LOVE WINS

WAS MARIELLE WEISS

2025 / 86 min / color

What if someone could hear our every conversation and see us even in our most intimate or embarrassing moments? It’s a question we all probably ask ourselves from time to time. The protagonists of Frédéric Hambalek’s film, married couple Julia and Tobias, find themselves in an even worse situation, actually experiencing it in reality. When their teenage daughter Marielle gets hit on the head during a fight at school, she acquires this gift, to her own surprise. Suddenly deep, dark secrets start to come out at the family dinner table — from awkward ones, which create conflict between the characters, to slightly more absurd ones, which are actually pretty funny. Both Tobias and Julia have things to hide, as they mask their true feelings behind the façade of a stable upper-middle-class lifestyle, but now it’s time for them to finally face reality. Frédéric Hambalek’s second film is a bittersweet story about the hardships and disappointments of adulthood. The German director reflects on whether it’s better to be brutally honest or, in certain situations, to keep things to yourself and protect the status quo. His film makes room for both laughter and serious reflection.

• Berlin IFF – Guild Film Prize (Special Mention)