The Party – Nature Morte

After years of intimacy, Queenie (Tilda Swinton) and Burrs (Lutz Weidlich) feel nothing but emptiness in their relationship. To escape it, they decide: “It’s time for a party.” Among the guests at their Berlin industrial loft are Simon Fisher-Turner, Irm Hermann, Martin Wuttke, Christian Petzold, Lilly Grote, Sarah Wiener, Vincenzo Bugno, and many others. Inspired by Joseph Moncure March’s narrative poem The Wild Party, Cynthia Beatt’s feature debut, THE PARTY – NATURE MORTE is a captivating black-and-white still life featuring serene cinematography by Elfi Mikesch. The set design was created by Raimund Kummer, who incorporated elements from his own works as well as those of his artist friends. The musical piece Nature morte by composer Margaret DeWys gave the film the second half of its title, which, according to the director, refers to the “dead nature” of party life in Berlin in the late 1980s.

The digital restoration was made possible by the Filmerbe funding program, financed by the Federal Ministry of Culture (BKM), the Federal States and the German Federal Film Board (FFA).