CATOPTRICS

How do German couples communicate in private? What are they arguing about? Is the way to a man’s heart really through his stomach? This docu-fictional hybrid production discusses such questions with the help of authentic interview snippets that were edited under the staged plot. We get an insight into the life of an animal couple, who experience typical everyday situations on behalf of us humans. At first, our fox is emotionally contained, while the penguin lady may get wild as hell. With a wink, the filmmakers hold up a mirror to the audience in the cinema.

Two young strangers meet in Naples and begin to flirt and dance in the street.

Two athletic spider women quarrel over one tasty man. Can he escape?

Brazilian mission commander Sam struggles with establishing a stable connection from Earth to his lover. German scientist Joy explores planet Kepler 452b at her research facility for Alchemy Plasma, a revolutionary energy source. Their long-distance relationship faces doom, when alien Dardesh invaders attack the human outpost, 1400 light years away.

A sickly tourist visits Berlin sights quickly with an angelic teleport guide.

Sierra is a spy who loves cheesecake. She has a flavor to suit her every mood. Today her mood is bad. Her informant Austin has arrived. She wants answers. Will he give them freely or will she have to threaten him to get what she wants?

A muffin thief troubles Mr. Baker, so he seeks help from a sleek detective. They agree to catch the thief at night in the bakery in Baker Street.

Helen suffers from a rare fear of chalk. One day she feels encroached by several chalk figures in Helsinki and decides to confront her fear. In the Amos Rex museum, she discovers the works of Keith Haring in a catalogue and adapts his style to her needs for catharsis.

Shell-shocked Barbara must face up to the loss of a dear companion after a tragic accident. Her best friend Klara and husband Torsten devise a plan to thaw Barbara's heart, after she reminisces about the incident, the funeral, and happier times. Will she agree to the suggestions of her nearest and dearest? Can grief turn into hope?

A brooding businessman reads his own suicide note on a roof. He ponders many questions about time travel.

When forest animals invade our cities, the world is in disarray. Office vixen Fiona struggles with her banana phone addiction. Will she succumb to it? Temperamental bunny Barbara only gives her stag sugar daddy Nestor his special massage, after he dines her and plays the big spender. This obscure short film pinpoints postmodern tropes of consumerism, eroticism, and art with an homage to the theater stage and references to literature. This work uses a fantasy language and needs no subtitles.

Alexandra and Timofeya have a serious problem. A woman lies dead on the living room floor. When they discover that she is Eva and Sveta Kalaschnikova’s wife (the local Russian Mafia boss), and that Alex has been having an affair with Eva, the possibility of three dead women becomes a reality.

Egglantine loves salt on her eggs. Eggbert prefers pepper. Who blinks first in this playful Easter ritual?

The Kurdish Iraqi poet and actor Zeravan Khalil travels with his dog through an Alpine gorge after fleeing from IS war and genocide. As he remembers the abomination, he writes a poem with the title “You drive me mad” in Kurmanji Kurdish. In his home country, Yazidic Kurds are forbidden to work in his profession. Then he eats his apple and wanders through Europe’s middle with more hope.

In the last days of their tumultuous relationship Julian and Lara are confronted with a life changing event and now must bear the consequences.

Notorious for committing multiple cybercrimes, Sonny Marcato has served his sentence in a prison stationed on the edge of a black hole, where time is essentially frozen. For his release, Sonny requested only to enjoy his favorite whisky on his way back to Earth… to celebrate what is to come.