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...

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...

We are excited to introduce you to French director Alexis Langlois. We show three of his short films, in the following order:   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...

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 Kerkletz...

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 naval...

 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 television station in...

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-drinks company. The prize is a beautiful new...

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 most...

The interview was conducted online on the 11.03.2021. We spoke with Pelin Esmer about her debut film 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. Pelin Esmer: “for me something is realistic,...

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). About the Film: A schoolclass travels to the Polish Baltic Sea. The students do not find the vacation resort very exciting in the off-season. Between table tennis, day trips and alcohol excesses, 16-year-old Ronny and his classmate Isa develop a...

We spoke with german director Angela Schanalec and her collaborator, the DoP Reinhold Vorschneider about her debut film - DAS GLÜCK MEINER SCHWESTER. The interview was conducted in german at the cinema in the German Film and Television Academy Berlin on the 28.11.2019