What happens when emotions mirror the elements? Christian Petzold’s new film “Afire” explores the associations between nature’s powerful force and humanity’s deepest emotional layers. It follows a writer who —along with his friend — is paired with two people during an increasingly destructive wildfire. What they discover among the group proves to be as powerful as the forces outside of their control. The Playlist’s Savina Petkova described the film as an “uncompromising work of a master not only on conceptual and stylistic levels but also in terms of his emotional politics.”
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Writer and director Petzold builds on a fascination with the elements. His previous film, “Undine,” takes on the mythological figure whose fate is tied to water; much like “Afire,” its presence at the Berlin Film Festival generated buzz as well as awards. Another familiar presence — cinematographer Hans Fromm — offers a defining vision that connects both the watery doom of “Undine” and the lingering flames of “Afire.” This is far from the pair’s only work together, with ‘Transit” being yet another exploration into tragedy’s spiraling effects on the human condition.
The film’s official synopsis:
“Afire” is set at a small holiday house by the Baltic Sea. The days are hot and it hasn’t rained in weeks. Four young people come together, friends old and new. As the parched forests around them begin to ignite, so do their emotions. Happiness, lust and love; but also jealousies, resentments and tensions. Meanwhile the forests burn. And before long, the flames are there.”
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Fire consumes not only nature but personal connections in “Afire.” The film opens in theaters on July 14. Watch the newest trailer below: