What would you do if your child could suddenly read your mind? We sit down with German filmmaker Frédéric Hambalek to talk about his Competition selected film 'What Marielle Knows' - a taut, biting and frequently hilarious dark comedy. German writer-director Frédéric Hambalek surprised everyone this year at the Berlinale with a comedy in Competition that could very well be one of the breakout titles this year. is a sharp, taut and pitch-black comedy that deconstructs the perfect picture of family dynamics.
It does so by revolving around a high concept idea: a young girl (Laeni Geiseler) develops telepathic powers after being hit by a girl at school who she called a slut. Her powers don’t transform her into a pocket-sized Professor X but allow her to see and hear everything her parents do. Whatever they’re doing.
Wherever they are. She soon discovers that the adults in her life (played by Julia Jentsch and Felix Kramer) aren’t as open and honest as they profess to be. Whether it’s starting an affair with a co-worker or shrouding professional failures and reframing them as success stories to avoid weakening an already fragile male ego, she professes to knowing who they are.
Once Marielle tells her parents about her newfound powers, they are convinced they are being manipulated. However, as time passes, they begin to think twice about their own behaviours and the everyday masks they wear. But does that mean that honesty is always the best policy? And isn’t a tr.
