North American Premiere
As evening approaches, residents of Cologne gather in bars, cafes, and clubs across the German city. A policewoman goes out with a man starting a clerkship; a trio of women vent about their job woes; a middle-aged woman meets up with her longtime friends for a game of cards. As the night wears on, no topic of conversation is out of bounds, with immigration, war in the Middle East, gender, feminism, and racial profiling all thrown into the mix. As the alcohol keeps flowing, conversations get louder and opinions looser, as if testing the very fabric of this tenuous social world.
A raucous, ribald ensemble comedy, The Ballad From Wednesday to Thursday is a riotously funny but keenly observed look at a cross-section of German society. Recalling the booze-addled energy and quasi-documentary atmosphere of Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (VIFF 2020), this is a film sees talk and conversation as messy and unpredictable, but also as the lifeblood of human connection and democracy.
Supported by
Magdalena Laubisch, Ulrike Prager, Johannes Benecke, Sergen Meral, Jean-Luc Bubert
Germany
2026
In German with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Christoph Otto
Screenwriter
Jan Bonny, Jan Eichberg
Cinematography
Montell Taraschewski
Editor
Christoph Otto
Original Music
Tina Schüler
Christoph Otto
Christoph Otto is a director, writer, and editor who studied at the Mainz Academy of Arts and the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. His short film Bei Gino (2024) won the NRW Competition at the 2024 International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. As an editor, he has received two German Television Awards for his work with director Jan Bonny. The Ballad From Wednesday to Thursday (2026) is his feature-length directorial debut.
Photo by T.Schueler_queer
Focus on New German Cinema: Extreme Tension
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The Ballad From Wednesday to Thursday
As evening approaches, residents of Cologne gather in bars, cafes, and clubs, talking about everything from immigration, war in the Middle East, feminism, and racial profiling. As the alcohol flows, conversations get louder and opinions looser.
Image: © Montell Taraschewski_Monte Kalk Film
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