What Is Love When You …
A collection of the best short films from the Vagrant Film Festival 2025
01 APRIL 2026 / starting 19:00
ZK/U BerlinSiemensstr. 27, 10551, Berlin, Germany
What place remains for the little people in the maelstrom of large systems, great achievements, and gigantic construction projects? Will their voices demanding justice be heard, or will they turn against themselves? A catastrophe is looming, whether in the form of excessive media, invasive species, or computer modulation. What choice does a person have? Will they be able to argue against the totality of language and discourse, or will they have no choice but to comply?
And this is at a time when governments are convincing us that everything is being done in the interests of our security. Is another revolution just the next attempt to alienate and kill the father figure? Just remember that your job is the most important thing, and don’t forget to watch Fight Club after another pointless day at work.
Relax… What Is Love When You.
Most of the films work without or with minimal language.
I paddle my canue three meter below civilisation
by Michel Klöfkorn
10'00''
Germany
No dialogue
"The river, an autonomous, natural creature, a living world composed of billions of micro and macro-organisms that are sensitive and yet exposed with no protection against the human economy-" – Erika S Dos Santos
Swanlake
by Stella Traub
6'00''
Germany
German with English subtitles
When we are ill, all we want is one thing – not to be ill anymore. The filmmaker sees a swan in a duck pond and dreams with Long Covid of the realm of the healthy. An essay about enchanted sick people and dreaming birds.
Fotorevolte
by Jule Körperich
6'00''
Germany
No dialouge, German intertitles with English subtitles
Fotorevolte tells of the moment when the world’s available storage capacity is exhausted. All digitally stored photographs and films come to life. People are displaced from their reality by photos of sights and celebrities, logos and film characters. A bizarre competition unfolds between cleaning up and the manifestation of ever new images, until the boundary between the real and virtual world turns completely blurred. When finally the Internet overflows, the world sinks into a mishmash of pixels.
Dream Code
by Narottama Panitz
4'00''
USA
No dialogue, English intertitles
Dream Code is a pixel art autobiography that delves deep into the life and inspirations of filmmaker Narottama Panitz. This featurette merges the aesthetic and narrative depth of classic adventure games with contemporary storytelling, exploring the blurred lines between reality and simulation. As viewers traverse through the visual and thematic layers of Dream Code, they encounter a narrative that sets the stage for Panitz’s larger project, The Entropy Code. The piece not only reflects on personal history but also engages with broader existential themes, inviting audiences to ponder their own realities as they witness the unfolding of a simulated universe.
Invasive Species
by Risto-Pekka Blom
6'00''
Finland
Finnish with English subtitles
Invasive species are a threat to biodiversity, including all other invasive species. Note: The film includes a musical performance by an extremely harmful invasive species.
Idyll
by Rao Heidmets
10'00''
Estonia
No dialogue
War must be fought long before it reaches your backyard. And once he’s there, pulling the curtains won’t help anymore.
The film depicts animated violence.
Trying to speak yet deciding not to
by Qingyu Huang
3'00''
USA
No dialogue
This short film discusses the inability of language and symbols to reach the ambiguous nature of thoughts.
Comply
by Padrick Sean Ritch
3'00''
USA
English
Comply is a satire of our relationship with mass communication in a post-truth era. Presented through a composite blend of found footage and emulsion painting, the film delves into the dizzying speed at which news breaks, distorts, and dissipates, challenging viewers to confront how we construct narratives to fit our beliefs and ideology.
Poetry for Strangers
by Martin Stuart Krafft
12'00''
Germany
English and German with English and German subtitles
A video essay reflecting on a performance art project reciting a Rilke poem to strangers 1000 times across the city of Berlin. Martin Krafft was a resident at ZK/U in 2024, where he worked on this project.
Dad went to the nightclub
by Tie Yan
3'00''
China
She always thought that her father must or maybe have loved her, or at least loved this family. So she couldn’t understand why such a thing would happen to them, in the always silent living room, bedroom and the TV that was often left on.
Arbeit Ist Heilig — Sebastian Der Saubere
by Alexandra Sieber
4'00''
Germany
German
A music video mocumentary.
What Is Love When You
by Finn Simard
5'00''
Canada
No dialogue
What is love When You is an experimental short film produced and scored by Finn Simard. The film explores traditional ecological knowledge and its relationship to colonialism, land, and genocide.
This FOOD & FOOTAGE edition is curated by Aliaksandr Martyniuk. Aliaksander is the captain of a mobile amphibious cultural installation. A station for art projects, including Vagrant Film Festival. It is possible to dock with it.
Menu
The menu will be prepared by Aliaksandr Martyniuk, Valiantsina Martyniuk and Mihail Zagonski.
Cosmic borscht
Hearty cabbage stew with lots of fresh veggies and mushrooms. Optional: Canapés with herring or lard.
Draniki / Pancakes
Potato pancakes, top them to your liking!
Grandma's Compote
A nostalgic fruit dessert.
The film screening is free of charge; purchasing a meal is not required to attend the movie night.
The price is 15 euros per person (drinks not included).
Doors open at 19:00
Dinner will be served at 19:30
The film starts at 20:30
A Q&A with Aliaksandr Martyniuk and film makers Martin Krafft and Michel Korn follows the screening.