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Hotel Oblique

Generation 14plus 2026
A budgie finds itself in a luxurious wellness hotel that promises stressed birds peace and relaxation. But, between the lulling sound of the fountains and the soothing massages, it longs only to return to the safety of its cage. Hotel Oblique deals with the tension between autonomy and belonging, between leaving familiar structures behind and searching for orientation in unfamiliar surroundings.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Merlin Flügel (Director, Screenplay) Germany 2026 Without dialogue 8' Black/White World premiere | Animation recommendation: 14 years and up

Crew

Director Merlin Flügel
Screenplay Merlin Flügel
Editing Merlin Flügel
Music David Kamp
Sound Design David Kamp
Production Design Merlin Flügel
Animation Merlin Flügel
Producer Merlin Flügel

Produced by

Merlin Flügel

World Sales

Miyu Distribution

Montpellier, France

Photos

Merlin Flügel

©Marina Hoppmann

Born in Germany in 1987, the director and animator is based in Berlin. His animated short films have gained international recognition at festivals including Go Short, Pictoplasma and Animateka. In 2013, his film ECHO screened in Berlinale Shorts. His graduation film Rules of Play won the prize for Best Experimental Animation at CutOut Fest in Mexico and the Jury Award at Annecy. He occasionally teaches and gives workshops, for example, at Hochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences and Nanjing University of the Arts. He has also directed several film festival trailers, including for Interfilm and the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, and was a jury member at DOK Leipzig in 2024.

Filmography

2011 How To Disappear; short animation 2012 ECHO; short animation, Berlinale 2013 2018 Rules of Play; short animation 2026 Hotel Oblique; short animation, Berlinale 2026

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026