Synopsis
An aspiring writer travels with a friend to a holiday home on the Baltic Sea, hoping to finish a novel. At the house, however, there’s also a carefree and unambitious young woman whom he begins to blame for his insecurities. Meanwhile, a real and figurative fire threatens to destroy everything. Petzold satirizes fragile masculinity and the internal tensions of his characters in this film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Berlin.
Filmmaker
Christian Petzold
His filmography is a portrait of contemporary Europe that takes the form of melodrama, fantastical fable, or sociopolitical narrative. His cinema, a direct heir to the Berlin School, is characterized by precise and austere mise-en-scène, and by characters often trapped in spaces of transition. A prolific filmmaker, selected and awarded at festivals such as Berlin, Venice, and San Sebastián, that has established himself as one of the essential voices of contemporary European cinema.
Filmography: Mirrors No. 3 (2025, D'A 2026), Afire (2023, D'A 2026), Undine (2020, D'A 2026), Transit (2018, D'A 2026), Phoenix (2014, D'A 2026), Barbara (2012, D'A 2026), Jerichow (2008, D'A 2026), Yella (2007, D'A 2026), Ghosts (2005, D'A 2026), Wolfsburg (2003, D'A 2026), The State I Am In (2000, D'A 2026), Das warme Geld (mid-length, 1992), Ostwärts (short, 1991), Süden (short, 1990)
Awards and festivals
Silver Bear - Grand Jury Prize
SAN SEBASTIÁN FILM FESTIVAL
HONG KONG FILM FESTIVAL
BAFICI FILM FESTIVAL
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
VIENNALE FILM FESTIVAL
SÃO PAULO FILM FESTIVAL
THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL
TORINO FILM FESTIVAL
GÖTEBORG FILM FESTIVAL
Poster
