Quiet Fires

Leise Feuer

Germany / Coming of Age, Drama / 00:09:59 min

“Quiet Fires” takes place in a laundry room, where 18-year-old Jona, an introverted young man, seeks refuge from the conflicts of his dysfunctional family. His mother, Susanne, struggles with exhaustion and financial pressure. When his younger sister Sarah appears with a fresh burn on her arm and accidentally admits she’s stopped attending therapy, the argument escalates, and Susanne threatens drastic measures. After the fight, Jona follows Sarah to her room, finding her injured. In a symbolic act, he dives into the light streaming through a burn hole on her arm. Inside, he encounters a future version of Sarah—healed and five years older—who confronts him with his own shortcomings. Overwhelmed by emotions and self-reflection, Jona finally finds the courage to express his vulnerability and despair, feelings he has long denied himself. Trigger warning: self-injurious behavior
Friday 22.8. 18:00
Barrier Free Block 2
Cafe Cup



Film maker
Max Kassun

Max Kassun is a director and screenwriter based in Hamburg who has created numerous commercials, award-winning short films, and a feature film. At just 14 years old, he won the Camgaroo Award, a prize for independent filmmakers, with one of his short films, dedicating himself entirely to filmmaking from that moment on. As a student, he financed his first 30-minute feature film through crowdfunding, participated in an international exchange program for young filmmakers, and won the Schleswig-Holstein Youth Film Award with one of his short films, which was also screened at the Filmfest Schleswig-Holstein. After graduating, he worked as a freelance director and editor on various projects. In early 2017, he co-founded Leo Bloom Studio Nordlicht and focused on the creative development of exciting projects in the commercial and corporate film sector. Since 2023, he has been working exclusively in the fictional realm as a film director.



 
 

Filmmaker greetings: