Private Project

Gentle Moments

On her first visit to a cuddle party, the lonely Ute finds herself next to the polyamorous Jens. While the shy employment office worker longs for a lasting relationship, the unemployed esoteric fan enjoys the non-binding social wellness offers.
Will this encounter have a future after all?
A one-take dramedy about searching for an escape from loneliness and the capitalization of human needs.

  • Sabrina Mertens
    Director
  • Sabrina Mertens
    Writer
  • Joachim Weiler
    Producer
  • Inka Federova (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg)
    Producer
  • Freya Kreutzkam
    Key Cast
  • Jörn Hentschel
    Key Cast
  • Farina Hasak
    Camera
  • Georg Sochurek
    Speaker
  • Bastian Schick
    Music
  • Jan Fabi
    Gaffer
  • Sabrina Mertens
    postproduction
  • Ralf Höckel
    Boom Operator
  • Alexander Stadelbacher
    Sound on Set
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Zarte Momente
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Dramedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 38 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival
    Landshut
    Germany
    March 16, 2017
    Worldpremiere
  • Kurzfilmfestival Gütersloh
    Gütersloh
    Germany
    March 24, 2017
  • STOP Student Film Festival
    Kaunas
    Lithuania
    May 5, 2017
    Lithuania-Premiere
    Best Foreign Movie
  • Nonplussed Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    July 15, 2017
    US Premiere
    Honorable Mention
  • INN Kurzfilmfestival
    Braunau
    Austria
    September 7, 2017
  • Int. low & no budget film-sharing Festival
    Stuttgart
    Germany
    June 14, 2017
    One of 18 winner movies
  • BENICIA Film Festival
    Benicia
    United States
    September 2, 2017
  • 6. Tuzla Film Festival
    Tuzla
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    October 21, 2017
    Bosnia and Herzegowina Premiere
  • AKUT Amberger Kurzfilm Wettbewerb
    Amberg
    Germany
    October 13, 2017
  • Super8000 Film Festival Aarhus
    Aarhus
    Denmark
    October 27, 2017
    Denmark Premiere
  • Interfilm Berlin
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 24, 2017
  • Ei(n)fälle 2018: Die satirische KurzFilmNacht
    Cottbus
    Germany
    January 13, 2018
  • Klappe Auf! Kurzfilmfestival
    Hamburg
    Germany
    November 10, 2017
  • PURE LOVE Screening by WIZ-ART Festival
    Lviv
    Ukraine
    February 15, 2018
    Ukraine Premiere
  • SHORTS Film Festival Offenburg
    Offenburg
    Germany
    April 13, 2018
    Creativity Award
  • Orscheler Filmfest
    Oberursel
    Germany
    August 10, 2018
  • Bašta fest
    Bajina Bašta
    Serbia
    July 5, 2018
    Serbia premiere
  • Flensburger Kurzfilmtage
    Flensburg
    Germany
    November 16, 2018
  • CineSlam
    Tübingen
    Germany
    November 27, 2018
  • Kinomorphia Film Festival
    Sofia
    Bulgaria
    December 13, 2018
    Bulgaria Premiere
  • Kurzfilmnacht im Kunsthaus Rhenania
    Cologne
    Germany
    February 2, 2019
  • Bahnhofskino
    München
    Germany
    June 30, 2019
  • Exhibition URBAN LIVING at Blue Box/Sprengel Museum 09/2018 - 01/2019
    Hannover
    Germany
    September 8, 2018
  • Platzhirsch Festival
    Duisburg
    Germany
    August 30, 2019
  • PRISMA Rome Independent Film Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    April 1, 2019
    Italy
    Nominee Best Leading Actor (Jörn Hentschel)
  • Short Days
    Rome
    Italy
    May 6, 2019
  • NOFLASH VIDEOSHOW
    New Brunswick
    United States
    May 3, 2019
  • Wir sind Film! Kurzfilmabend
    Vienna
    Austria
    October 18, 2018
    Austria Premiere
  • SHORTS ATTACK! by interfilm Berlin (cinema tour) 01/05 - 30/05 2018
    Berlin, Trier, Bielefeld, Hildesheim, Halle, Rottenburg, Münster, Dortmund, Nürnberg, Tübingen, Suhl, Leipzig, München, Kiel, Brühl, Dresden
    Germany
    May 1, 2018
  • Blicke - Filmfestival des Ruhrgebiets
    Bochum
    Germany
    November 11, 2019
Distribution Information
  • Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Sabrina Mertens

Sabrina Mertens was born in 1985 in Hamburg. Mertens studied audiovisual media design in Berlin and Brandenburg (2007 -2010), worked for Deutsche Welle TV (DW-TV) in Berlin (2010 - 2016) and is since 2011 an independent filmmaker. Sabrina Mertens studies directing at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg (since 2015).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

After I learned about public cuddle parties, I was very interested in the issue. Because a lot of people feel lonely, so offers against loneliness become a business idea. But it is possible to feel better after attending a commercial event like a cuddle party? Is the idea of such offers bad in general or are there some criteria what leads to proper help? Maybe just meeting the fitting person? What could happen if the wishes are totally different? With the situation of clashing interests negotiates my movie.