A love so intense it needs life-or-death stakes — then a director crashes the party.
Jim and Elise are bound to each other by an uncompromising love, excessive passion and romance, which they like to experience up to life-threatening situations. But when film director Frank Morris gets stranded in the solitude of their east-German village, things start changing for all three of them.
Acting
Ken Duken and Marie Zielcke commit completely to toxic devotion.
Cinematography
Cramped interiors vs. vast empty landscapes mirror the relationship.
Director
Stefan Sarazin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title 'Nitschewo' is Russian for 'nothing' — a nod to post-Soviet Eastern Germany's cultural hangover.
Director Stefan Sarazin grew up in the actual region; the village's oppressive authenticity is deeply personal. The film premiered at Berlinale's Forum section, typically reserved for formally adventurous or politically charged work.
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