Damaged Lemons
Family helper Mavi feels torn between her own mental stress and the responsibility for her chronically ill sister Nalin. In a moment of overwhelm, she locks Nalin up and runs away. She meets Roya, unattached and searching for meaning - Mavi follows Roya. Nalin and Mavi's partner Khalil eventually find Mavi and take her to a clinic to deal with her increasingly severe dissociative states.
-
Naëmi AdaDirector
-
Naëmi AdaWriter
-
Janna FodorProducer
-
Noam RapaportProducer
-
Bocar ThiamProducer
-
Ibrahim Utku ErdoganProducer
-
Naomi Kelechi OdhiamboKey Cast"Mavi"
-
Binta Sophie CamaraKey Cast"Nalin"
-
João Kreth d'OreyKey Cast"Roya"
-
Daniel HernandezKey Cast"Khalil"
-
Christopher David ScottKey Cast"Jacob"
-
Bettina GrahsKey Cast"Therapist in hospital"
-
Alev IrmakKey Cast"Therapist"
-
Project Title (Original Language):Damaged Lemons
-
Project Type:Feature, Student
-
Genres:Drama, Coming of Age, Dance
-
Runtime:1 hour 9 minutes 20 seconds
-
Completion Date:August 25, 2024
-
Production Budget:10,000 EUR
-
Country of Origin:Germany
-
Country of Filming:Germany
-
Language:English, German
-
Shooting Format:Digital
-
Aspect Ratio:1:1,66
-
Film Color:Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:Yes
-
Student Project:Yes - German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb)
Naëmi Ada was born on 25 December 1994 in Tübingen. Naëmi studied contemporary dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds and film studies at the Free University of Berlin.
She has been studying at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) since 2016, where she has realised several short films. She is currently preparing her graduation film Body of Glass, which is funded by Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg. She was a Sundance Ignite Fellow at the Sundance Film Festival 2019.
Damaged Lemons raises the question of the differences in visibility between physical and mental illnesses. Through the eyes of the protagonist Mavi, we encounter a world in which her sister Nalin has a clear place and support due to her chronic illness. Especially the support of Mavi. In contrast, Mavi lacks the words to describe her own illness. Dissociative perceptive disorders have received more attention, especially with the Covid pandemic, as more and more people have experienced losing touch with reality in the sudden absence of external stimuli. Dissociations are usually symptoms of mental overload, which can be experienced in very different ways. As Mavi does not understand what is happening to her, she tries to escape her mental states, but is drawn further and further into them and thus back to the causes. Damaged Lemons allows the audience to experience the mental state of Mavi. While the protagonist loses linearity and context, the narrative style of the film reflects her overwhelm. Also her healing and therapy are non-linear. Mavi tries to help herself in various ways, all of which contribute to her finally being ready to meet someone in clinical care who recognises her and her struggle with her own mind. Nevertheless, she is not cured in the end. Rather, the question arises as to how she can best deal with her illness.