Syndicado Film Sales Two films selected for the Berlinale are: “Paul”. dennis cotewhich has its world premiere in the Panorama Documenta section, and “Siren Call” by Miri Ian Gossing and Lena Siekman, which is part of the Forum lineup.
Côté’s documentary focuses on Paul, who suffers from depression and social anxiety. He seeks security by becoming the submissive “Cleaning Simp Paul”, doing household chores for prominent women. By sharing his crazy routine on social media, he combats his loneliness.
Filmed from a candid, non-judgmental point of view, “Paul” is a portrait of an eccentric but lovable man that offers a fresh perspective on our quest for well-being.
The producers are Hani Oichou and Karine Belanger of CoopVideo Montreal in Canada. Distribution in Canada is handled by Metropole Films.
Côté’s first feature film “Les États Nordiques” (2005) was awarded the Golden Leopard Award for Best Video at the Locarno Film Festival. Côté’s “Vic+Flo Saw a Bear” won the Silver Bear for Innovation at the Berlinale in 2013. “Hygiene Social” won Best Director in the Encounters section at the Berlinale in 2021.
“sirens call”
Courtesy of gossingsieckmann/filmfaust/coachman
In their feature-length debut, Gossing and Siekman dive into merfolk subculture with performance artist and siren Una the Mermaid (Gina Ronning). According to press materials, the film is a blend of science fiction, road film and documentary to explore a subculture that “uses fantastic imagery to talk about collective trauma, body politics and the urge to lifelong transition.” Is happening”.
In a statement, the directors said: “In 2017, we first learned online about a subculture of people in Portland, Oregon who identified as mer-folk. They claimed they were not only interested in silicone tails. Dress up as a siren, but actually live it up as one of her everyday identities after meeting Una the Mermaid for the first time in Portland – a prison psychologist and trauma advocate in her civilian life. We immediately felt a very special connection: Una and her group were incorporating the things we had long envisioned for our Siren figure, combining interdisciplinary knowledge. And machines had the ability to connect and try to create new ways of being with each other and the world.
The film is produced by Filmfoss in collaboration with Schalten und Walten (the art group of Gossing & Sieckmann), with co-production partners Elbe Stevens Films of the Netherlands and ZDF/Das Kleine Fernsehspiel of Germany. The producers are Klaus Herzog-Reichel and Mehmet Akif Büyükatale.