Kominek) returns to Poland to meet her father who is suffering from a severe brain injury and inherent memory loss. Although they haven't seen each other for many years, upon her arrival she becomes the father's companion in perplexity – gently guiding him through the labyrinth of his fading mind. And as she does so, she gradually sets off on a journey through her own life. Gradually, the sense of time and space start breaking: the present blends with the long bygone p...
We had an interesting conversation with director Itonje Søimer Guttormsen about her debut film GRITT. On March 10 at 8pm (Berlin time). SYNOPSIS The artist Gritt is struggling for belonging in an unwelcoming society, but then she undergoes a radicalisation process in the name of art. PRESS "Gritt is a commentary on the exploitative and commercial nature of the arts industry. It also questions the responsibility of collaborative creativity through Gritt’s attempt (and failure) to work cr...
A conversation with French director Alexis Langlois on three of his short films: TRINKETS & DARK THOUGHTS (FR, 27min, 2016) TERROR, SISTERS! (FR, 28min, 2019) THE DEMONS OF DOROTHY (FR, 29min, 2021) “If you could cut Langlois’ films in two, they would bleed glitter. A vibrant director of the new French queer cinema, Alexis Langlois makes films that are angry and alive, and insist you stand up and take notice. Reminiscent of the bold visual style a...
Als das Debut von Markus Schleinzer in Cannes Premiere feierte, verliessen einige Zuschauer*innen den Saal: MICHAEL ist das klinische Porträt eines 35-Jährigen Pädophilen, der ein zehnjähriges Kind in seinem Keller gefangen hält. Der Film setzt sich mit der Täterfigur auseinander. Warum dieses kein "Monster" ist und was die Eltern des Kinderdarstellers von dem Film halten, erfahrt Ihr in dieser Episode des 35K-Podcasts. Neben Regisseur Markus Schleinzer kommen auch Kameramann Gerald Ker...
How can nature be dead? Portuguese director Catarina Vasconcelos raises that question in her debut film A METAMORFOSE FOS PÁSSAROS. It is a visual voyage through the history of her family. Catarina created cinematic sculptures that represent scenes of the Vasconcelos', including herself. It is a hybrid film: half documentary, half fiction, shot on 16mm and digitally. Premiered at Berlinale 2020. What is it about? "Beatriz married Henrique on the day of her 21st birthday. Henrique, a nav...
It is our great pleasure to invite you to an evening with award-winning Romanian director CORNELIU PORUMBOIU and Variety film critic JAY WEISSBERG! We will have a conversation with Porumboiu about his Cannes-winning feature film debut, “12:08 East of Bucharest”, and as a special treat, we are very happy to welcome Jay Weissberg for a short introduction to the Romanian New Wave and Porumboiu’s contribution to it. SYNOPSIS: Six years after the 1989 Revolution, a local t...
We’re thrilled to share our talk with Radu Jude and Ada Solomon, both winners of the Golden Bear 2021. The director/producer duo from Romania will give us insights in the making of THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, Radu Jude’s feature film debut. The interview was conducted online on the 15.04.2021. Synopsis: “Delia, a young Romanian girl, comes to Bucharest with her parents to collect a prize she has won in a contest organized by a soft-...
The interview was conducted online on the 25.03.2021. We spoke with Dea Kulumbegashvili about her debut film BEGINNING (130 Min, GE, 2020) Film synopsis: In a sleepy provincial town, a Jehovah’s Witness community is under attack from an extremist group. In the midst of this conflict is Yana, the wife of the community leader, whose familiar world is slowly crumbling around her. Meanwhile, a detective intrudes her home with devastating consequences... About the film: "One of ...
The interview was conducted online on the 11.03.2021. We spoke with Pelin Esmer about her debut film THE COLLECTOR (Original Title: KOLEEKSIYONCU) (documentary, 47 Min, TR, 2002) Synopsis: Passionate collector Mithat Esmer has been collecting everything you can imagine for 70 years. He lives in his own house like a guest of his collection and is always looking for new pieces to collect. As we witness Mr. Esmer's efforts to stop time, we get to know a very special person.&nb...
The interview was conducted in English at the cinema in the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) on the 09.01.2020. We spoke with Henner Winckler and co-writer Stefan Kriekhaus about their debut film - KLASSENFAHRT ( 86 Min, DE, 2002). Synopsis: A schoolclass travels to the Polish Baltic Sea during off-season. The students do not find the vacation resort very exciting. Between table tennis, day trips and alcohol excesses, 16-year-old Ronny and his classmate Isa d...
The interview was conducted in German at the cinema in the German Film and Television Academy Berlin on the 28.11.2019. We spoke with Angela Schanelec and DoP Reinhold Vorschneider about their debut film - DAS GLÜCK MEINER SCHWESTER ( 84 Min, DE, 1995). Their debut marks the beginning of a long-lasting collaboration between the two. The film was awarded with the German Film Critics' Prize in 1996. About the content: The photographer Christian loves two women - Isabel, a tra...