Afire

Directed by Christian Petzold • 2023 • Germany
Starring Thomas Schubert, Paula Beer, Langston Uibel

While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised to encounter Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home. Nadja soon distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel, not only because of her passionate liaison with lifeguard Devid (Enno Trebs) but also because her brutal honesty forces Leon to confront his artistic inadequacies. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and pushes the writer to discover whether he can truly care for anything beyond himself. Christian Petzold’s acclaimed latest was the winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.

“Superb. Few of this summer’s movies burn as fiercely.”
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

“Spiky . . . mordantly funny . . . Afire is a tonic for moviegoers tired of nice, squishable, likable, relatable, and dull characters.”
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times (Critic’s Pick)

“A masterpiece. Christian Petzold is one of the great directors of this young century.”
—Jordan Raup, The Film Stage