"Of the scent of beetroot and the people who live forever" is a short film collaboration with Petra Stipetic and my graduation film from the University of Kassel. The film juxtaposes real-life interviews with a fantastical world in which a scientist discovers "the cure to death" within the scent of beetroot. The concept for this surreal world was loosely inspired by Tom Robbins' book "Jitterbug Perfume." The characters within the story are all based on interviews conducted during the pandemic, capturing the feeling of living in an eternal world where any change seems meaningless and impossible. Through these characters, the film explores themes of immortality, stasis, and the human desire for meaning within an unchanging existence.
FESTIVALS
35. Filmfest Dresden - National Competition (GER) 2023, Fest Anca International Animation Festival (SVK), Anibar (XK), BLON (LTU), Flipbook 2023 (MKD), dokumentART 2023 (GER), Filmfest Weiterstadt (GER), Animateka 2023 (SLO), Bit Bang (ARG), Dokfest Kassel 2023 (GER), Interfilm Berlin 2023, FAB 2023 (GER), Experimental Film Guanajuato 2023 (MX), Contis Film Festival 2024 (FR), 17. LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International (GER)
PRICES
Goldener Herkules | Dokfest Kassel 2023
Nomination | Hessischer Film- und Kinopreis 2023 for 'Best Graduation Film'
1st Mention International Graduation Short Film Award | BitBang Festival 2023
Golden Horseman National Competition - Special Mention | 35. Filmfest Dresden 2023
Nomination | Hessischer Film- und Kinopreis 2023 for 'Best Graduation Film'
1st Mention International Graduation Short Film Award | BitBang Festival 2023
Golden Horseman National Competition - Special Mention | 35. Filmfest Dresden 2023
Golden Horseman Sound Design - Special Metion | 35. Filmfest Dresden 2023
Studio Filmbilder Preis 2023 CREDITS
Concept | Direction | Animation - Maren Wiese und Petra Stipetic
Sounddesign | Mix - Christian Wittmoser
Music - Thomas Höhl
3D Animation - Yannick Stark
Background Coloring - Henrike Büsser
VOICES
Tikhon Federov - Moritz Kienemann
Grandma - Marina Kalmykova
Little Tikhon - Oskar Fröhlich
Butterfly - Fabian Mankat
News Anchor 1 - Maren Wiese
News Anchor 2 - Stephan Dorn
Perfume Voice Over - Petra Stipetić
News Anchor 3 - Shoko Hara
Serial Killer - Felix Kramer
Telemarketer - Gesa Bering
TV Show Host - Stella Lennert
Weatherman - Benedikt Grubel
INTERVIEW PARTNERS
Dominik Ferenczi | Christina Günther | Verena Kern | Richard Kröger | Axel Menzebach | Georgina Mowwe | Stephanie Oetzel | Niklas Reuse
produced by Dokfront GbR | funded by HessenFilm und Medien GmbH