International Competition
Love Alone Can’t Make A Child
- Onsite
- 7/16 (Tue) 17:30 Audio Visual Hall
- 7/20 (Sat) 11:00 Convention Hall
- Online
- 7.20 (Sat) 10:00 - 7.24 (Wed) 23:00
©Kloos&Co.
Director: Judith BEUTH
Cast: Maria, Christiane
2024 / Germany, Norway / 105min.
Maria and Christiane wait nervously for a phone call. For ten years, the couple has been hoping for a child of their own, and this is the call that will inform them of the result. The story takes us back to when they first met: Maria is an artist with disabilities, and Christiane visits her as a home care nurse. They stumble into love with each other and start living together. Before long, they hope for a child. They explore the possibilities one by one, confronting numerous problems, from barriers in the medical system to constraints imposed by biology and time. Through their frank and sometimes humorous dialogue, the film depicts the dignity of the protagonists as individuals, their respect for each other, and both the joy and hardship that come from living with loved ones. The couple’s journey is documented at a sensitive distance by director Judith Beuth, a friend of Maria’s since she was 13. This is her directorial feature-length debut, and the universal theme of how love develops over a long period of time while never losing its essence lies quietly beneath the surface.
Director: Judith BEUTH
Born in 1983, grew up in East Berlin. After graduating high school, worked at various internships, spent an extended time in the Balkans and completed a short course in cultural studies. Studied directing at the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg and has made several short- and medium-length documentaries and scenic short films in St. Petersburg, Berlin, and Tehran, among other places. Love Alone Can’t Make a Child is Judith Beuth’s first feature-length documentary film.
Message
This is the first time I’ve been asked to address an audience from a distance. What I can say: I am thankful for the openness of my friends, Maria and Christiane, the protagonists of this 10-year documentary. Their willingness to show themselves in an honest way—not only strong and joyful but also in moments of doubt, fragility or desperation—made it possible to connect to them and allowed for reflection on a deeper level as to what it means to live one’s life. Furthermore, it became clear that, despite scientific advancements around fertility, the ability to ultimately control the reproductive process is little more than an illusion.
