Alaska

After a turning point in her life, Kerstin (Christina Grosse) returns to the place where she grew up. She launches her red kayak and embarks on a journey across the Mecklenburg Lake District. Between tourism and dreariness, the kayak becomes a protective capsule for her—until one day she meets Alima (Pegah Ferydoni), who finally asks the paddling loner the right questions. This place means nothing to Alima. The constant paddling, the tranquility of nature, and the lack of cell phone reception are nothing but a nuisance to her. The stoic yet vulnerable Kerstin is a welcome change, so the two different women continue on their journey together. But little by little, Kerstin's past at the lake district creeps in with Sören (Niklas Wetzel), Thomas (Karsten Antonio Mielke), and Nina (Milena Dreissig), finally challenging her reclusiveness. ALASKA premiered in 2022 at the Munich Film Festival, where it won the New German Cinema Award for Best Director. The film also received several awards at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Film Festival, including the main prize, the “Flying Ox,” and the audience award. Critics praised the atmospheric density, the precise screenplay, and the uncompromising style of the director, who had already attracted attention with “Kahlschlag” (Clear-Cutting). Produced by Wood Water Films with the support of the Filmbüro Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, ALASKA impressively demonstrates that great cinema can also arise from small moments – intense, poetic, and disturbingly honest.