Schilinski is now realizing that dream at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival, running from May 13 to 25. German directors at Cannes have been, as the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung humorously noted, “at times harder to find than a decent lunch for less than €20.”
This year, Germany is also represented by Fatih Akin, whose historical film “Amrum” is showcasing out of competition, and Christian Petzold, whose film “Mirrors No. 3” has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight, a parallel section at the Cannes festival.
However, Schilinski stands as the sole German director with a film in the main competition, the first since Maren Ade caused a stir at the 2016 festival with her film “Toni Erdmann.”
Schilinski’s film is competing for the prestigious Golden Palm award against works by acclaimed directors such as Wes Anderson, Kelly Reichardt, and Richard Linklater.
A Century Charted Through Four Generations
“Sound of Falling” is set on a farm in a small village in northeastern Germany. It tells the stories of four generations of women living on the farm, interweaving their narratives across different timelines until the distinctions blur, turning individual portraits into a sweeping depiction of a century.
“As we explored the rooms of the farmhouse, we could feel the centuries,” says Schilinski. “It evoked a question I’ve had since childhood.” She recalls growing up in a pre-war apartment building in Berlin, often wondering, “What transpired between these walls in the past? Who sat in the very spot I am now occupying? What destinies unfolded here? What experiences and emotions did the people who lived here endure?” Hence, her film is a venture to imagine answers to these inquiries.
The Gaze of Women in Cinema
Like Schilinski’s 2017 debut film, “Dark Blue Girl,” a psychodrama examining a complex family dynamic, “Sound of Falling” centers around a female viewpoint. Schilinski emphasizes that the female gaze was crucial to her and her co-writer, Louise Peter, due to its rarity in cinema. “Sound of Falling” presents events from the vantage points of women, showcasing how women have been perceived throughout a century, how it feels today, and how this perception is ingrained within their bodies,” explains Schilinski.
Schilinski’s career trajectory seems almost predetermined. Her mother is a filmmaker who brought her along on shoots, leading Schilinski to start acting in films and television from a young age. She pursued film studies and worked in various aspects of the film industry before becoming a freelance screenwriter for film and television.
Schilinski garnered attention with the screening of “Dark Blue Girl” at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, and her career is likely to receive a further boost due to her latest film’s inclusion in Cannes.
Upon receiving the invitation for “Sound of Falling” to be featured in Cannes, Schilinski admits she initially couldn’t believe it: “I had to check if ‘Official Selection’ was a parallel section or the main competition.” She mentions submitting her film to three major festivals: Berlin, Venice, and Cannes. Initially, they did not know if the selection committees would view the film, as they were newcomers. However, just before Christmas, they received the notification announcing their main competition inclusion at Cannes.
This article was originally written in German.
