Fisch lernt fliegen

Venice can be a very empty place – albeit not too often. Strictly speaking, this is something that only occurs if you can persuade the city to cast its crystal-clear morning light over a cinematic fantasy that is as excessive as it is succinct, and to appear as a surreal or, shall we say, dreamlike backdrop. This is what happens in Fisch lernt fliegen (Fish Takes Off). The golden fish is dead. A young woman wanders through Venice, plagued by a bad conscience. As she stands on the deserted Ponte di Rialto to return the fish to its element, she realises that this farewell will make no difference. Shortly afterwards, she meets a friend by chance in an alley who wants to persuade her to return. Later, she quietly exchanges glances with a desperate writer. Did she save him from committing suicide in another life? And even later: an eccentric concierge gradually capitulates as the woman considers not paying for her luxurious suite. The world is unpredictable. But what else can you do except be realistic and demand the impossible? (Berlinale)