PLANET Σ by Momoko Seto
France 2014, 12 min
The universe in all its infinitude. On planet Sigma, enormous creatures are trapped inside the ice. And then, all of a sudden explosions erupt from subterranean volcanoes. The ice begins to melt; a global warming concludes the giants’ deep slumber and new life begins. The creatures crawl forth, out of the ice. With the aid of slow motion, Seto fictionalises the unfolding of events. Liberated from time and space, she draws ever closer to the proceedings, in extreme close-ups. PLANET ∑ is the third part of her planet series.
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Pebbles at Your Door by Vibeke Bryld
Denmark 2015, 18 min
“If we all lived in paradise, there wouldn’t be any tears or separation, no hunger and no waiting, no suffering and no oppression, no war, no death. We’d no longer need hope. We’d lose all those hopes we so dearly love. We Koreans call hope ‚Han‘.“ (Park Kyong-Ni)
Harmonia lived a happy life in North Korea, until one day in her early twenties when she realised the truth. A truth, she says, that she did not want to accept for many years: that which surrounds her is a fractured paradise. Late, but not too late she hopes, she sets out on the solitary path into the unknown, to the world beyond the narrow borders of the North Korean regime. She flees via China to South Korea. It takes almost a year before she arrives. She comes too late. But there is no returning. Director Vibeke Bryld uses photographs and postcards to piece together Harmonia’s life.
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Dissonance by Till Nowak
Germany 2015, 17 min
What is reality and what is imagination? Who defines the boundaries? A gifted pianist plays piano. The piano reflects the pianist’s emotion, exploding every dimension. As does the emotion: the man misses his daughter, is no longer allowed to see her. Had the man seen a doctor however, he would most likely have been diagnosed with a psychosis. Would, should, could.
He lives on the street. The mother is worried, as the man who was once her husband sinks ever deeper. What kind of world is this, that puts a smile on his face, while inspiring nothing but fear in her? The daughter has no fear. All that remains is longing.
In Dissonance, reality and fantasy merge, flow into one another. 3D animation and live action become one. An odyssey through time and space. A modern fairytale.
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Of Stains, Scrap & Tires by Sebastian Brameshuber
Austria / France 2014, 19 min
Engines, axles, cylinders – the components of bliss. Whatever cannot be resold in Europe is shipped to Africa by the scrap-masters of Erzberg. Happiness is found in easily made money (seldom), the beauty of a man-made machine (rare), and in the real and imagined freedom on wheels. The audiovisual poetry of the garage, scrap parts and paintball field are accompanied by another master of cars, Bobby Sommer, reciting a poem by Bertolt Brecht about the singing cars of Steyr. While promising cars of silent ease, the advertising text does not withhold their connection to the weapon industry.
Sebastian Brameshuber was represented in the Berlinale Forum with his documentary film Und in der Mitte, da sind wir in 2014.
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Take What You Can Carry by Matt Porterfield
USA / Germany 2015, 30 min
A journey through day and night, night and day. Lilly has been living in Berlin for a while. She is a US American passing through. She has a lover and no penthouse. The relationship is vague. “You come and go as you please”, he says. “What do you mean?”, she asks. “Nothing.”, he says, “I’m happy when you’re here.” – “I’m also happy when I’m here.” Then he plays guitar and she embraces him from behind. Only briefly, then she packs her suitcase. Lilly drifts between worlds and places. Looking for people and connections but remaining in the external. During rehearsals with the performance group Gob Squad, her thoughts and wishes thrive: words become actions. Back at the apartment, a letter from her home awaits her. Matt Porterfield calmly tells of the longing to arrive in quietly composed scenes.
Berlinale Shorts 