An animated documentary in five chapters by and about five female personalities. In the leading roles are their own physicality and a multi-perspective view of femininity. Because origin, environment and socialisation – with their occasionally perverted and compulsive side-effects – have a weight of their own. These autobiographical reflections gain depth of focus and impact through the choice of different haptic animation techniques. Vivid, haunting, beautiful.

Nadja Rademacher

At night, when little Matilda’s room gets dark, the great adventures begin: Who wants to sleep when there’s so much to discover by torch light in the room? In the play of light and shadow, she sees her toys from a very different angle. This puppet animation shows how Matilda overcomes her fear of the dark and gives free rein to her creativity.

Marie-Thérèse Antony

“Who has no house now will not build him one. Who is alone now will be long alone, will waken, read, and write long letters and through the barren pathways up and down restlessly wander when dead leaves are blown.” Renata’s story begins with a recital of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Autumn Day”. Even in this first shot it’s hard to ignore her charisma and the mental cinema begins when the film arrives at the prison. Who is she? What did she do? Did she kill someone? Why? Does she repent? Renata seems too much like the femme fatale of a classic film noir and her restlessness and forlornness are already reflected in the poet’s verses.

In conversations with the director and flirtatious, direct looks into the camera, Renata almost seems to want to be perceived like a film character. Bit by bit, we learn more about this woman and her personality, and about her counterpart who asks the questions. It is a double portrait of the filmmaker and his protagonist, even though the latter will probably never be captured entirely. A lesson about the limits of the depictability of human nature, its games and secrets.

Frederik Lang