🎬 “Ascend” (German title: “Flieg Steil”) celebrated its theatrical release with a premiere at CineStar – Kino in der Kulturbrauerei in Berlin.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, “Flieg Steil” (international title: Ascend), the feature-film debut of directors Martina Schöne-Radunski and Lana Cooper, celebrated its theatrical release premiere at CineStar – Kino in der Kulturbrauerei in Berlin. “Flieg Steil” opens in theaters across Germany on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

On a warm Berlin summer evening with temperatures reaching 84°F, the event began at 7:15 p.m. with a photo call. Film distributor UCM.ONE / Darling Berlin and press agency FELIX NEUNZERLING PR welcomed the cast, crew, and guests from the film industry.

At 8:10 p.m., the screening began in the nearly full Auditorium 5 at CineStar — Kino in der Kulturbrauerei in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district. The audience responded enthusiastically to the high-energy satirical drama. The screening was followed by a 30-minute Q&A featuring questions from the audience and moderated by Robert Zimmermann (UCM.ONE). The conversation then continued over drinks in the foyer.

During the Q&A, members of the cast and crew answered questions from the moderator and the audience. Appearing on stage in front of the screen were directors Martina Schöne-Radunski, who also served as co-writer and producer, and Lana Cooper, co-director and co-writer, as well as cast members Tom Lass (Cervezito), Cora Mainz (Franzi), Rosario Bona (Heinrich), Andreas Anke (Andy), Florian Denk, Peter Marty, Bodo Goldbeck, and Andreas Krassuski; director of photography Manuel Ruge; film composers David Hantelius and Jan Blumentrath; producer Joachim Keil (UCMP); and co-producer Robert Zimmermann (Ultimaratiofilm).

The guests included numerous representatives from the film industry, as well as producers, directors, and fellow actors, among them Ben von Grafenstein (director), Lise Risom Olsen (actress and producer), Timo Jacobs (actor, producer, and director), Barbara Philipp (actress), Milena Dreißig (actress), Anna-Lena Schwing (actress), and many others.

“Ascend” opens in theaters across Germany on Thursday, August 6, 2026. Distribution is being handled by CAMINO Filmverleih (Stuttgart), while FELIX NEUNZERLING PR (Berlin) is overseeing the national press campaign.

About the Movie

“Flieg Steil” tells the story of two outsiders from the far-right and far-left scenes who collide in their search for identity and belonging. The dramatic satire follows two characters who manipulate each other and ultimately fail because of their own contradictions. With an incisive eye, the film examines how the desire to belong can turn into extremism.

Konnie (28), a respected figure in Berlin’s neo-Nazi scene, is steadily losing her standing among her comrades. Ever since she began incorporating her ultra-feminist, sex-positive, body-positive, and queer views into her music—and defending them vehemently—the far-right scene no longer knows what to make of her. Andi in particular, the outspoken bar owner and leader of the Friedrichshain Stahlkappen Division, has it in for her. When Konnie meets Rudi, a punk who is planning a fatalistic, one-man attack to blow up her neo-Nazi bar, she sees him as the perfect pawn in her attempt to win back the approval of her far-right comrades. Rudi (38), whose unpredictable and aggressive behavior has driven away all his friends and turned him into an outsider within the punk scene, is also looking for a way to reconnect with his community. Which of the two will be left standing in the end?

ASCEND had its world premiere at the 31st Oldenburg International Film Festival, where it received the German Independence Award for “Originality, Daring, Audacity.”

Premiere, Preview Screenings, and Opening-Week Showtimes

Cast and Crew

Written and Directed by: Martina Schöne-Radunski, Lana Cooper

Producers: Martina Schöne-Radunski, Joachim Keil, Robert Zimmermann, Charlotte Roche (Associate Producer), Oliver Jerke (Executive Producer), Ayla Sophia Franken (Producer)

Director of Photography: Manuel Ruge

Editor: Monika Parii

Music: David Hantelius, Jan Blumentrath

Production Companies: UCMP GmbH, Ultimaratiofilm GbR

Country of Production / Year: Germany / 2024

Runtime: 86 min. Rating: FSK 16 (approved for public holiday screenings) Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Language: German with English subtitles

Cast: Ceci Chuh (Konnie), Alexander Merbeth (Rudi), Andreas Anke (Andy), Tom Lass (Cervezito), Cora Mainz (Franzi), Rosario Bona (Heinrich), Lana Cooper (Sandra), Katharina Behrens (Maja); also featuring Naomi Achternbuch, Heiko Pinkowski, Antonio Wannek, Peter Marty, Hendrik Heutmann, Ivonne Schwarz, Bodo Goldbeck, Milton Welsh, Jakob Lass, Florian Denk, Christin Nichols, Martina Schöne-Radunski, and many others.

What People Are Saying About the Film

“A kick in the face of comfortable certainties. A stress test for the feel-good world.
FLIEG STEIL is a film about contradictions and friendship in a minefield.”
— Charlotte Roche, Associate Producer

“FLIEG STEIL is uncompromisingly eccentric, nonconformist underground cinema that refuses to draw a clear line between good and evil. […]
The result is a challenging and raw, yet equally bold and resonant underground drama for discerning arthouse audiences.”
— Björn Schneider, programmkino.de

Press Contact

FELIX NEUNZERLING PR

Contact: Felix Neunzerling
Phone: +49 30 30 61 22 30

Email: felix@neunzerling-pr.de

Distribution and Sales

Distributor: UCM.ONE GmbH
Wrangelstraße 79, 10997 Berlin, Germany

Email: dispo@ucm.one

Sales: CAMINO Filmverleih GmbH
Herdweg 27, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany

Contact: Tobias Scholz
Phone: +49 711 162 21 18 19

Email: tobias.scholz@camino-film.com

More information about the film: Ascend

More information about the film label: Darling Berlin