Film student Willie Lindmann’s final project will be a documentary on her parents’ first encounter in 25 years. But neither of them, nor her stepmother and adopted brother who are along for the ride, have the slightest inkling of how fundamentally earth-shattering the afternoon will turn out to be. Emotions run high and boil over, as alcohol flows and secrets and lies, new and old, come to the surface. ACT NATURAL is a tragicomic found-footage drama about appearances and the truth behind them—in a completely normal patchwork family.
Plot
Artwork
Reviews
With all the seriousness and drama behind, the script and the film impress with a playful lightness in which humour, seriousness and depth occur equally. A debut film with an original basic idea, which is filmed with great talent and deserves a lot of attention. (Jury statement Filmfestival Ludwigshafen)
Realistic and endearing, the film shows that much is said and discussed, yet no conflict is resolved and catharsis never comes. Even though the escalation at times feels like a pile-up on the highway from which we can’t look away, moments of love and selfless devotion still shine through the dysfunction — the kind that family can be, and sometimes is. (epd film)
For the characters, it’s a horror shoot; for the audience, it’s fun with depth. (TV Today)
A refreshingly original and moving debut about the misunderstandings, quarrels, and unspoken conflicts of a “perfectly normal” family. (Spielfilm)
Festivals and awards
Max Ophüls Preis
Festival des deutschen Films Ludwigshafen (AWARD FOR BEST SCRIPT)
Kinofest Lünen
Chennai International Film Festival (SPECIAL JURY AWARD)
Filmfestival Bremen
Credits
A co-production between Orange Roughy Filmproduktion and eitelsonnenschein, in association with Darling Point, funded by Filmstiftung NRW
Cast: Lou Strenger, Catrin Striebeck, Johanna Gastdorf, Markus John, Florian Geißelmann, Jean-Paul Baeck
Director and Writer: Alice Gruia
Producers: Corinna C. Poetter, Lutz Heineking jr., Marco Gilles, Alice Gruia
Director of Photography: Thorsten Schönrade
Editor: Vlad Litvak
Costume and Set Design: Nina-Sophie Brettschneider
Sound: Tarik Badaoui
Music: Tom Ashforth
Sound Design and Mixing: Jascha Viehl
Grading: Yannick de Decker
Light: Jan Nieschulz
Art Design: Jan Partke
Production Management: Christopher Albrodt
Make-Up Artists: Katharina Lenz, Ursula Windmann, Natalie Korani
and other talented crew members
