Available May 28 at noon—June 10 at 11:59 pm only
The four current, award-winning German short films featured in the compilation Power Games brilliantly touch on worldwide radicalization and extremist tendencies, the apparent problem that history seems destined to repeat itself, and the role power plays even in unexpected situations. Furthermore, the films introduce five talented, up-and-coming directors from diverse backgrounds, each working in their own unique style and format. These emerging artists are a true pleasure to watch!
JUST A GUY
Shoko Hara. 2020. 15 m. NR. Germany. English.
Just a Guy is an animated documentary short film about love. Three women share glimpses of their affection, attraction, and relationship with Richard Ramirez, a serial killer and rapist they contacted after he was convicted in the 1980s. Through their perspective, we revisit exchanged letters and emotions that are as obsessive as they are hauntingly familiar.
LAND OF GLORY (PANNÓNIA DICSÉRETE)
Borbála Nagy. 2020. 27 m. NR. Germany. Hungarian w/ English subtitles.
A school somewhere in Hungary. An ordinary literature class with un-extraordinary, indifferent students. It feels like a normal day, except that the Hungarian Prime Minister is about to visit. The school secretary, the mastermind of the ceremony, tries to keep everything under control—especially the celebratory cake, which doesn’t fit in the fridge. While the cooks struggle to fix the problem, 17-year-old Márti, who is supposed to greet the Prime Minister onstage, hesitantly prepares her little rebellion.
MASEL TOV COCKTAIL
Arkadij Khaet/Mickey Paatzsch. 2020. 30 m. NR. Germany. German & Russian w/ English subtitles.
19-year-old Dimitrij Liebermann punched Tobi in the face. Now he’s supposed to apologize to him, but Dimitrij doesn’t exactly feel sorry. While on his way to meet up with Tobi, he encounters a diverse representation of German society. Again and again, Dimitrij faces the one struggle he needs to overcome: his German-Jewish identity. An analysis of the status quo.
TOP DOWN MEMORY
Daniel Theiler. 2020. 12 m. NR. Germany. German w/ English subtitles.
Top Down Memory deals with the manipulation of history in the context of the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace (“Humboldtforum”). Starting with the confusion surrounding the alleged proclamation of a socialist republic from one of its balconies in 1918, the film examines other political events that occurred on balconies. Reenactments of iconic political and cultural events on the original balcony raise questions about authenticity and manipulation: Who is writing our history? How do we deal with our past? How does collective memory work? The balcony is the central motif of the film, representing hierarchies and power politics.
Pricing and Film Availability Info:
- Admission to the series will be sold either as an all-access pass or à la carte, available only in the JBFC Virtual Marquee.
- Pricing is $70 (members), $85 (nonmembers) for the all-access pass, or $10 (members), $12 (nonmembers) per film.
- All films will be available for the entire length of the series—films will become available at noon on May 28 and will be available until 11:59pm on June 10. Once a film is started, passholders will have 48 hours to finish, regardless of when in the series they start the film.
- The films in this series can and may sell out, so we encourage ticket and pass purchasers to secure their access by unlocking their films ASAP.
