Jan Speckenbach

Director

Jan Speckenbach is a director and screenwriter. DIE VERMISSTEN (2012, directed by Jan Speckenbach) was his first feature film. The drama was screened at the Berlinale in 2012 and earned him a nomination at the European Film Awards in the European Discovery category that same year. In terms of content, the film follows the trail of a missing teenager and develops a precise, urban search that is consistently told from the perspective of those left behind. FREIHEIT (2017, directed by Jan Speckenbach) continues his work on radically personal stories. The film centers on a woman who breaks out of her family life without warning; while at the same time accompanying her husband, who wants to make sense of the void she has left behind. The film was released in 2017, and the production details and cast are clearly documented. Both films combine clear staging with a focus on the moral and emotional consequences of decisions—a focus that marks Speckenbach's signature in contemporary auteur cinema.

Films on Sooner

Reported Missing

2012

87 mins

Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thriller

A reactor safety engineer follows the trail of his disappearing daughter through the Kafkaesque West German province.

Freedom

2017

102 mins

Drama

A woman walks out on her husband and two children without a word of explanation. She’s driven by an irresistible force. She wants to be free.