Afire

2023 1h 43m DE

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 274

DramaRomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Self-important author Leon joins his best friend on a summer holiday near the Baltic Sea to complete his novel. When they arrive, they find their house is already occupied by a carefree woman who challenges Leon to open up. Meanwhile, forest wildfires rage around them and impending disaster looms.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Thomas Schubert
Leon
Paula Beer
Nadja
Langston Uibel
Felix
Enno Trebs
Devid
Matthias Brandt
Helmut
Jennipher Antoni
Mrs. Roland, Cashier
Ralph Barnebeck
Police Officer
Esther Esche
Mrs. König, Hotel Manager

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Christian Petzold
Writers: Christian Petzold
Languages: German, Spanish
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bettina Böhler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Thomas Schubert and Paula Beer and Langston Uibel carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt26440619 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Christian Petzold directs. Hans Fromm behind the camera. Bettina Böhler cuts. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 3 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Spanish.
3Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Bettina Böhler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Thomas Schubert and Paula Beer and Langston Uibel carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt26440619 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 21 themes, including "friendship", "germany", "photographer", "literature".
8Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hans Fromm
Editing: Bettina Böhler
Production design: Klaus-Dieter Gruber
Costume design: Katharina Ost
Makeup / hair: Hannah Fischleder
Sound: Bettina Böhler
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,147,526
Original language: DE
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Afire (2023)

Awards

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Christian Petzold

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Tullinge2023-05-01
★ 8/10
In a holiday home on the Baltic Sea not far from Ahrenshoop in hot, dry summer four young persons meet. There is a forest fire and slowly and unnoticeably they are enclosed by the walls of flame. Trapped they get closer, and then the desire, love and sex overtakes them.
Brent Marchant2023-07-30
★ 8/10
Fire is a force that can destroy and devastate, but it’s also one thar can cleanse, sweeping away what’s of questionable value in order to clear space for robust, vigorous, valued new growth. And, sometimes, it can do both simultaneously, as demonstrated in writer-director Christian Petzold’s latest, a searing drama/wry comedy about four old/newfound friends who are unwittingly drawn together at a summer house near the Baltic seacoast. Their time together proves revelatory, stressful and enlightening, in part because of their interactions, the disclosures that come out of those relationships, and the looming threat of ravaging forest fires that threaten them and their existence, both literally and metaphorically. The film is a slowburn in every sense of the word, especially at the outset, with a somewhat cryptic narrative that seems rather meandering at times, but that sets the stage for what’s to follow in the back half. The picture subsequently presents a witty but profoundly insightful examination of what makes us who we are, how much we enjoy or endure our lives, and what we can do to make it better for ourselves when we eliminate what no longer serves us. In many respects, “Afire” is probably not what most viewers will expect, but, then, that’s a huge part of its appeal, a refreshing, engaging look at life and what we make of it, a valuable exercise given how abruptly it can all be taken away, leaving us to ask ourselves, what did we do with the time we had and was it indeed worth it in the end? Give this one time to unfold, and let it sink in. It may help you realize and understand more about yourself than you can possibly imagine.
CinemaSerf2023-08-24
★ 6/10
"Leon" (Thomas Schubert) and his friend "Felix" (Langston Uibel) head to a remote rural cottage near the Baltic coast so the former man can put the finishing touches to his novel before a visit from his publisher (Matthias Brandt). They arrive, though, and discover that "Nadja" (Paula Beer) is already staying - and this upsets the apple cart a bit. "Leon" quickly becomes obsessed - and that only gets worse when her nocturnal activities with life guard "Devid" (Enno Trebs) and some wafer thin walls force him to sleep in the garden amongst the mosquitoes. What now ensues is quite an intricately constructed observational presentation that looks at the evolving dynamic between the four - and it doesn't pan out as you might expect, especially once it becomes clear that his latest literary work is nobody's idea of a magnum opus. The characterisations here have a fluidity to them that makes for quite an interesting watch. None of them could ever be described as beautiful - in any classical sense - so the story is much more about their traits, flaws and foibles than about their looks. That works up to a point, but there was too much missing from the puzzle for me to really find myself engaged with any of them. The last twenty minutes - set amidst some lethal forest fires - was rushed and seemed to me indicative that "Leon" wasn't the only one who'd suffered from a writer's block! The photography is effectively intimate at times but at other times we see just too many shots walking to and from the beach (and the constant buzzing of the mozzies got on my nerves a bit, too, after a while!). I did quite enjoy this, but somehow it just lacked substance before a conclusion that just seemed to be unnecessarily ghastly. Give it a go, though...