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Das Licht

The Light
Berlinale Special Gala 2025
© Frederic Batier / X Verleih AG
Tim Engels, his wife Milena, their twins Frieda and Jon, and Milena’s other son Dio, are a complex modern family living in a Berlin apartment. Their habits enable them to keep their lives separate even as they move through the shared spaces of their home. It is not until the enigmatic Farrah – recently arrived from Syria – is placed in their home as the new housekeeper, that their world is put to the test and hidden feelings come to light. It is an experience that expands and alters the lives of the family in unexpected ways as Farrah sets a plan in motion that will bring a new dimension to how they experience and understand the human condition.
by Tom Tykwer (Director, Screenplay)
with Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger, Tala Al-Deen, Elke Biesendorfer, Julius Gause, Elyas Eldridge, Toby Onwumere, Mudar Ramadan Germany 2025 German, English, Arabic 162' Colour World premiere | Berlinale Opening Film Rating R 12

With

  • Nicolette Krebitz (Milena)
  • Lars Eidinger (Tim)
  • Tala Al-Deen (Farrah)
  • Elke Biesendorfer (Frieda)
  • Julius Gause (Jon)
  • Elyas Eldridge (Dio)
  • Toby Onwumere (Godfrey)
  • Mudar Ramadan (Karim)

Crew

Director Tom Tykwer
Screenplay Tom Tykwer
Cinematography Christian Almesberger
Editing Claus Wehlisch, Alexander Berner
Music Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
Sound Design Mathias Lempert, Frank Kruse, Alexander Buck
Production Design Tim Tamke
Casting Alexandra Montag
Producers Uwe Schott, Tom Tykwer
Executive Producers Vladimir Zemtsov, Lota Dasciorate
Co-Producers Annegret Weidkämpfer-Krug, Josef Reidinger, Vladimir Zemtsov

Produced by

X-Filme Creative Pool

Gretchenfilm

B.A. FILMPRODUKTION GMBH

World Sales

Beta Cinema

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Tom Tykwer

© Joachim Gern

The director, screenwriter, composer and producer was born in Wuppertal, Germany in 1965. He moved to Berlin in 1985 to study philosophy while also working as a projectionist. He was then manager of the Moviemento cinema in Berlin until the late 1990s. He made his international breakthrough as a filmmaker in 1998 with Run Lola Run. To date, he has made eleven feature films for the cinema. Since 2017, he has written and produced along with Achim von Borries and Henk Handloegten the award-winning series Babylon Berlin. He is founder, partner and managing director of the X Filme Creative Pool production company which he set up in 1995 with Stefan Arndt, Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy.

Filmography

1990 Because; short film 1992 Epilog (Epilogue); short film 1993 Die tödliche Maria (Deadly Maria) 1997 Winterschläfer (Winter Sleepers) 1998 Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) 2000 Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (The Princess and the Warrior) 2002 Heaven 2004 True; short film – episode from “Paris je t’aime” 2006 Parfum (Perfume: Story of a Murderer) 2009 The International · Deutschland 09; short film – episode “Feierlich reist” 2010 Drei (Three) 2012 Rosakinder · Cloud Atlas · Sense8; 3 episodes 2016 Ein Hologramm für den König (A Hologram for the King) 2017 Babylon Berlin; since 2017; 5 seasons 2025 Das Licht (The Light)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025