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  • German Culture Ministry to Decide Fate of Berlinale Boss Tricia Tuttle

    German Culture Ministry to Decide Fate of Berlinale Boss Tricia Tuttle

    The future of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle remains uncertain following a supervisory board meeting on Thursday morning.

    The supervisory board of the KBB, the umbrella association that operates the Berlinale, held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the future of the Berlin film festival and its director. The KBB is fully owned by the German government, which, through the culture ministry, is the main financial backer of the Berlinale.

    “This morning, a supervisory board meeting of KBB GmbH took place at the Federal Chancellery,” the German culture ministry said in a statement. “The topic was the Berlinale. Discussions regarding the direction of the Berlinale will continue in the coming days between the director, Tricia Tuttle, and the supervisory board.”

    Tuttle has come under fire from conservative circles for pro-Palestinian comments made by some of the filmmakers at this year’s award ceremony, held on Saturday. Palestinian director Abdallah Al-Khatib, whose film Chronicles From the Siege won the top prize in the Perspectives section, used his acceptance speech to call for a “free Palestine” and accused the German government of “being partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel.” That prompted German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider to walk out of the ceremony in protest, and triggered a backlash from conservative politicians and media in Germany, who say the statements amount to “antisemitism” and “hate of Israel.”

    German conservative tabloid Bild has led the backlash, targeting Tuttle in particular. A Bild column on Tuesday by right-wing journalist Gunnar Schupelius accused Tuttle of having “posed for Gaza propaganda,” referencing a photo of the festival director with Al-Khatib and the Chronicles From the Siege crew at the film’s Berlinale world premiere on Feb. 15. Tuttle is standing next to crew members holding up a Palestinian flag. Several men in the group are wearing the traditional Palestinian headscarf, the keffiyeh.

    On Wednesday, Bild broke the news that the KBB was calling an extraordinary supervisory board meeting to discuss the events at this year’s festival and Tuttle’s future at the Berlinale. The paper, citing no sources, speculated that Tuttle would be fired, two years into her five-year mandate as Berlinale director.

    The German and European film academies have thrown their support behind Tuttle, warning that firing her would be both unjust — as none of the supposedly offensive comments came from Tuttle or the festival but were made by filmmakers themselves — and would have a chilling effect on free speech at the Berlinale.

    “An international film festival is not a diplomatic instrument; it is a democratic cultural space worthy of protection,” the German film academy wrote in its open letter. “Its strength lies in its ability to hold divergent perspectives and to give visibility to a plurality of voices.”

    Several international filmmakers, including Tilda Swinton, Nancy Spielberg, Sean Baker, Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Radu Jude, have added their names to the open letter in support of Tuttle.

    On Thursday, Berlinale staff and contractors also issued a statement on the festival’s official Instagram page, expressing their support for “extraordinary” artistic director Tricia Tuttle amid uncertainty over her future.

    “The Berlinale Team looks back on a successful festival 2026, realised collectively and met with a positive response from filmmakers, industry representatives, as well as tens of thousands of audience members,” the statement reads. “In light of the ongoing debates and deeply worrying developments around our Festival Director, Tricia Tuttle, more than 500 Berlinale employees have now jointly shared this message with policymakers:

    “We, the staff, contract employees and freelancers of the Berlinale and associated institutions, representing a plurality of perspectives, speak with one voice in unanimous support of the extraordinary Tricia Tuttle as the Director of the Berlinale.”

    “We have all worked closely with Tricia during her tenure and witnessed firsthand the clarity, integrity, and artistic vision that she has brought to the Berlinale,” the statement continues. “She has made the many hundreds of Berlinale colleagues feel individually respected and, collectively, extremely proud of our achievements over the course of two difficult years.

    We do not exaggerate when we say, as one, that it is unlikely the KBB Supervisory Board could have appointed a more intelligent, ethical, and responsive leader for the Berlinale, nor one more dedicated to the core principles that make this festival a vital platform for cinema in Germany and internationally.”

    In her first year at the job, Tuttle was broadly praised for her efforts to foster an open and respectful debate on Gaza and other contentious political issues. In addition to screening Chronicles From the Siege, the Berlinale also invited Israeli director Tom Shoval to screen a recut version of his documentary A Letter to David, his tribute to actor friend David Cunio, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 and only recently released. The first version of A Letter to David screened at the Berlinale last year.

    Tuttle attended the screening of A Letter To David – The Complete Version and, following the conservative backlash this week, Shoval posted a picture of the festival director hugging him before the 2025 premiere.

    “She chose to screen the film and show solidarity with David and Ariel who were at the time still in captivity,” Shoval wrote in the post. “Tricia Tuttle saw beyond the politics. She saw the family’s human suffering and understood the urgent need to make their voice heard. She recognized that an innocent person who had acted in a film once screened at Berlinale, was now a hostage, and that the film community had a moral responsibility to demand his release…Tricia Tuttle is a true model of cultural leadership. She is a visionary with a cosmopolitan, progressive artistic outlook, and above all, an individual of unparalleled integrity. Tricia is an irreplaceable asset to the Berlinale, and I stand firmly behind her.

    The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Berlinale for comment.

  • Catherine Deneuve Co-Authors ‘Marilyn Chérie,’ Timed to Marilyn Monroe’s 100th Birthday (EXCLUSIVE)

    Catherine Deneuve Co-Authors ‘Marilyn Chérie,’ Timed to Marilyn Monroe’s 100th Birthday (EXCLUSIVE)

    Catherine Deneuve has co-authored a book dedicated to the late icon, “Marilyn chérie,” which will come out in May to mark the centenary of her birth.

    In the book, which she wrote with collector Sébastien Cauchon, Deneuve delivers a personal look at photographs of Monroe, including set photos, costume fittings, portraits by leading photographers, press images and amateur shots. The curated stills, many of which have never been published before, come from Cauchon’s private collection, among others.

    Deneuve, herself a cinema icon, is a longtime Monroe devotee and has been influenced by her work. She previously participated in the documentary, “Marilyn, dite Norma Jean,” which aired on television in 1987. Deneuve also starred with Monroe’s partner in “Some Like It Hot,” Jack Lemmon, in his first American film, “The April Fools,” in 1968; and with Yves Montand — who had starred opposite Monroe in “Let’s Make Love” — in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Le Sauvage” in 1975.

    “So beautiful, so open, almost unknown. So generous with her body, her face tilted back, something childlike too — which never makes her seem indecent. The actress whose films I have seen all, never known, the most precious to me,” Deneuve writes in “Marilyn chérie.”

    The 224-page book is set to be published by Flammarion, which holds the worldwide publishing rights. Deneuve and Cauchon retain the adaptation rights.

    Cauchon, who currently works as an awards strategist, previously wrote the book “Marilyn 1962,” which was published by Stock in 2016 and was optioned for a miniseries project. His Marilyn Monroe photo archive collection was presented at an exhibition hosted by Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux during the 2022 edition of the Lumière Festival.

  • XRP Just Going Over $10 This Year Would Make It the Best-Performing Fund in Wall Street History

    XRP Just Going Over $10 This Year Would Make It the Best-Performing Fund in Wall Street History

    A prominent $XRP commentator has argued that a move above $10 this year would place $XRP in the record books alongside the most successful funds in Wall Street history.

    Game designer Chad Steingraber recently stated that no exchange-traded fund has ever delivered a 5x return in its first year of launch in traditional markets. According to him, if $XRP simply climbs above $10 in 2026, it would surpass that benchmark.

    $XRP Price Context and ETF Launch

    Notably, $XRP is currently trading at $1.44, up 6.28% over the past 24 hours. $XRP spot ETFs launched in November 2025 when the asset was around $2.30. Since then, the price has experienced notable volatility, dropping as low as $1.11 earlier this month before rebounding.

    A rise from current levels to $10 would represent nearly a 7x move from $1.44. Even from the ETF launch price near $2.30, a surge to $10 would translate to more than a 4x return within the first year of these products trading on U.S. exchanges.

    By comparison, the spot Bitcoin ETFs that launched in January 2024 saw strong performance, but not at that scale in their first year. BTC moved from roughly $38,000 at the time of ETF approval to $109,114 by January 2025.

    It later reached an all-time high of $126,200 in October 2026. While impressive, that represents roughly a 3x move in the first year, below the 5x threshold Steingraber referenced.

    Institutional Exposure to $XRP Expands

    Despite recent price pressure, institutional appetite for $XRP exposure has been building through regulated products.

    Last week, Franklin Templeton disclosed in SEC filings that its $XRP ETF held 118,387,154 $XRP as of December 31, 2025, worth approximately $216.37 million at the time. The fund is listed on NYSE Arca and provides pure-play exposure to $XRP without direct custody.

    More recent data shows the fund’s assets have grown to $243 million, even as its NAV has declined due to $XRP’s price correction. The ETF has posted negative returns since its inception, reflecting the downturn in crypto markets after launch.

    Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs confirmed in its Q4 2025 13F filing that it holds approximately $153 million worth of $XRP exposure through various ETFs, including products from Bitwise Asset Management, Grayscale Investments, and 21Shares.

    Altogether, $XRP ETFs have accumulated over $1 billion in assets within months of launch, signaling strong Wall Street participation.

    Can $XRP Deliver a Historic Run?

    Supporters argue that with institutional rails in place and capital flowing into regulated products, $XRP could see an outsized move in a strong cycle. For perspective, BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, crossed $100 billion in assets in under two years, showing how fast capital can scale when demand aligns. The move significantly contributed to Bitcoin’s explosive price rally during that period.

    Still, a move to $10 from $1.44 is a formidable feat for $XRP, considering the massive pessimism currently dominating the crypto space. Ultimately, while institutional access is expanding, whether $XRP delivers that kind of breakout in 2026 remains to be seen.

  • Surprising Statements About Bitcoin from Wikipedia Founder! “$10,000 is Inevitable!”

    After experiencing declines in recent weeks, Bitcoin (BTC) has recovered in the last 24 hours and is once again approaching the $70,000 mark.

    While Bitcoin’s recovery has provided some relief to the market, shocking statements have come from the founder of Wikipedia.

    Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, using the X account, has made harsh criticisms of Bitcoin, claiming that it will fall below $10,000 by 2050 and become a collector’s item.

    Jimmy Wales predicted that Bitcoin’s value wouldn’t drop to zero, but would fall below $10,000 by 2050.

    “Bitcoin is a complete failure as a currency, a store of value, etc., therefore it will not be the dominant currency of the future.”

    “That’s why I predict it will be below $10,000 in today’s dollar terms by 2050. It could probably be much lower.”

    Wales, acknowledging that Bitcoin will never disappear unless there is an unpredictable flaw or a 51% attack, argued that its permanence does not mean it will increase in value or rise in value.

    Wales, who considers Bitcoin a failure both as a currency and a store of value, stated that it cannot be the money of the future.

    Wales stated that the lack of practical utility would ultimately reduce Bitcoin to a niche hobby asset, describing it as volatile, difficult to use, and not widely accepted as a means of payment.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Near-blind Rohingya refugee dies after US agents left him far from home

    Near-blind Rohingya refugee dies after US agents left him far from home

    Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was a nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Rakhine state in Myanmar, family members said.

    A nearly blind Rohingya refugee from Myanmar has been found dead in Buffalo, New York, days after the United States Border Patrol left him miles away from his home following his release from a county jail, authorities said.

    The body of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was located by police officers in the city in upstate New York on Tuesday evening, a Buffalo Police Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.

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    Shah Alam had been missing since February 19, when US Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a coffee shop following his release from a county jail.

    Mayor of Buffalo Sean Ryan, a Democrat, said in a statement on Wednesday that Shah Alam’s death was preventable and the result of “inhumane” decision-making by federal immigration authorities.

    “A vulnerable man – nearly blind and unable to speak English – was left alone on a cold winter night ‌with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location,” Ryan said.

    “That decision from US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,” he added.

    Several US representatives called for an investigation into the circumstances of Shah Alam’s death on Wednesday, including Grace Meng, a Democrat representing areas of New York City, who described a “shocking breach of responsibility and basic humanity by federal enforcement”.

    Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam’s children, said nobody had told his family or their lawyer where their father had been left by authorities after his release from prison, according to the Reuters news agency.

    Faisal said the family were Rohingya refugees from Arakan state, officially known as Rakhine state, in Myanmar, and that his father could not read, write or use electronic devices.

    He said his father’s arrest a year ago was due to a misunderstanding after police were called when Shah Alam wandered onto private property, while carrying a curtain rod he had purchased as a walking stick due to his impaired vision.

    His father had not understood when police, speaking in English, told him to drop the curtain rod, and he was held in jail for close to one year, before being released following a misdemeanour plea deal, Faisal said.

    His father had only wanted to “eat home-cooked food” and “be united with the rest of [his] family”, he added.

    In a statement to Investigative Post, a Buffalo-based news outlet, a US Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson said agents dropped Shah Alam off at a coffee shop after agents determined he had entered the country as a refugee and could not be deported.

    “Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station,” the agency said.

    “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance,” the spokesperson said.

    Temperatures in Buffalo, a city near the Canadian border, were below freezing last weekend.

    The death is being investigated by homicide detectives, the spokesperson from the Buffalo Police Department said, according to Reuters.

    Shah Alam’s death comes as an immigration crackdown enforced by the administration of US President Donald Trump is facing increased scrutiny.

    At least six immigrants have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency custody since the beginning of this year.

  • Jonathan Groff to Lead All-Male ‘As You Like It’ as Royal Shakespeare Company Unveils 2026-27 Season

    Jonathan Groff to Lead All-Male ‘As You Like It’ as Royal Shakespeare Company Unveils 2026-27 Season

    The Royal Shakespeare Company has unveiled its 2026-27 season, headlined by Tony Award-winning Broadway star Jonathan Groff making his RSC debut as Rosalind in an all-male staging of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” directed by RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans.

    Groff, who can currently be seen starring in “Just in Time” at New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre, previously originated the roles of Melchior Gabor in “Spring Awakening” and Kristoff in Disney’s “Frozen” franchise, and claimed his Tony for his portrayal of Franklin Shepherd in the recent “Merrily We Roll Along” revival. He will be joined by Fisayo Akinade as Celia. Akinade earned screen recognition through Russell T. Davies’ Channel 4 series “Cucumber” and “Banana,” and appeared as Mr. Ajayi in the 2022 Netflix series “Heartstopper.” The production runs Sept. 26 through Nov. 7 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

    Harriet Walter will return to the company to reprise her role as Brutus in a revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s 2012 Donmar Warehouse production of “Julius Caesar,” originally staged under artistic director Josie Rourke and executive director Kate Pakenham. The all-female production is set in a women’s prison. The revival, co-produced with KPPL Productions, will tour to secondary schools across England from Sept. 21 through Oct. 23 before a run at The Other Place from Nov. 5-28.

    The school tour anchors the RSC’s celebration of two decades of educational partnership work. The company’s Associate Schools Program now reaches more than 280 schools across 100 towns and cities in England. Each performance will be supported by workshops and post-show discussions, with the touring program culminating in a Young Creatives Festival at The Other Place on Nov. 21.

    The Swan Theatre will stage a two-part dramatization of George Eliot’s “Middlemarch,” with Nina Raine writing the adaptation and Jeremy Herrin directing, in a co-production with Second Half Productions. Part 1 opens Oct. 1, Part 2 follows Oct. 10, with both running through Jan. 16.

    Rounding out the season, theater company Told by an Idiot brings Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers” to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in a new adaptation written and directed by company co-founder and artistic director Paul Hunter. The production runs Nov. 28 through Jan. 9.

    The previously announced world premiere of “Game of Thrones: The Mad King,” written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, arrives at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in summer 2026, in a co-production involving Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, Mark Manuel, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on behalf of HBO, and Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment.

    RSC co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey described the season as one where themes of “identity, transformation, freedom, justice and the liberation that comes from breaking free of expectations loom large this autumn, as classic stories and universal struggles take on powerful new resonance in the hands of some of the most exciting artists of today.”

  • Joko Anwar’s ‘Ghost in the Cell’ Sells to Multiple Territories Following Berlin Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

    Joko Anwar’s ‘Ghost in the Cell’ Sells to Multiple Territories Following Berlin Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

    Joko Anwar’s horror-comedy “Ghost in the Cell” has secured distribution across multiple territories following its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, with Barunson E&A unveiling sales from the European Film Market.

    Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to the Indonesia-South Korea co-production, which follows inmates in a violent Indonesian prison who must unite for survival when a supernatural entity begins targeting those with the darkest auras. Additional confirmed distributors include The World Pictures for Russia and CIS, La Aventura for Spain and Spanish-speaking territories, Calendar Studios for Taiwan, Shinesaeng Ad. Venture for Thailand theatrical rights, Purple Plan Pte for Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam theatrical rights, Filmbridge for Mongolia, and the previously announced Plaion Pictures for Germany and German-speaking territories. Negotiations are ongoing on several additional territories, including Benelux.

    “We’re thrilled to bring ‘Ghost in the Cell’ to North America,” said Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO of Well Go USA. “As longtime fans of Joko Anwar, having previously released his film ‘Gundala,’ we’ve seen firsthand how strongly his work resonates with audiences here. ‘Ghost in the Cell’ is an absolute blast – it’s wildly entertaining and deliciously gory in all the right ways.”

    Purple Plan Pte added: “We acquired ‘Ghost in the Cell’ because it’s bold, unapologetic, and wildly entertaining. Its gory, high-impact action and horror elements create a thrilling experience. Under the direction of prolific storyteller Joko Anwar, the film has a distinctive voice that sets it apart from others in the genre. We’re excited to bring it to Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia giving audiences a brand-new horror experience.”

    The film, which premiered in the Berlinale Forum, addresses Indonesia’s deforestation crisis through its supernatural premise. “The environmental and political realities have always been the origin of horror, not only as a sideshow,” Anwar told Variety in an interview. “I let the ghost carry the truth that the system made by humans refuses to articulate.”

    The production represents a collaboration between Anwar and producer Tia Hasibuan through their Jakarta-based Come and See Pictures, alongside Rapi Films, Barunson E&A and Legacy Pictures. The ensemble cast features Abimana Aryasatya, Lukman Sardi, Bront Palarae, Aming, Rio Dewanto, Morgan Oey and Tora Sudiro.

    The film is scheduled for Indonesian theatrical release in the second quarter of 2026.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • Sygnum eyes $100B DAT sector with treasury management services

    Sygnum eyes $100B DAT sector with treasury management services

    Global digital asset banking group Sygnum has announced the launch of an institutional crypto asset management service targeting the $100 billion corporate crypto treasury sector.

    Sygnum Select, launched on Thursday, is described as a “discretionary mandate service” that applies Swiss banking’s established portfolio management model to crypto assets.

    The service launches with live client mandates, client assets, and $200 million in actively managed portfolios already in place, a Sygnum spokesperson told Cointelegraph.

    The move comes amid solid growth in corporate and public digital asset treasury companies (DATs) over the last few years, which now hold over $100 billion in crypto assets.

    “Yet many lack the infrastructure for professional, institutional-grade management,” which creates “strong demand” for regulated services offering such products and addressing the gap, stated Sygnum.

    There are currently 1.13 million $BTC held by public companies and 287,990 $BTC held by private firms worth a combined $97 billion, according to BitcoinTreasuries.

    DATs hold almost $100 billion worth of $BTC. Source: BitcoinTreasuries

    Not all DATs have been success stories. Ether treasury ETHZilla rebranded to “Forum” on Wednesday as part of a pivot out from holding crypto, with the new focus on tokenized assets following a 20% stock slide year to date.

    Meanwhile, the world’s largest BNB treasury company, CEA Industries, has crashed 94% from its high last year, reportedly blaming the family office of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, YZi Labs, for a “secret side agreement.”

    Sygnum said there has been a shift in client needs

    Sygnum Select takes full execution authority within a client’s agreed investment framework, handling strategic asset allocation, active rebalancing, and risk oversight.

    “As digital assets mature and institutional adoption accelerates, we’re seeing a clear shift in what clients need,” said Sygnum chief investment officer Fabian Dori.

    He added that crypto foundations and corporate treasuries are no longer simply looking for custody and trading, “they want a trusted, regulated counterparty who can actively manage their assets with the same discipline and holistic approach as a traditional private bank.”

    Related: Sygnum sees tokenization and state Bitcoin reserves taking off in 2026

    The live mandates include spot, staking, hedging, derivatives, tokenized securities, and market-neutral strategies, and most portfolios include multiple asset classes across traditional and crypto assets, according to Sygnum.

    “Clients can now access bespoke portfolio management that combines what traditional asset managers or crypto-native firms can offer,” explained Markus Haemmerli, Sygnum’s head of portfolio management.

    The service is initially available only to Swiss clients, but broader geographic expansion is planned.

    Sygnum raised more than 750 $BTC in January for its market-neutral Bitcoin ($BTC) fund, which posted an annualized return of 8.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

    The Swiss crypto bank reached a post-money valuation of more than $1 billion after securing $58 million in an oversubscribed strategic growth round in January 2025.

    Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns

  • Could Quantum Threats Bring Bitcoin Down to Zero? Bullish Michael Saylor Finally Gives a Clear Answer

    Could Quantum Threats Bring Bitcoin Down to Zero? Bullish Michael Saylor Finally Gives a Clear Answer

    Michael Saylor, one of the most influential figures in the Bitcoin world, made striking statements about the potential impact of quantum computing on Bitcoin in his latest appearance on a television program.

    Responding to concerns that quantum computers could break current encryption systems and leave the Bitcoin network vulnerable, Saylor urged investors to remain calm.

    Saylor stated that there is a general consensus within the cybersecurity community that it will be at least 10 years before quantum computers pose a serious threat. Arguing that there is no concrete danger at the moment, the renowned businessman said, “Bitcoin has undergone nearly 30 software updates in its 17-year history. When a threat emerges, the network, nodes, wallets, and exchanges will all transition to ‘post-quantum resistant’ cryptography.”

    Saylor, noting that the quantum threat will affect not only Bitcoin but also the global banking system, the internet, the defense industry, and giant technology companies, stated the following:

    “If a quantum threat becomes real, Google, Microsoft, Apple, BlackRock, and even the US and Chinese governments will have to solve the same problem. The Bitcoin community is the most sophisticated cybersecurity-aware community in the world. While the legacy systems used by banks are far weaker, Bitcoin will be at the forefront of this process.”

    Saylor likened quantum fear to the “Y2K” crisis that occurred at the start of the year 2000. He recalled that during that time, there was widespread panic about all computer systems collapsing and the world ending, but ultimately nothing happened. Saylor argued that such narratives are often fueled by “ambitious opportunists” to attract attention, gain power, or sell new products.

    Saylor noted that Bitcoin has faced dozens of different fear scenarios (FUD) in the past, such as “bandwidth insufficiency,” “China banning mining,” or “environmental impacts,” but each proved unfounded. He characterized quantum fear as “the last refuge of those who want to stay relevant.” He gave Bitcoin followers this message: “If you spend your entire fortune on insurance policies (or bad investments) for a risk with a 1% probability, you’ll be bankrupt before that risk even happens. When quantum arrives, we’ll update our software like an iPhone update and move on.”

    *This is not investment advice.

  • ‘Trial of Hein’ Is an Enigmatic Debut Film About a Homecoming to a Tight-Knit Island Community (Exclusive Trailer)

    ‘Trial of Hein’ Is an Enigmatic Debut Film About a Homecoming to a Tight-Knit Island Community (Exclusive Trailer)

    German writer-director Kai Stänicke (short films Gay Goth Scene, Circle, and Pace) attracted much attention and rave reviews after world premiering his feature film debut Trial of Hein (Der Heimatlose) in the Perspectives section of the 76th edition of the Berlin Film Festival.

    The movie, which won the Teddy Award jury honor and was widely seen as an example of how the Perspectives can succeed in its mission of showcasing up-and-coming voices, tells the story of a return that raises all sorts of questions.

    After 14 years on the mainland, Hein returns to the place he is from, the only village on a remote island in the North Sea. However, the close-knit community no longer recognizes him. Even his closest childhood friend, Friedemann, distances himself from the visitor. Eventually, the island community convenes a village court to determine whether Hein is who he claims to be or an impostor.

    The court hearings bring to light how different Hein’s recollections of his youth are from the memories of various witnesses. As such, Trial of Hein is a parable on memory, identity and the tension between the sense of belonging and the sense of restrictions that living in a community brings with it.

    Paul Boche stars as Hein, with the ensemble cast also including Philip Günsch, Philip Froissant, Emilia Schüle, Jeanette Hain, Sebastian Blomberg, and Stephanie Amarell. Written and directed by Stänicke, Trial of Hein was produced by Tamtam Film, and co-produced by Lupa Film. The cinematographer is Florian Mag, the editor Susanne Ocklitz. Heretic is handling world sales.

    THR can now exclusively reveal the official trailer for Trial of Hein. Get ready for the sights and sounds of the sea, the enigmatic atmosphere, as well as questions, accusations, and despair. Oh yeah, and things get really fishy.

    So check out the trailer to dive into the world of Trial of Hein.