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Limbo

Competition 2023
© Bunya Productions
Detective Travis Hurley arrives in a small town in the Australian outback. The Hotel Limbo, which resembles a rocky grotto, proves to be perfect for his very own particular type of relaxation. But he has come here to investigate a case from 20 years ago for which the only evidence is a number of tape recordings: the unsolved murder of an Aboriginal girl named Charlotte Hayes. The residents are less than forthcoming regarding the provision of information; this is especially true of the victim’s fractured family. You do not talk to a cop, especially if he is white. But Hurley, in a stoic performance by Simon Baker, knows how to wend his way in his cool car through the labyrinthine landscape of the Opal Mountains and form a bond with the cave and caravan dwellers.
Indigenous Australian film director Ivan Sen is renowned for his depiction of magnificent screen landscapes. In Limbo, he juxtaposes the low sky with the mounds above and holes below ground around the opal-mining capital of Coober Pedy. The result is a serene “desert noir” that is as convincing as a detective story as it is a subtle portrait of the First Nation’s deep-seated experiences of everyday racism. A genre film suffused with bleak nostalgia.
by Ivan Sen (Director, Screenplay)
with Simon Baker, Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen, Nicholas Hope, Mark Coe, Joshua Warrior Australia 2023 English 108' Black/White World premiere

With

  • Simon Baker (Travis Hurley)
  • Rob Collins (Charlie)
  • Natasha Wanganeen (Emma)
  • Nicholas Hope (Joseph)
  • Mark Coe (Zac)
  • Joshua Warrior (Oscar)

Crew

Director Ivan Sen
Screenplay Ivan Sen
Cinematography Ivan Sen
Editing Ivan Sen
Music Ivan Sen
Sound Design Thom Kellar
Sound Nick Rowan
Art Director Adam Head
Costumes Theodore Benton
Make-Up Toni Ffrench
Assistant Director Richard McGrath
Casting Ivan Sen
Producers David Jowsey, Rachel Higgins, Greer Simpkin, Ivan Sen
Executive Producers Simon Baker, Cecilia Ritchie, David Chiem

World Sales

Dark Matter

Sydney, Australia

Produced by

Bunya Productions

Sydney, Australia

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Berlinale Meets | Interview

Kirill Komar

© Marc Jarabe

The director was born in Odesa, Ukraine in 1984 and grew up in Germany. He has been based in Vienna since 2013. He began his directorial career working in music videos and commercials before turning his focus to filmmaking. He has written and directed two short films, Aysu and Yuragim, both in collaboration with Varia Garib.

Filmography (Filmography)

2025 Aysu; co-directed by Varia Garib 2026 Yuragim; co-directed by Varia Garib

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026