The thriller “Darlings” by Steffen Maurer and Lea de Boor, marketed by UCM.ONE on the Darling Berlin film label, celebrated its theatrical release with the team at Berlin’s ACUDkino on January 12, 2026.
After the film screening in the nearly sold-out Theater 1 of the ACUDkino, director Steffen Maurer and representatives of the cast and crew answered questions from the audience. In addition to Steffen Maurer, the main actors Thea Rasche, Paul Boche, Ina-Lene Dinses, and Felix-Maria Zeppenfeld, casting director and actress Caroline Erikson, and representatives of the sound department led by Lukas Wustmann were present and provided insight into their working methods during the production of this film, which was staged using improvisation techniques.
Although conceived as a genre film, the basic idea behind the working method followed the traditions of Berlin improvisational film of the 2010s (Berlin Mumblecore). The film thus consistently continues the special series curated by Darling Berlin at UCM.ONE.
UCM.ONE will market the film in German cinemas from January 15, 2026, on its film label Darling Berlin.
Further preview dates:
BERLIN – January 14, 2026, 7:00 p.m. – b-ware! Ladenkino, film discussion with director
Next screening dates (from January 15, 2026):
BERLIN – ACUD Kino:
January 15, 2026, 9:00 p.m., January 20, 2026 – 7:00 p.m., January 21, 2026 – 8:15 p.m.
BERLIN – b-ware! Ladenkino:
January 16, 2026 – 11:00 a.m., January 19, 2026 – 12:30 p.m., January 20, 2026 – 3:00 p.m.
January 21, 2026 – 1:10 p.m.
BERLIN – Lichtblick Kino:
January 17, 2026 – 5:00 p.m., January 18, 2026 – 4:30 p.m.
DÜSSELDORF – Bambi Cinema,
January 15, 2026 – 9:30 p.m., January 19, 2026 – 9:00 p.m., January 20, 2026 – 9:30 p.m.
Synopsis
Lena, a young elementary school teacher from Berlin, accompanies her partner Ole to his home village. What begins as a relaxing break in a winter wonderland soon turns into a nightmare. Surrounded by his old clique, Ole changes and reveals disturbing behavior patterns. A violent dynamic develops that not only destabilizes their relationship, but also becomes increasingly dangerous for Lena.
About the writing and directing duo Steffen Maurer and Lea de Boor
Steffen Maurer works as a director and cameraman. He has been part of the video collective leftvision since 2014 and produces documentary works on social and political topics. His cinematic approach combines precise observation with a distinct closeness to the protagonists. Most recently, he and Marco Heinig were responsible for the documentary film “Antifa – Schulter an Schulter, wo der Staat versagte” (Antifa – Shoulder to Shoulder, Where the State Failed) (2024).
Lea de Boor studied social sciences in Berlin and then worked at Frauen aufs Podium e.V. as a program officer. She currently coordinates project funding and institutional grants at Finanzwende e.V. Lea worked on “Darlings” as a writer, producer, and director while she was still a student. After graduating, Lea continued to work as a writer and director. Particularly noteworthy is her work as director of the short film/series pilot “38irgendwas” (38something).
“Darlings” is the feature film debut of Steffen Maurer and Lea de Boor.
Film details
| Title: | Darlings |
| Directed by: | Steffen Maurer and Lea de Boor |
| Screenplay: | Lea de Boor and Steffen Maurer |
| Producers: | Steffen Maurer, Lea de Boor, Robert Zimmermann, Jessica Rudolph (co-producer) |
| Cast: | Thea Rasche, Paul Boche, Tom Böttcher, Ina-Lene Dinse, Felix Maria Zeppenfeld, Malte Thomsen, Matthias Gärtner |
| Countries of production: | Germany |
| Year of production: | 2024 |
| Duration: | 77 minutes |
| Language versions: | German original version |
| Original languages: | German |
| Subtitle: | English |
| Rating: | PG (German rating: FSK 12) |
Further information about the film: Darlings
