Flying High, Longlist - Personal Project

Voices

Björn Rühmann

Zauberberg Productions GmbH

Black Lives Matter, Me-too, and the aftermath of the economic crisis- topics that trigger social criticism and the questioning of current structures and American politics. These sensitive issues are addressed by director Björn Rühmann and American creative Matthew Branning in a self-initiated short film calling for the 2020 election in the United States. Impressive and intense, the short film depicts social contradictions that are not commented on by the victims themselves. The voices of the main characters are a crucial element of the narrative. For example, a young, angst-ridden woman in the midst of a shooting speaks in a male voice about the Second Amendment and its contribution to the place of the American state. In a car, a homeless woman sleeps with her daughter, talking to a male voice about rising stock prices and the prosperity of the economy. This paradox, combined with the emotional and intense scenes, makes the short film striking and makes the viewer think. The giving away of the voices of those main characters corresponds with the call of the film, which warns against letting someone else speak for you in the elections.

German-born Björn Rühmann is an award-winning film, music video and commercial director known for his unforgettable characters and wholly unique story-worlds. His work includes the music video trilogy "Florian" for Paul Kalkbrenner which garnered more than 45 million views on Youtube, and the short film “Power of Wind” for Epuron promoting wind energy. The latter has achieved cult-like status among advertising industry insiders and is as admired today as it was upon its initial release where it won numerous festival Grand Prix and an Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival.