Final Stage

The present, the whole present and nothing but the present. A young man on a footbridge, a bus departs, his friend is gone. This is followed by a majestic parade through a shopping centre. This central shot in the film is a fragile balancing act between documentary observation and subtle direction. Deliberately asynchronous sound serves to heighten the sense that events are nothing more than a construction of an apparently familiar reality. The boy's melancholic bearing, and the way the film unfolds, are embedded in an extremely expressive, albeit narratively minimalistic, dramaturgy of colour. Vibrant colours introduce each individual sequence: blue, green, yellow, orange, red.

details

  • Runtime

    27 min
  • Country

    Germany
  • Year of Presentation

    2017
  • Year of Production

    2017
  • Director

    Nicolaas Schmidt
  • Cast

    Aaron Himler, Fynn Grossmann
  • Production Company

    Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg
  • Berlinale Section

    perspective german cinema
  • Berlinale Category

    Essay Film

Biography Nicolaas Schmidt

Born in Leipzig, East Germany in 1979, the filmmaker, video and conceptual artist now lives in Hamburg. He studied liberal arts, time-based media and film at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. His work has been presented at international film festivals and exhibitions. Final Stage screened in the 2017 Perspektive Deutsches Kino at the Berlinale where it won the Special Jury Prize.

Filmography Nicolaas Schmidt

2008 Neuseenland | 2009 Sense + Innocence | 2010 Der Lauf Und Chopin | 2010 Ohne Schlechtes Gewissen Geniessen | 2011 Die Reise Mit Der Eisenbahn Hat Sich Durchaus Ein Wenig Gelohnt | 2012 Forever | 2013 Break | 2014 36000 Frames RGB | 2014 Leaving Monochromia | 2015 36KFRGB-S29: Die Manifestation Des Kapitalismus in Unserem Leben Ist Die Traurigkeit | 2016 Autumn | 2016 Compare