Ashes by name is man — Popioł imieniem jest człowieka

Krakow in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine form the geographical setting of "Ashes by name is man". The images of the surroundings are interwoven with footage from the world of my grandparents, both of whom are over 80 years old. Their bodies and practices seem to be inscribed with war and post-war history as well as the national catholic narrative of Poland. In the writings of my favorite painter, I read that for him the Polish landscape seems to constantly draw our gaze to the ground - making us look not over the horizon but under our feet, at the bones buried under each step. In this film, I don't look straight ahead into the distance, but try to find my own gaze, which is very ambiguous, full of criticism and fascination at the same time.

Credits

Cast:

Janina Mokrzycka

Władysław Mokrzycki

Tonmischung:

Jan Pasemann

Producer:

Roxana Richters

Ewelina Rosinska

Film info

Direction:

Ewelina Rosinska

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

16mm

Screening format:

4:3

Frame rate:

25 fps

Aspect ratio:

4:3

Sound format:

Mono

Language:

No Dialogue

Version:

OV

Runtime:

20 min

VIC

It’s influencer Vic’s birthday. A pornographic video depicting her appears online. A shit storm breaks out. She reacts quickly and posts live on Instagram: "Deepfake!". Her online community, though skeptical at first, starts to believe her when a cybersecurity startup supports her claim. Vic's follower numbers skyrocket, as we become doubtful of her credibility.

Credits

Cast:

Luise Emilie Tschersich – Vic

Elaine Cameron – Leo

Marc Schöttner – Mike

Lutz Thase – Dad

Mélanie Fouché – Mom

Script:

Luis Schubert

Producer:

Luis Schubert

Editing:

Luis Schubert

Tonmischung:

Lorenz Fischer

Sound:

Paolo Lagana

Camera:

Felix Schuster

Film info

Direction:

Luis Schubert

Genre:

fictional

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

16:9 & 1.85:1

Frame rate:

25 fps

Aspect ratio:

16:9

Sound format:

Dolby Surround 5.1

Language:

German, English

Version:

OmU

Runtime:

13 min

Sea Weeds — אצות ים

Adam (12), is still grieving his mother’s recent death when he sees that his father is giving away her cloths at a 2 hand shop. He decides to get her things back but when a drifter buys his mother’s hat and refuses to give it back to him, Adam must follow the man deep into the desert. There, in the wild and timeless landscape, a unique companionship based on shared pain is built, and Adam learns an important lesson about nature and loss.

Credits

Cast:

Yehuda Nahari Halevi

Gilad Gregori Oks

Script:

Liel Simon

Camera:

Yossi Ollech

Liel Simon

Producer:

Tamir Gal

Editing:

Liel Simon

Sound:

Sagiv Abramov

Music:

Adam Weingrod

Film info

Direction:

Liel Simon

Genre:

fictional

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

1:2,35

Frame rate:

25 fps

Aspect ratio:

1:2,35

Sound format:

Dolby 5.1

Language:

Hebrew

Version:

OmU

Festivals:

52. Sehsuechte (19.-23.04.2023)

31. Deutsches Kinder Medien Festival Goldener Spatz (04.-10.06.2023)

Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg N 30 (13.-17.09.2023)

28. SCHLiNGEL international film festival (23.-28.09.2023)

46th Mill valley film festival (05.-15.10.2023)

42nd FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH (12.-18.11.2023)

Runtime:

22 min

A Hunger Artist

In this adaption of the Franz Kafka story with the same title, a streamer fasts for 40 days in front of a large online audience. Thousands follow and comment on his life in his 24/7 livestream. He gets in-stream support from his manager, who happens to be an avantgarde ASMR artist. For no particular reason the interest in his performance suddenly disappears, as he starts a new round of fasting. With less and less audience the streamer is looking for a new management and continues to fast nonetheless. When he is left completely alone he breaks his old fasting records by far, but unnoticed by anyone. Just before his death a last viewer appears and the streamer reveals why he had to fast.

Credits

Cast:

Jens Winter – Hungerkünstler

Ilonka Petruschka – Managerin D

Script:

Oskar Zoche

Lukas Wesslowski

Camera:

Karl Neubart

Editing:

Oskar Zoche

Moritz Geiser

Producer:

Maximilian Feldkamp

Sound:

Niaz Faridani-Rad

Film info

Direction:

Oskar Zoche

Genre:

fictional

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

16mm & digital

Screening format:

16:9

Frame rate:

24 fps

Aspect ratio:

16:9

Sound format:

5.1

Language:

English

Version:

OmU

Runtime:

27 min

Memo

Guille, a young Venezuelan immigrant, is a bartender in Berlin. On a lonely night at the bar he is surprised by the appearance of Memo, his brother, whom he hasn’t talked to in a long time. While skeptic at first, Guille goes along with his brother’s wish to have some rum, listen to music and hang out. As the night progresses, Memo tells Guille about a mysterious encounter he had with their dead mother, and a gift she left for him. Guille, who took care of their dying mother while Memo was absent, calls Memo on his lies and carelessness and puts an end to the night. After Memo leaves, Guille finds something left on the counter by his brother, a gift which will trigger his true reconciliation with his brother, and with their home.

Credits

Cast:

Felice Audrines

Miguel Dagger

Hartmut Rüger

Milagros Dìaz

Script:

Nelson Algomeda

Camera:

Selma von Polheim Gravesen

Editing:

Víctor Pequeño

Producer:

Elisabeth Hoschek

Sound:

Thorsten Hoppe

Music:

Louay Kanawati

Film info

Direction:

Nelson Algomeda

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

1:1,85

Frame rate:

24 fps

Aspect ratio:

1:1,85

Sound format:

5.1

Language:

Spanish, German

Version:

OV

Runtime:

18 min

Encounters

Berlin, during the first wave of the Co-Vid 19 pandemic. The city, their inhabitants. Different migration stories: Viktorija and Zaid. They meet on a park, she unemployed, he employed as a delivery bike driver. A day in their lives. Berlin's precariousness, the precariousness of the migrant community. The fear in the houses of those who wait and the work on the body of those who work. At the end of the day, the only thing left to do is to eat and to dance. A short film made between friends, remembering moments we lived in this time, what our eyes have seen.

Credits

Cast:

Viktorija Eitutyté

Zaid

Script:

Froilán Urzagasti Montero

Camera:

Esra Tanriverdi

Editing:

David Gomez Alzarte

Producer:

Sinan Özarslan

Sound:

Magdalena Jacob

Music:

Jorge Villaseca

Film info

Direction:

Froilán Urzagasti Montero

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

4:3

Frame rate:

25 fps

Aspect ratio:

4:3

Sound format:

Stereo

Language:

English, German and Lithuanian

Version:

OV

Runtime:

24 min

Erden

It’s 2120 and the existence of our home planet “Earth 0” is threatened by perilous magnetic storms. As the surviving citizens make efforts to preserve their nature in shielded camps, radiant clouds cast uncanny shadows upon the earth’s surface. Soulmigration to an exoplanet seems the only escape left to evade the complete extermination of humankind.

Credits

Cast:

Barbara Krebs

Christopher Reinhardt

Script:

Celina Schmidt

Camera:

Luis Hartmann

Editing:

Celina Schmidt

Producer:

Elisabeth Hoschek

Sound:

Nils Plambeck

Music:

Lee Francis Chapman

Film info

Direction:

Celina Schmidt

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

4:3

Frame rate:

24 fps

Aspect ratio:

4:3

Sound format:

5.1

Language:

German

Version:

OmU

Runtime:

15 min

Domestic Animal

Wannsee: a rich island of idyllic peace, just next to the economic capital of Europe. Between the green gardens and the slow traffic of fancy cars, next to the tranquillity of the lake and inside a modern villa, lives Billie Leibbrandt. Georg’s six-figures-salary, a clever son attending the best schools, an englishspeaking Au-Pair able of taking care of his needs, a small gallery where she can expose the art she likes: Billie loves her life and has never questioned it. One day, a summer morning like every other one, the woman finds a strip of blood in the kitchen, which leads to Athena, the family dog.

Credits

Cast:

Bea Brocks

Alexander Gier

Nikola J. Dahlke

Olivia Papoli-Barawati

Christian Harting

Script:

Flavio Yuri Rigamonti

Marina Ghersinich

Camera:

Hanife Koch

Editing:

Flavio Yuri Rigamonti

Producer:

Lorenzo Gandolfo

Marina Ghersinich

Sound:

Alex Feldman

Film info

Direction:

Flavio Yuri Rigamonti

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2021

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

1:2,39

Frame rate:

24 fps

Aspect ratio:

1:2,39

Sound format:

3.1

Language:

German and English

Version:

OV

Festivals:

32. FILMKUNSTFEST MV (02.-07.05.2023)

29thVisioni Italiane (13.-19.11.2023)

Runtime:

15 min

Swimming Lesson

While Mrs. Jacobs gives swimming lessons to the young caregiver Nadja in her retirement home, the two develop a quiet attraction to each other. Even though the old woman secretly longs for it, she struggles with social values and her own feelings, which deny her this closeness.

Credits

Cast:

Katharina Nesytowa

Friederike Frerichs

Alexander Ullmann

Script:

Lisa Hürtgen

Olivia Requat

Camera:

Gisela Günther

Editing:

Laura Hölzel

Producer:

Lisa Hürtgen

Sound:

Manfredi Rignanese

Music:

Andreas Schmidgen

Film info

Direction:

Lisa Hürtgen

Genre:

Kurzfilm

Country of production:

Germany

Production Company:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Production:

2022

Shooting format:

Digital

Screening format:

16:9

Frame rate:

25 fps

Aspect ratio:

16:9

Sound format:

Dolby 5.1

Language:

German

Version:

OmU

Runtime:

9.57 min