In a hot summer during the Covid pandemic, the property management decides to renovate Karsten’s apartment and evicts him. Whether he’ll be able to quickly find something new in Cologne is uncertain. But Karsten remains relaxed. He packs his mattress into the borrowed moving van and turns it into an improvised home. Sophie and Miray also urgently need a place to live and join Karsten. For a while, their set-up seems perfect. However, a few days turn into months. Too much closeness and the impending autumn chill take a toll on the three of them.
Raumteiler
Florian Schmitz
Born in 1992 in Mönchengladbach. Studied at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Active as a screenwriter and director.
2016 TRAUER, Kurzfilm
2018 ARME RITTER, Spielfilm HOF 2018
2019 NEW FACES, Kurzfilm HOF 2019
2020 FINTE, Kurzfilm HOF 2020
2021 LE PRÉ DU MAL, Kurzfilm HOF 2021
2022 MATRATZEN, Kurzfilm
2024 RAUMTEILER, Spielfilm HOF 2024
“Raumteiler is not just a film about housing shortages and homelessness. My primary interest was the question of what happens to someone who simply does not want to make an effort. Having a roof over one’s head is a fundamental human need and should also be a fundamental right. There should be no competition where you only have a chance due to status, perseverance, and elbowing. So what if one simply chooses not to expose oneself to this neoliberal madness any longer? What options do I have if I no longer want to play along? For me personally, Raumteiler was also an opportunity to bring together people who have become very important to me over the years. One of them is the actor, Christoph Bertram. In 2017, I made the feature film Arme Ritter with him. Raumteiler is our second, improvised feature film in which we were able to further deepen our joint work.”
Florian Schmitz