Power of Love

Saara and Robert are happily in love. Robert recently moved from Berlin to Helsinki to give their relationship a real chance. Their everyday life is characterized by playing with gender role clichés and power relations, but behind their unconventional facade, both struggle with fears and insecurities. Full of anticipation for a break, they set off on an extended summer vacation on a secluded island in the Finnish archipelago. Stirred up by the harsh nature, the couple falls back into archaic patterns that they desperately try to overcome. POWER OF LOVE premiered at the International Hof Film Festival in 2023 and was subsequently shown at the achtung berlin Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Director. It was also presented at the Berlinale in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino series, where it received an intense response. Critics praised the uncompromising portrayal and precise psychological characterization, which further consolidates Rothlaender's signature as an auteur filmmaker. Produced by StickUp Filmproduktion and MissingFILMs, POWER OF LOVE is one of the most exciting German independent productions of the year—a work that shows the courage to confront and questions the concept of love in its most radical form.