Christian Petzold’s Silver Bear winner “Afire” has received a new trailer.
The drama follows writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) who are surprised by a mysterious young woman named Nadja (Paula Beer) staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home by the Baltic Sea.
Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and, with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group. Meanwhile, tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon’s tight-lipped book editor also arrive.
The movie stars Thomas Schubet, Paula Beer, Enno Trebs, Langston Uibel and Matthias Brandt.
“Afire” won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival in February, where it also garnered solid reviews. The film is being released Stateside by Sideshow and Janus Films — which also released “Drive My Car” and “EO” in the U.S. — on July 14.
Petzold’s previous films include “Undine” (2020), “Transit” (2018) and Berlinale best director winner “Barbara” (2012).
In his review of “Afire,” PvNew critic Guy Lodge wrote: “Thematically and politically, ‘Afire’ is less rigidly conceived than much of the German auteur’s recent work, though it shouldn’t be mistaken for a slight diversion. A surfeit of questions about human nature and need emerge from the mess of its characters and their charged, brittle interactions: Art, etiquette, sexuality and friendship are all up for discussion, between skin-salting swims and glugs of white wine.”
Check out a trailer for “Afire” below:
