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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

Reported Missing

Reported Missing

By Jan Speckenbach

2012 | 87 min | Sci-Fi & Fantaisie

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

Freedom

Freedom

By Jan Speckenbach

2017 | 102 min | 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.

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2020 | 83 min | Sci-Fi & Fantaisie

In the near future: public gatherings are forbidden due to a high risk of terrorist attacks. Driven by a desire to be in contact with others, two siblings plan an illegal live concert. But public gatherings of any kind are forbidden. Meetings with other people may only take place virtually. In a world where concerts, schools, supermarkets, theaters and pubs no longer exist, Claire (Karoline Marie Reinke) works as a psychologist caring for survivors of terrorist attacks. One day, upon finding an ...

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2020 | 72 min | Sci-Fi & Fantaisie

The middle of the 21st century. A dystopian drama set in an aging and run-down Germany. When so-called “end-of-life” legislation—mandatory euthanasia upon reaching the age of 80—is introduced, a father and son are forced to put their broken relationship to the ultimate test. For the Jungbrunnen Deutschland alliance (BJD), promoting young talent and youth is a top priority and is seen as the only way to free the country from poverty and misery. To this end, the ruling system imposes harsh measures ...

Chained

Chained

2018 | 39 min | Independent

After a civil war has devastated large parts of a country, rebels and foreign military forces attempt to seize power. Amidst the chaos, two friends, Ari and Cato, barricade themselves in an abandoned building and dream of better times. One night, rebels storm the building. The arrival of the combat troops forces the friends to choose between the pull of power and their friendship. While Cato experiences the horrors of war in battle, Ari gains recognition from the rebel leader and begins to identify ...

Junk Space Berlin

Junk Space Berlin

2023 | 105 min | Thriller

An inexplicable rift runs through the dystopian Berlin of tomorrow, where four outsiders venture on a mission to find their missing friend, the AI Billie. But where does Billie's trail lead them? And is it all even real? The closer they get to Billie, the deeper they delve into the marginal deviation of reality. In the process, the rift not only fragments the film's narrative, but also takes us viewers into a world where the boundaries between reality and virtual manipulation have been lost in the ...

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

2004 | 81 min | Independent

A mute male slave’s involvement with romance and rebel pornographers lands him in trouble in a sex-free future ruled by a totalitarian matriarchy. Carlos Atanes' (MAXIMUM SHAME und GALLINO THE CHICKEN) debut feature FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, is "a unique voice in a sea of blahfilm". (366weirdmovies) "…an unpredictable and intelligent treat, comparable with classic arty dystopias like Godard’s ‘Alphaville’ (1965) and Gilliam’s ‘Brazil’ (1985)."(MysticalMovieGuide)

The Head of the Cat

The Head of the Cat

2021 | 29 min | Drama

Isolated from the outside world a mother lives with her daughter in a remote house. The mother is training her daughter to be a survival specialist. The curriculum includes shooting, driving, science, and housework. When the girl gets a 13-year-old house slave named "Dog" as a reward, everything changes. The director and writer duo Harriet Maria and Peter Meining (FALTER) were inspired for THE HEAD OF THE CAT by the disturbing educational guidebook "The German Mother and Her First Child" from 1934. "THE ...

The Light at the End

The Light at the End

2023 | 87 min | Sci-Fi & Fantaisie

World events indicate that humanity is unlikely to stop self-inflicted climate change. Too little has been done in recent decades. But how will climate change affect people's psyches? This question is the focus of director Robert von Wroblewsky's film, which tells a grim near-future story. The story follows two unnamed women. The mentally ill mother joins a sun-worshipping cult to find her salvation. Her guilty conscience about the environment and hope for improvement drive her to radical acts. ...

Falter

Falter

2019 | 44 min | Sci-Fi & Fantaisie

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Elysium

Elysium

2009 | 5 min | Shorts

Life – a surefire way to die. There is no place they cannot get to, no experience we don't make possible. Whatever brings you to us, you've come to the right place with Elysium... In a world where the impossible becomes reality, Elysium offers access to the farthest reaches of the universe. This avant-garde company promises unattainable experiences and a technology that excludes death. But what does it cost to be part of this surefire business? Behind the scenes, however, a web of ethical dilemmas ...

Youth Topia

Youth Topia

2023 | 85 min | Drama

In Valpolvra, a village that has fallen out of time, self-actualization is the focus of all the inhabitants. Their dream jobs are reliably determined by an algorithm. The adolescents are spared the previously endless orientation phase of youth, the search for the perfect job, the many rejections and all other crises of meaning. Instead, everyone lives a fulfilled and productive life. Those who don't get a job because of rebellious, irresponsible and impulsive online profiles are classified by the ...