Manodrome

Ralphie is young and healthy and his girlfriend is pregnant. Yet things do not feel quite right. His job as an Uber driver is neither gratifying nor financially secure. His relationship with his body may also be built on shaky foundations. When he is inducted into a libertarian masculinity cult, the tensions that have been growing inside him surface. Ralphie begins to lose his grip on reality.
In his previous film, The Wound, South African filmmaker John Trengove explored how a male rite of passage unleashed repressed feelings with the same potential for danger as opening a pressure cooker. A similar force is at work inside the protagonist of Manodrome, in whom Trengove observes a disturbing phenomenon from an original angle. Ralphie is not the stereotype that springs to mind when thinking of groups formed around fervent misogyny such as the infamous “incels”, and his character helps us to deepen our understanding of what male fragility can entail. In spite of the dark implications of its premise, this film is not devoid of humour. However, the skilful way in which the tension builds and powerful performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody leave the viewer truly shaken.
by John Trengove
with Jesse Eisenberg, Adrien Brody, Odessa Young, Sallieu Sesay, Philip Ettinger
United Kingdom / USA 2023 English,  Subtitles: German 95’ World premiere

With

  • Jesse Eisenberg (Ralphie)
  • Adrien Brody (Dan)
  • Odessa Young (Sal)
  • Sallieu Sesay (Ahmet)
  • Philip Ettinger (Jason)
  • Ethan Suplee (Dad Leo)
  • Evan Joningkeit (Son Brad)
  • Caleb Eberhardt (Son Aaron)
  • Gheorghe Murensan (Sachiel)

Crew

DirectorJohn Trengove
ScreenplayJohn Trengove
CinematographyWyatt Garfield
EditingJulie Monroe, Matthew Swanepoel
MusicChristopher Stracey
Art DirectorCarmen Navis
ProducersGina Gammell, Ben Giladi, Riley Keough, Ryan Zacarias

Produced by

Felix Culpa

USA

Liminal Content

United Kingdom

World Sales

CAA Media Finance

John Trengove

Born in 1978, he has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa and in São Paulo, Brazil. After studying at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in New York, he directed television films, documentaries and commercials. In 2014, his short iBhokhwe (The Goat) was presented in Generation while his debut feature film The Wound screened in the 2017 Berlinale Panorama, went on to win 28 international awards and was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film Oscar in 2018.

Filmography

2014 iBhokhwe (The Goat); short film 2016 The Wound 2023 Manodrome

Dates

Sat Feb 18 19:15

Berlinale Palast

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Sun Feb 19 12:15

Verti Music Hall

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Mon Feb 20 10:00

Haus der Berliner Festspiele

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Tue Feb 21 15:45

Verti Music Hall

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Sun Feb 26 18:00

Berlinale Palast

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