Gieselmann

How do you become who you are? Through the slights one experiences, believes freelance journalist and author Dirk Gieselmann. One late evening, he is alone in his apartment. His camera is set up in front of him, with which he records himself. In doing so, he first introduces himself personally and announces that he will call three people. In the telephone calls that follow, he confronts his interlocutors with long-ago encounters, experienced ruthlessness and the accusation that they drove him out of the paradise of childhood. That evening, he wants to know what the reasons were for the slights and hopes to be able to make sense of them. He realizes that his childhood has finally come to an end and remembers the world of thoughts that surrounded him when he was a little boy. Then he receives an unexpected call from his family.

Directed by Rainer Bärensprung, Robin Epkenhans, Gieselmann leans on a strong ensemble — Stephan Möller-Titel, Theresa Berlage, Mirko Thiele — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2021.