Bannkorb

Germany, 1945: World War II is over, but peace is deceptive. Deep in a remote forest, Josef, a former SS officer, lives in a simple hut. His only companions are a rabbit and a few bees. During the day, he tends to his beehives, and in the evening, he reads to the rabbit—as if to atone for his sins. But the past cannot be tamed. In dark nightmares, the ghosts of his guilt return and confront him with the deeds he tries to repress. He retreats deeper and deeper into alcohol and loneliness. Between the forest and madness, the boundaries between reality and hallucination become blurred. What is imagination, what is retribution? The spell Josef has cast around himself no longer protects him – he becomes a prisoner of his memories. BANNKORB, directed by Vincent Ercolani, Julius Schulze Farwick, and Nicholas Dues, unfolds in just 19 minutes, creating an oppressive atmosphere of guilt, isolation, and inner decay. This haunting short film was shown at numerous international festivals in 2024, including the Tampere Film Festival, the HARD\:LINE Festival, and the Maniatic Film Festival, where it won the award for best cinematography, among others. An intense contribution to German genre cinema that combines historical responsibility with psychological horror.