Salamander-like creatures copulate under the moonlight. A feast ensues, propelling a hungry group of two-legged forest dwellers to new heights.
Germany
2022
No Dialogue
Featured in:
MODES 3
Whimsical, questioning and utterly absorbing, a collection of animated work delving into worlds of wonder, subversion, and Marxist mystery. These works are fun and some re-construct ideas of animation, paying homage to experimentalists who came before.
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The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
NAZA
NAZA is a codeword euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians it expects will be killed in an airstrike. This chilling documentary exposes the policy and process of state-sanctioned mass killings.
I Am Not a Witch
Rungano Nyoni's acclaimed debut feature is a visually striking satire about a 9-year-old orphan accused of witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. Screening in the latest African Cinema Now! series, The Witch at the Edge of the Screen.
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
Queen at Sea
An academic is pitted against her stepfather in a moral crisis over the care of her mother, who lives with dementia. Winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 2026 Berlinale.
Image: © Seafaring
Credits
Producer
Jonatan Schwenk
Screenwriter
Merlin Flügel, Jonatan Schwenk
Cinematography
Ferdinand Kowalke, Jonatan Schwenk
ANIM
Jonatan Schwenk, Marta Magnuska
Original Music
David Kamp
Director
Jonatan Schwenk
Jonatan Schwenk is an independent filmmaker, animator, sound designer, and storyboard artist currently based in Berlin. A graduate from University of Art and Design in Offenbach, he focuses on combining various animation techniques into hybrid forms.
His animated short Sog (2017) received nearly 40 awards and mentions (including the Annecy Cristal for Best Graduation Film) and screened at film festivals including SXSW, Palm Springs International ShortFest, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb, and Flickerfest International Short Film Festival.