AFIRE Trailer: Christian Petzold’s Latest is Bound to Heat Up The Summer

While this summer will bring Barbies, the birth of the Atomic Bomb, and the return of both Indiana Jones & Ethan Hunt, the latest cinematic experience from German auteur Christian Petzold will definitely capture cinephiles’ hearts. Petzold is a master at exploring human relationships against the backdrop of both Germany’s history and landscapes, and his newest film Afire definitely adds more passion to them. It had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, and recently helped close off the Tribeca Film Festival in its last few days to astounding acclaim. Petzold collaborates for the third time with actress Paula Beer, who starred in his last two films Undine and Transit, in this intimate, surprisingly funny tale that centers on a group of young adults in a holiday home as a forest fire starts to close in on them. Sideshow and Janus Films have released a U.S. trailer ahead of its release in July.

Here’s the official synopsis:

While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised by the presence of Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon’s tight-lipped book editor also arrive.

See the U.S. trailer and poster below. In theaters July 14.

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