Far more concrete is the video for No More Roses by the electropop duo Donna Regina (directed by Graw Böckler), effectively a short documentary about a demonstration in Chile on 8 March. A wide variety of women are gathered there: female graffiti artists, mothers with their children on their shoulders, heavily armed policewomen with flowers pinned to their uniforms. The camera never leaves them, becoming one of them. All these different versions of femininity, united by a single demand — no more roses —, ultimately seem to merge into an iconic form: In IDLU by Lars Zimmermann and Paulina Wetzel, the Berlin singer-songwriter TEll A ViSiON performs in a setting that could not be more minimalist; a white cube, and within it the artist, dressed entirely in black, with only a guitar, an amp and bright red lipstick. The quintessential image of a rock star, which has always had the potential to blur, expand and transform gender boundaries. Just like the portrait drawings of a woman in Christina Romano’s video for Sailing Away by Smoking Hand, which blend into one another in a loop: black lines on white that gradually fill with colour, constantly producing new variations of beauty.

That Nikolas Müller’s floating for myr., with its superimposed image layers, computer windows, alienated nature shots and swirling graphs, attempts something similar seems counterintuitive at first glance. Yet fundamentally, these visual worlds merely simulate a digital memory, as if an artificial intelligence were, at some point in the future, recalling a nature it now knows only from texts. We are well on our way there: the video for Erst zahlen, dann malen! by and for techno-punk DJ Babyoil comes across as a sarcastic commentary on the art business and, with AI-generated images of an art supplies shop devouring its customers, provides the perfect punchline to the competition. The modelling clay strikes back — once again, we have no choice but to surrender to the rhythm.

Katrin Doerksen

>>> back to the top

MuVi International

Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
Regie: Mike Mills, USA

‘You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything’
After a wait of almost 50 years, Mike Mills and the Talking Heads have finally released the music video for this well-known song. What particularly appeals to me about the video is that, contrary to expectations, it doesn’t go down the Norman Bates route, but instead has Saoirse Ronan embody the intrusive thoughts of everyday life. In the end, there’s probably a bit of a “psycho killer” in all of us.

Sophia, PR and Marketing

MuVi 14+

I’M BUSY (Koki Sakakihara),
Regie: Miho Kidoguchi, Japan

I’M BUSY depicts a sense of everyday stress and the longing for a few minutes’ peace in the loo. The plan to elaborately style one’s hair in peace is repeatedly interrupted by the ever-new annoying distractions: the mobile won’t stop ringing, the kettle’s boiling, the dog wants to be petted and the plants need watering. And just when all that’s sorted, the postman rings the doorbell. The increasingly fast-paced music, paired with the absurd animation, heightens the feeling of stress until your head finally explodes. Watching and listening to this was incredibly fun, and made me forget my own to-do list for a short while.

Konrad, Children’s and Youth Cinema

MuVi International

Red Rain (The White Stripes)
Regie: Conor Calahan, USA

I really liked the music video and think it’s very well done. The idea with the little figures and building blocks is creative and fun to watch. You can tell a lot of work and effort has gone into it.

Amelie, Organisation

MuVi 14+

I Miss My Dog (M(h)aol
Regie: M(h)aol, Irland

I particularly liked the music video I Miss My Dog because, despite its seemingly simple artistic execution, it addresses a multi-layered theme: the loss of and memories of a pet. It is the result of a collaborative project between the band and their community, which I also really like. All the dogs featured in the video belong to fans of the musicians. As a further lovely touch, you can see the dogs’ names in the video description. I am very impressed by this collective tribute.

Hannah, Press Office

MuVi International

Work in ProRes (Saeko Killy)
Regie: Christine Gensheimer, Deutschland

Work in ProRes is a surrealist animated film set to Saeko Killy’s futuristic soundtrack, which immediately draws the viewer into its visual worlds. As we wander through Christine Gensheimer’s dreamlike visual collages, abstract spaces unfold, captivating the viewer with their dynamic animation and soundscapes. In fluid transitions, spaces disintegrate and reassemble themselves again and again in new and different ways. Human-like figures seem to move across screen surfaces, accompanied by natural sounds, electronic tones and distorted voices – for me, an immersive and particularly aesthetic realisation in which dream and reality merge.

Ronja, German and NRW Competition

MuVi 14+

Fake ID (XCOMM)
Regie: Connor Ellman, USA

The music video Fake ID impresses not only with a strong and incisive hardcore punk track, but also with genuine punk attitude and charming humour. The young protagonists dress up as grannies and try to buy alcohol, which they are unfortunately denied despite their ‘convincing’ disguise, so they decide on the spot to simply steal the alcohol. This is underscored by shots of the band setting up in the kiosk and accompanied by clips of the cashier, who displays charming acting skills.

The video creates interesting contrasts between loud and low. Alongside the loud and restless music, one hears only calm sounds of the sea and ambient noises. The interesting camera angles and tracking shots are also very effective. The video plays with focus and blur, and the camera captures intriguing perspectives. This makes the music video not only worth listening to, but also worth watching!

Cora, Children’s and Youth Cinema

>>> back to the top

>>> back to the title page