The film“Nulpen” by Sorina Gajewski was awarded an outstanding rating by the FBW Youth Film Jury (German name: BW-Jugend Filmjury). The young jurors gave it a clear recommendation and awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars – recommended for viewers aged 13 and over. The vote recognizes the intensive work of the entire film team and at the same time underlines the relevance of the content and the proximity of the story to the lives of young people. The jury, consisting of young people aged 13 to 17, viewed the film at Sputnik Kino Berlin and recorded their impressions in a detailed jury text.
Synopsis
Summer in Berlin, 39.2 degrees. Nicola and Ramona have just graduated from high school – and have no idea what to do with themselves. The future lies open before them, but instead of setting off, they feel stuck – like nulips. First, however, they have a very specific task: to find a bird that has flown away. Together they drift through the heated city, meeting old acquaintances and new faces, losing time and collecting moments. At Ramona’s side is her younger brother – stubborn, clingy and yet indispensable to his older sister, just as she is to him. A day that stretches, flickers and never ends.
“Nulpen” captures the first summer after graduation as a state – between stagnation and longing, disorientation and freedom. Wide, sun-soaked images, intense close-ups and an alternation of still and moving camerawork intensify the feeling of heat, emptiness and expectation. The dialog is raw and authentic, seemingly casual, and yet always leads to surprising depth. The missing bird becomes a symbol of a freedom that seems tangible and yet slips away.
Nicola and Ramona have all the possibilities – but don’t know what to do with them. They wander aimlessly through Berlin, sharing time, closeness and uncertainty. Whether they will continue their lives together after this summer remains to be seen. Only one thing is certain: on this day, they give each other support – again and again.
The recommendation is particularly valuable as it comes directly from the target group itself. The idea for the FBW Youth Film Jury arose from the work of the German Film and Media Rating Board (FBW), whose adult juries award films with the ratings “valuable ” and “particularly valuable ”. In addition to this, the Youth Film Jury was created to specifically gather the opinions of children and young people and to include their perspective in the film rating.
The statement of the Youth Film Jury
Here is the full evaluation text written by the young people themselves: “Summer in Berlin, 39.2 degrees. Nicola and Ramona have just finished school. They don’t know what to do with their lives and feel like nobodies. But first they have to catch a bird. They meet old friends and new people and let themselves drift through the day. At their side is Ramona’s little brother, who has a mind of his own but still needs his big sister, and she needs him.
Will this day ever end?
It’s their first summer after graduating from high school and they still have no plan for their future. The movie conveys this special atmosphere very clearly and in a unique way. It feels to us like you’re in a room all the time trying to reach for something but you can’t, like you’re reaching into the clouds. Especially the wide shots of the field with lots of sun and warm light, the many close-ups of faces and the mix of slow and dynamic camera work capture the feeling of drifting and the heat of the day.
The two girls use authentic language, their topics of conversation are random, but they come to profound conclusions.
The missing bird represents the freedom of the two girls, but unlike the bird, they don’t really know what to do with it. They bumble through the city without a goal or a plan, just passing the time together, even if it is not clear whether they will still share their lives with each other after the summer. Although the friends have such different personalities, they support each other. Again and again.
We recommend this movie forpeople aged 13 and over.”
The work of the jury:
- Structure: The FBW Youth Film Jury exists in 11 cities throughout Germany and consists of 10 pupils aged 10 to 13 or 13 to 17.
- Scope: They evaluate all films that are released for them before they are shown in theaters – that’s 60 to 70 films a year.
- Criteria and objectivity: In order to evaluate objectively, the juries discuss their own evaluation criteria. Personal taste plays a subordinate role; more important is whether the film is convincing within its genre (e.g. feature film) and its genre (e.g. drama).
- Activities: In addition to recommending films, the juries are also guests at film conferences, school cinema weeks, workshops and moderate discussions with filmmakers and actors. This year, they are also involved in awarding the “Kindertiger” prize.
More information about the label: Darling Berlin
