The flies buzzing about during the film, the squealing wild pigs, the sky on fire, crispy burnt bodies Pompeii style and repeated helicopters flying overhead had me thinking of “Apocalypse Now” and “Lord of the Flies” and of course of the wildfires burning in abundance here in Canada. Director Christian Petzold, please forgive my metaphorical imagination.
In this 2023 German film Leon (Thomas Schubert) an author finalizing the manuscript of his book “Club Sandwich” and Felix (Langston Uibel) an aspiring photographer preparing a portfolio for his art school application travel to the German Baltic coast for some peace and quiet. Felix receives a call from his mother, the owner of the summer home, there is also a woman living at the house. It is Nadja (Paula Beer) who scoops ice cream on the boardwalk while working on her PHD in literature. The group of thirty somethings is joined by “rescue swimmer” Devid.
Leon is a self absorbed and very unhappy man eclipsing himself from life with an oft used phrase, “Work won’t allow it.” As a wildfire rages nearby Leon wallows in misery discontented with his manuscript which both Nadja and his publisher Helmut think is garbage. Leon just oozes misery on the verge of an intellectual meltdown.
Wildfires do regenerate forests not before causing great destruction of the existing ecosystem. And in this case the wildfires regenerate human beings but they also kill. Leon finds creativity and the time to think beyond himself and love in the midst of destruction and death.
In “Apocalypse Now” and “Lord of the Flies” like a wildfire there is destruction from which there can be a measure of salvation but never a return. In “Afire” Leon is on the brink of destruction but it is the wildfire that is his salvation and regeneration. Other characters meet a Vesuvian result.
Petzold scored a big success with “Undine” a play on a German water nymph also starring Paula Beer and in “Afire” he has moved to another classical element namely fire.
“Afire” won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023.
An allegorical and metaphorical delight.
Opens July 14th in Canada.
You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/838815806
RKS 2023 Film Rating 91/100.
Photo Christian Schulz
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