The 54th edition of the Rotterdam Film Festival, which came to a close in February 2025, offered a rich and varied selection of films exploring the state of the world on different scales, whether international or personal. Among the standout works, Croatian director Igor Bezinović’s Fiume o morte! stood out for its historical and political outlook, while Tim Ellrich’s Im Haus meiner Eltern offered a more intimate, introspective approach.
In a festival of this scope, the role of the critical jury is essential in highlighting works with singular artistic approaches and diverse interrogations. Im Haus meiner Eltern is a perfect illustration of this diversity, acting as a counterpoint to Fiume o morte! Through a narrative centered on family tensions and the weight of responsibilities, the film follows a sister struggling to care for her disabled brother and their aging parents. It reveals the sacrifices, dilemmas, and silences that shape family relationships, while exploring memories and frozen dynamics within the household.
For its part, Fiume o morte! finds a particular echo in the current political situation, marked by the rise of populist and identity-based movements around the world. By revisiting a little-known historical episode from both a playful and critical angle, Bezinović sheds light on the mechanisms of power, the fascination exerted by charismatic figures, and the risks of a simplified vision of history. This ability to interrogate the past in order to better understand the present gives Fiume o morte! a particular relevance within the festival’s selection.
Im Haus meiner Eltern is anchored in a more intimate dimension, revealing a family microcosm marked by the wear and tear of daily life, solitude, and the complexity of human relationships. One film unfolds like a committed historical fresco, while the other dissects the difficulties of forgiveness and transmission within a family. By selecting such works, the critical jury plays a fundamental role in recognizing cinematographic proposals that are as contrasting as they are complementary, ensuring a balance between introspective narratives and socio-political questioning. In so doing, it highlights the richness of the international auteur cinema celebrated in Rotterdam.
By Garance Hayat
Edited by José Teodoro
Copyright FIPRESCI