A “typically dysfunctional German family” gets a spiritual makeover in Das Licht (The Light), the new film from Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Cloud Atlas), which will open the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.
The first (German) trailer for the film dropped on Thursday, via local distributor X Verleih and Warner Bros. Germany (see below). It shows Lars Eidinger and Nicolette Krebitz as Tim and Milena, the unhappy heads of the Engels family. In the words of their daughter Frieda, played by Elke Biesendorfer: “We’re typically dysfunctional German family, where everyone does their own thing and does give a sh** about one another.”
The Engels get help in the form of a mysterious woman, Farrah (Tala al Deen), a housekeeper from Syria, who enters their lives, bringing to light feelings that have long been hidden. But Farrah is pursuing a plan all of her own that will fundamentally change the family’s life. “I’ll help them,” she says in the trailer, “because I need them to do me a favor. A big one.” Elke Biesendorfer, Julius Gause, and Elyas Eldridge co-star.
Das Licht is Tykwer’s first feature since 2016’s A Hologram for a King but, from the evidence of the trailer, he has lost none of his visual style. There are scenes of characters flying through visual worlds, or skimming across Berlin‘s River Spree, impressive choreographed dance sequences and what looks like a building exploding in the center of the city.
Das Licht will open the 75th Berlinale on Feb. 13. This will be the third time Tykwer has opened the Berlinale, following 2002 with Heaven and with The International in 2009.
Das Licht (The Light) was produced by X Filme Creative Pool, in co-production with ZDF, ARP Séléction, Gold Rush Pictures, Gretchenfilm and B.A. Filmproduktion. X Verleih and Warner Bros. Germany will release the film in German cinemas on March 20, 2025. Beta Cinema is handling world sales.
The 75th Berlinale runs Feb. 13-23, 2025.
Check out the German trailer for Das Licht below.