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Anatol Schuster

Director
Anatol Schuster stands for poetic auteur cinema with a clear signature style that balances intimacy and contemporary social issues. With LUFT (2017, directed by Anatol Schuster), he presented a finely observed debut about first love and self-discovery, whose theatrical version was praised by critics for its cinematography and narrative sensitivity. Previously, his short film Ein idealer Ort (An Ideal Place) won the DFJW Dialogue en perspective prize at the Berlinale—an early sign of Schuster's knack for combining delicate observations with precise form. With Frau Stern (2019, directed by Anatol Schuster), he told a story of life balance and a new zest for life with dry humor and great empathy; the film won awards at festivals and reached a wide audience in the arthouse scene. This was recently followed by Chaos und Stille (Chaos and Silence, 2024, directed by Anatol Schuster), an intimate play about music, relationships, and self-assertion that continues his penchant for combining realistic closeness with dreamlike moments. Together, these works create a profile that consistently focuses on emotional authenticity, economical means, and strong acting – a clear position in current German independent cinema.

Films

Air

Air

By Anatol Schuster

2018 | 92 min | Drama

A poetic summer full of doubt, intimacy, and courage: Two girls fall in love and explore what freedom and love really mean.

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Blue Summer Symphony

Blue Summer Symphony

2017 | 29 min | Shorts

The open-air swimming pool, a sociotope and microcosm of society: different people, half naked in a confined space, share an afternoon, a moment with each other and as quickly as it has come, so quickly it has gone again. That's the poetry inherent in the banality of everyday life. For her third year project, Sinje Köhler observes the figures in the outdoor pool and also sheds light on the architecture of this special landscape.

Babyboy

Babyboy

2023 | 48 min | Drama

Vincent is 16 and wants to do everything a boy is supposed to do to become a man: move out of his mother's house, be accepted by the boys on his football team and sleep with his girlfriend. But between his first love and the separation of his parents lies Vincent's longing to arrive and feel at home again. In the oft-told maze of adolescence, there have always been questions about gender roles that need to be addressed or overturned. What is often neglected are equally relevant prerequisites for ...

Swimming

Swimming

2018 | 101 min | Drama

After Elisa suffers a breakdown, which is mercilessly filmed by her classmates on their cell phones, the two turn the cameras on their tormentors in revenge. Director Luzie Loose tells the story of Elisa and Anthea, two 15-year-old girls whose unlikely friendship gives them support and guidance during a difficult period in their lives. "A stirring, exhilarating and palpable "coming-of-age" experience is created by Luzie Loose with her very fine staging work. It is a unique interplay between security ...

Sweat

Sweat

2014 | 30 min | Queer

Sweat tells of the last days of the friendship of two girls. Marion and Elisa live in a village that offers them nothing. They roam the neighborhood, go to the disco, watch videos, swim in the pond and fight. In search of emotion and boundaries, they dive into an aggressive world, where they give free rein to anger against the ordinary and learn about the new, unexpectedly erupting forces within themselves as a result. In the beautifully photographed vacuum of a village cosmos, director Iris Blauensteiner ...

Talk to Me

Talk to Me

2023 | 79 min | Drama

Karo (28) is newly separated and struggling with the non-existent relationship with her father. When her mother Michaela (50) wants to go on vacation with her to the island of Rügen, Karo suspects another failed male story behind it. What starts as a spontaneous trip quickly turns out to be a journey into the past of two women who couldn't be more different: Michaela wants distraction, Karo wants peace. When they arrive at the hotel, they meet the newly divorced Jochen (60) and his teenage daughter ...

Talea

Talea

2013 | 75 min | Drama

It's summer holidays, and the planned Italian holiday with Jasmin's foster family is just around the corner. Everyone is looking forward to the trip - except Jasmin. She wants to be with Eva, her mother, who is available to Jasmin for the first time after a long prison term. For weeks Jasmin has been seeking Eva's closeness, she does not give up, even if she is rejected by her. After a fight with her foster family, Jasmin runs away and persuades Eva to spend a short holiday in the countryside with ...

Kick It Like a Girl - Season 2

Kick It Like a Girl - Season 2

2024 | Documentary

The gripping documentary series KICK IT LIKE A GIRL sheds light on the lives of young female footballers who are defying prejudice and pursuing their dreams in the male-dominated world of soccer. The series portrays girls from the Ruhr region who play for SGS Essen, a club dedicated to promoting female talent. At the center of the narrative are the U15 players, Pauline, Chayenne, Eriona and Liv, who demonstrate their skills and commitment despite frequent discrimination and challenges. The documentary ...

CaRabA - Life Without School

CaRabA - Life Without School

2019 | 89 min | Drama

A world without school – is that possible? The fictional movie CaRabA explores what a world without schools could look like. Five young people carve their own path in an entirely new educational landscape. The film imaginatively examines how life itself can be an ongoing learning experience. The first feature film on the future of education encourages us to imagine together possibilities for our future. The initial question is: when and where does education actually happen?

Home Game

Home Game

2009 | 22 min | Drama

Wotan Wilke Möhring portrays the ethics teacher Andreas, whose secret life as a football hooligan is under threat of being uncovered by his student, Benny, played by Kai Malina. High school teacher Vossen throws punches in the hooligan mob until the adrenaline pumps through his veins and empties his mind. He's addicted to the rush and it's the only thing he lives for. When a new student joins his class and recognizes Vossen as a fellow hooligan, the cleanly separated worlds threaten to collide. ...

Minus One

Minus One

2016 | 16 min | Shorts

Summer in Athens, and Elsa’s family isn’t the only one renting their apartment to tourists. At their "spare apartment" there’s little space for the young lady’s dreams.