In the episodic short Kaskade, decisions take place within a single day. In a multifaceted way, the lives of the individual characters intertwine, making their personal fates in the city a reflection of our contemporary society.
In a society where the all-powerful Ministry of Decisions oversees every step people take, a day unfolds filled with fateful events: An elderly woman unsuspectingly opens the door to a deceitful handyman. Two window cleaners struggle not only with dizzying heights but also with the schemes of their ruthless boss. A son, grappling with the loss of his mother, finds himself torn between grief and memories. A couple wrestles with the question of whether love means freedom or boundaries. And finally, a young woman dares the unthinkable – she plans to defy the Ministry. But can a single person shake the system?
Credits
Cast
Roxana Safarabadi
Antonia Bergman
Margot Gödrös
Bernhard Glose
Jon Grandpierre
Mücahit Altun
Mehdi Meskar
Guido Lambrecht
Kristin Steffen
Serdar Altan
Creative Producers
Helena Reiche
Lotta Mannsberger
Ray Bremer
Director
Biko Erki
DOP
Yakob El Deeb
Gaffer
Mattis Schulte
Script
Julia Bettermann
Biko Erki
Production Design
Sara Milic
Alice Jamin
Costume Design
Adam Winter
Styling
Fabio Nolting
Veronika Merkulova
Production
ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln
In the sitcom Späti, produced for ZDFneo, Berlin-based Fred has to take over the management of his favourite Späti when its owner goes away at short notice. Fred now has to keep the shop running somehow and encounters the strangest customers in the process.
FYI: A Späti or Spätkauf (pronounced shpeh-tee) is a small store that sells drinks, snacks and tobacco products. It’s similar to convenience stores, corner shops, newsagents and bodegas in other countries.
Screenings
Premiere at Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis on Janury 24, 2025.
Credits
Network: ZDFneo
Studio: btf GmbH
Executive Producer: Esther Busch
Directors: Marleen Valien, Max Reiner
Writers: Patrick Stenzel (Head Writer), Marleen Valien, Max Rainer, Mathis van den Berg, Biko Erki, Max Rauer, Kilian Lieb Additional credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32641950/ |
Johannes Kloosterhuis paints his miniature houses meticulously with a brush and stencil. The reclusive artist reflects on different forms of living and being.
Synopsis
‘hauspausen’ (houseprints) delves into the solitary life of Johannes Kloosterhuis, a reclusive painter who appears to never leaves his apartment. Through his brush, we experience the world he creates - clusters of houses and brutalist structures that mirror the changing landscape of his gentrifying neighborhood. As Johannes gazes out of his window, capturing the evolution of his surroundings on canvas, we are taken on a journey into his mind. The film unravels the complexities of his childhood, building bridges between the past and the present, the inside and the outside. ‘hauspausen’ (houseprints) transcends the form of documentary portrait into a cinematic meditation on chosen isolation, leaving us longing for a glimpse of sunlight.
Screenings / Awards
Premiere at DOK Leipzig film festival on October 28, 2024 in the section of German Competition.
Nominated for the Golden Dove.
Nominated for the Gedanken-Aufschluss Preis.
Credits
Featuring: Johannes Kloosterhuis
Directed by: Biko Erki, Stefan Koutzev and Nathalie Bailoukova
Director’s Statement
‘hauspausen’ (houseprints) emerged from a guided tour through a now-gentrified neighborhood that once housed an important chemicals factory in Cologne. Rather than documenting the terrain and architectural changes over time, I was immediately more intrigued by the people living there. So, on a rainy afternoon, I began ringing doorbells.
When I first met Johannes, I expected to find a man entirely at peace with his seclusion. Instead, I encountered someone whose art is a delicate balance between resignation and resilience—a man who has learned to find comfort in the familiar, yet cannot fully escape the shadows of his memories.
This film seeks to explore the weight of chosen isolation, the price one pays for retreating from the world, and the beauty that can emerge from such solitude. ‘hauspausen’ (houseprints) does not seek to glamorize isolation, nor does it judge it. Instead, it strives to portray the nuanced reality of a life lived within the confines of one’s own making.
I want to invite viewers to reflect on the spaces we inhabit, both physical and psychological, and how they shape our identities. This is a film that longs for connection while embracing the quietude of distance, offering a glimpse into a world where the outside is forever filtered through the intimate gaze of an artist at his window.