If I Was Here

A look at the world of US writer Paul Auster, on the occasion of the publication of his new novel, an exploration of human identity and the soul of New York, the city that Auster has portrayed as no one else has ever done.

More than one hundred blind or severely visually impaired actors, members of ONCE theater companies, perform eleven stories based on theatrical texts by a wide variety of authors, guided by Lucius, a blind Roman who wants to become an actor, and Thalia, the Greek muse of comedy.

In the late 1950s, the collectivization of agriculture is in full swing in the East German village of Willshagen on the German-German border. Those in charge have to face many obstacles, especially from a large-scale farmer who is unwilling to join the co-op. All of a sudden, mysterious men in a fancy car appear in the village and show an interest in the rundown manor house. Gossip spreads quickly, and some villagers think there will be a re-parceling of properties and a land swap with West Germany. They assume everything will go back to how it used to be and even expect the count to return to his manor. In preparation, the situation in the village escalates at a fevered pitch.

An illegal Polish worker on a building site falls from the scaffolding in the Ruhr region. Everyone wants to hush up the accident except the well-educated trainee.

In a desolate landscape a disillusioned artist meets a sober geologist, and quickly they form a strong connection. Their lives seem temporarily idyllic until the real world sticks its head up again.

Anne Chris lies awake at night, doubting. He doesn’t feel like he belongs in the body he was born with, but he’s not sure if transitioning is the solution to his problem. He’s afraid that after transitioning he still won’t feel like himself. We follow his tornado-like thoughts and experience the rollercoaster of emotions that he goes through.

A funny adventures of twelve years old Jens and his school friends.

In an unexpected turn of events, dull high school student Hiro Yuuki obtains the full dive role-playing game Kiwame Quest. Created by the best of technology, the game claims to take "reality to its extremes," from stunning graphics, NPCs' behavior, to the scent of vegetation, and even the sensation of wind brushing against the skin—everything was the result of an ultimate workmanship. Except, the game is a little too realistic and messy to clear. Kiwame Quest features over ten quadrillion flags and reflects the players' real-life physical abilities in the game. Being hit in the game also hurts in real life and slash wounds take days to heal. The only reward here is the sense of accomplishment. Conquer the most stressful game in history that can't be played casually!

In this horror parody, a masked serial killer menaces the town of Bulimia Falls with various sharp objects. Attention-seeking television personality Hagitha Utslay is soon on the scene, reporting on the ever-growing body count. Former mall security guard Doughy shows up to protect the teenage population, but he's clearly not much help, allowing the murderer to pick off even more hapless kids as numerous scary movies are referenced.

A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.

In this Oscar-winning short film, grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child after a tragic school shooting.