back

Was Marielle weiß

What Marielle Knows
Competition 2025
© Alexander Griesser
Julia and Tobias seem to be the perfect couple. But behind the façade and designer kitchen, trouble is brewing. The fragile balance between the two is shattered when their daughter Marielle suddenly develops telepathic abilities, granting her the power to see and hear everything her parents do – day and night. The couple soon realises that the lies they have been telling each other can no longer be hidden from Marielle. When their most uncomfortable secrets are exposed, Julia and Tobias engage in a manipulative game that leads to increasingly awkward and absurd situations which escalate the conflict and the consequences.
by Frédéric Hambalek (Director, Screenplay)
with Julia Jentsch, Felix Kramer, Laeni Geiseler, Mehmet Ateşçi, Moritz Treuenfels Germany 2025 German, French 86' Colour World premiere

With

  • Julia Jentsch (Julia)
  • Felix Kramer (Tobias)
  • Laeni Geiseler (Marielle)
  • Mehmet Ateşçi (Max)
  • Moritz Treuenfels (Sören)

Crew

Director Frédéric Hambalek
Screenplay Frédéric Hambalek
Cinematography Alexander Griesser
Editing Anne Fabini
Sound Design Steffen Pfauth
Production Design Bartholomäus Martin Kleppek
Casting Ulrike Müller, Anne Walcher
Producers Philipp Worm, Tobias Walker

Produced by

Walker + Worm Film

München, Germany

Co-produced by

ZDF – Das kleine Fernsehspiel

Mainz, Germany

World Sales

Lucky Number

Paris, France

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Frédéric Hambalek

© Oliver Duerr

Born in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1986, he studied film and American Studies in Mainz and won a scholarship to attend the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English in Vermont, USA. While studying, he made several short films. His first script won the 2016 Tankred Dorst Prize and his screenwriting has also been nominated for the Grimme Awards and the German Television Awards. In 2020, his no-budget feature film Model Olimpia premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Festival. Was Marielle weiß is his second feature film.

Filmography

2013 Zu Dritt (The Three of Us); short film 2016 Bergfieber (Mountain Fever); short film 2017 Im Wald (In the Woods); short film 2020 Modell Olimpia (Model Olimpia) 2025 Was Marielle weiß (What Marielle Knows)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025