Experiencing Interruptions?

Dancing with Monsters

How do we react to violence and brutality? Do we become victims or violators ourselves? Zarah does neither. She dances.

Zarah grows up in the turmoils of war. Gunfire bolts outside the thin walls of the house, while Zarah closes her eyes and dances forbidden dances in the decaying living room. She dreams about becoming a super-power-ninja-ranger to protect her family from war. Years later Zarah lives in peace. But still she is haunted by the noises of war and the child she once was still feels guilty of not being able to protect the family. Zarah is dancing relentlessly to for once escape the violent fears of her childhood.

  • Isabella Freilinger
    Director
  • Isabella Freilinger
    Writer
  • Sarah Kazakis
    Key Cast
  • Nina Aulelah
    Key Cast
  • Evelyn Krüger-Maitrel
    Dancers
  • Jacqeline Butzinger
    Dancers
  • Beni Malodi
    Dancers
  • Melville Wolf
    Dancers
  • Anika Czekay
    Dancers
  • Elena Jaber
    Dancers
  • Tina Hüther
    Set Design
  • Moritz Marz
    Cinematography
  • Evelyne Krüger-Maitrel
    Choreography
  • Andreas Hoppe
    Music
  • Malgorzata Przybylska
    Costumes
  • Tina Wilde
    Makeup Department
  • Milan Heinzmann
    Camera and Light
  • Christina Peters
    Camera and Light
  • Thomas Bünger
    Camera and Light
  • Miriam Seyd
    Boom Operator
  • Jan Philipp-Langner
    Boom Operator
  • Antonio Prebisalic
    Editor
  • Miriam Seyd
    Editor
  • Johanna Roth
    Sound Editing and Design
  • Paul Ramisch
    Colour Grading
  • Isabella Freilinger
    Producer
  • Anna Röser-Dümmig
    Producer
  • Lisa Henrich
    Production Team
  • Silvia Parini
    Production Team
  • Elisabeth Renner
    Production Team
  • Phio Ibrahim Linez
    Set Runner
  • Joshua Ripplinger
    Set Runner
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Tanz mit Monstern
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    1,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Austria
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    scope
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Mannheim
  • Kleinkaap Short Film Festival
    Centurion
    South Africa
    August 8, 2016
    African Premiere
  • Move It Festival
    Favara - Farm Cultural Park
    Italy
    September 4, 2016
    European Premiere
    Finalist in the Category "Creative"
  • Jozi Film Festival
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    September 18, 2016
  • Slemani International Film Festival
    Slemani
    Iraq
    October 4, 2016
    Middle Eastern Premiere
  • Zum Goldenen Hirsch
    Heidelberg
    Germany
    October 26, 2016
    German Premiere
    Festival Winner - Best Film
  • Clip Award
    Mannheim
    Germany
    November 5, 2016
  • GGM Festival
    Mannheim
    Germany
    November 13, 2016
    Chosen to be part of GGM film highlight roll
  • Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
    Ludwigshafen
    Germany
    November 19, 2016
    Presented as part of GGM film highlights
  • Cineeuropa
    Santiago
    Spain
    November 13, 2016
    Spanish Premiere
    Selected as one of Europe's most interesting new films of the year
  • Bucharest Shortcut Cinefest
    Bucharest
    Romania
    November 20, 2016
    Eastern European Premiere
    Finalist in the categories: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Experimental Film
  • Vernissage Schutzsuchende
    Mannheim
    Germany
    November 29, 2016
  • Breaking 8 - Festival Internazionale di Videodanza
    Caligari
    Italy
    December 18, 2016
  • Jung & Abgedreht
    Hanau
    Germany
    January 27, 2017
  • Port 25 Artspace
    Mannheim
    Germany
    February 5, 2017
    Presented as part of GGM film highlights
  • Chicago Feminist Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    March 3, 2017
    US Premiere
  • GardenCity International Film Festival
    Bangalore
    India
    April 6, 2017
    Indian Premiere
  • The days of German and Russian short films “Vkratze”
    Vograd
    Russian Federation
    April 9, 2017
    Russian Premiere
  • Vorarlberger Kurzfilmacht
    Bregenz
    Austria
    05 May 2017
    Austrian Premiere
  • backup Kurzfilmfestival Weimar
    Weimar
    Germany
    May 18, 2017
  • C&C Film Festival
    Matulji
    Croatia
    July 6, 2017
  • Der Große Endhirsch
    Mannheim
    Germany
    July 21, 2017
    Screening & Competition of winning films of the Zum Goldenen Hirsch Festival
  • Mzansi Womens Film Festival
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    August 3, 2017
  • Brattleboro Film Festival
    Brattleboro
    United States
    November 11, 2017
  • Festival de Cinema Escolar de Alvorada
    Alvorada
    Brazil
    November 25, 2017
    Brazilian Premiere
  • Mostra Cinema Taranto
    Bari
    Italy
    May 21, 2018
    Best Screenplay
Director Biography - Isabella Freilinger

Isabella Freilinger writes and directs for channels such as BBC, SWR, ARTE, funk, Swiss television SRF and South Korean television KBS. She also writes and directs for houses such as National Theater Scotland, Theater Heidelberg and National Theater Mannheim. Her work has been awarded with prizes such as "Best Screenplay" at Mostra Cinema Taranto, the German Prize for Online Communication, Sky TV Award, Bremer Television Prize and nominated for the Grimme Prize.

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Director Statement

“Dancing With Monsters” is a film dedicated to the artists who are not allowed to create; to those who fear repercussions for performing publicly; to those who are demoralised by violence. It is a film about looking brutality in the eye through music and dance; a film about the refusal to give in to fear.”