INFLORESCENCE [SLOWLOOP-06]
2020, 2K DCP, 8' / ∞ INFINITE LOOP, 5.1, COLOR, 16:9 Info-Sheet

Autumn again on planet earth. A couple of rosy rose petals in eternal solidarity enduring great trouble of a heavy thunderstorm.
A Romantic Conceptualism Bedtime Fable of resistance&redundance, or the awkward ambivalence of truth, dream, life and love. Let‘s unite to inflorescence.

“They come, they come To build a wall between us
We know they won‘t win Don‘t let them win“
(Neil Finn, 1986, Crowded House “Don’t Dream It’s Over”)

“Well, well, well, let us realize Oh, that a change can only come
When we Stand together as one, yeah, yeah, yeah”
(Cyndy Lauper, 1985, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie “We Are the World”)

“We could fly so high, Let our spirits never die
In my heart I feel you are all my brothers”
(Michael Jackson, 1992, “Heal the World”)

LAURELS

„An ode to the beauty and kindness in our hearts resisting the terrible nightmare yet to come."
Special Mention Vilnius International Film Festival 2020, Short Competition Jury (Andrius Blazevicius, Konstatina Kotzamani, Simone Späni)

„The prize for best director goes to a filmmaker that shot an image that might seem insignificant at first, but which gains its power because the director believes in it. And through repetition it becomes an act of survival, where we identity with a flower as the powerful center in a loop that never seems to end. The prize goes to Inflorescence by Nicolaas Schmidt.“
Best Directing Award, Bucharest Intl. Experimental Film Festival 2021, Intl. Competition Jury (Mathieu Janssen, Antoine Chapon, Angelika Ramlow)

"With its fascinating and synaesthetic interplay of image and sound, INFLORESCENCE is a unique cinematic experiment."
Press Pelease FBW Rating Particularly Valuable
Full Jury Statement / Press Release (German)

"Sure, the redundancy is funny, but on reflection it becomes clear that Schmidt's short film also has depth. A long silence initially initiated the discussion phase."
[…]
"INFLORESCENCE is merciless and destroys hopes for change. And yet INFLORESCENCE is motivating."
[…]
"Schmidt's film experiment clearly does not stand for clear answers."
Jury Statement FBW Rating Particularly Valuable
Full Jury Statement / Press Release (German)


REVIEWS

“When it premiered at the Berlinale last February, little did anyone know that it was being received on the cusp of global catastrophe. Now, after a cataclysmic year in lockdown, Nicolas Schmidt’s Inflorescence reads as strikingly prescient - a summation, both poetic and mundane, of the emotional turmoil that’s become the underpinning of our lives. Though achingly tender, to describe it in any specificity would strip it of its most beautiful attribute, that its purity and simplicity generously offers itself as a personal vessel, one eager to absorb all of our individual hopes, dreams and fears.”
Tom Grimshaw, London Short Film Festival

"Der Traum endet nicht. Wie es Träumen eigen ist, wirft er stattdessen immer wieder neue Schlingen aus, Loops, die dich zurück in den Sturm ziehen. Einen Sturm, der gleichzeitig aufbrausend überwältigend und beglückend schön ist. Größtmögliches Kino-Rauschen in welchem sich die Liebe lustvoll hin und her wirft, das ganz große Glück winkt. Im Kino, wo gerade kaum einer näher am ultra-romantischen Ideal immer wieder neue, intensive Lichtblitze abfeuert, wie das offenbar Nicolaas Schmidt vermag. Sein neuer Kinofilm ist nur 8 Minuten lang und füllt mit seiner schier unbegrenzten Wucht dennoch den größten Saal. Man kann ihn wohl auch wirklich nur in einer solchen Architektur voll erfassen. Mein Konstrukt, das ein klein wenig nachzustellen, indem ich den Film gestern Nacht mit dem Beamer an die hohe Wand bollerte, ließ dahingehend wohl nur eine erste Ahnung aufleuchten. Verdammt, ärgere ich mich, den Film auf der Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival im Februar leider verpasst zu haben.
(Still via dem Trailer (den man sich in diesem Fall unbedingt nochmals in Kombination mit dem Film ansehen sollte)"
Sebastian Selig, Filmkritiker, Facebook

„Another seemingly simple film is German experimental film Inflorescence (Nicolaas Schmidt). A pink flower waves in the breeze as an extract from Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ plays on an almost repeated loop. It first seems an exercise in nothing but absurdity, but as it goes on, the film morphs into a moving paean to the ability to stand one’s ground and keep hope, no matter what the circumstances.“
Laurence Boyce for Cineuropa

„A pink rose floats in the wind while a storm brews in the distance. Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over plays on a stuttering loop, reminding us not to let those who “build a wall between us” win. What could it possibly mean? The German flag in the background suggests the struggles of reunification, but this oddly compelling piece — perfect for museum installations — can be taken in a variety of ways.“
Redmond Bacon for Directors Notes

Wieder sind die formalen Zumutungen in der Minderzahl – Freunden derselben sei „Inflorescence“ von Nicolaas Schmidt im rundum gelungenen Programm 2 (insgesamt gibt es fünf) ans Herz gelegt. Die filmischen Mittel aber scheinen sich auf Unterwanderungsmission begeben zu haben.
Alexandra Seitz für Berliner Zeitung

"Der deutsche Kurzfilm „Inflorescence“ von Nicolaas Schmidt ist nicht direkt queer, aber eine kunstvolle Hommage an den Widerstand innerhalb einer düsteren Welt: Rosarote Rosenblüten, auf ewig vereint, ertragen zusammen stürmische Zeiten und schwere Gewitter. Zu sehen im Programm Berline Shorts II“.
Queer

„Weitaus simpler angelegt, aber nicht weniger überzeugend ist Nicolaas „Inflorescence“: Acht Minuten lang sehen wir eine karg-graue Landschaft – und im Vordergrund eine Rose, die vom Wind durch das Bild getrieben wird- heftig durchgeschüttelt, aber standhaft. Dazu läuft der 1980er-Jahre-Hit „Don’t Dream It’s Over“ – verlangsamt, geloopt und verzerrt entwickelt er ungeahnte Kräfte. Ganz am Ende dieser hypnotischen acht Minuten steht ein unerwarteter politischer Appell, der hier aber nicht verraten werden soll.“
Fabian Wallmeier für RBB 24

MAILS/MESSAGES/COMMENTS

"Ich hatte das Glück diesen Film auf der Berlinale zu sehen auf einer gigantischen Leinwand. Es sind 8 Minuten, die schwer zu greifen sind wenn rechts eine email kommt und links das handy vibriert. Wenn ihr könnt baut euch ein kleines Kino und schaut euch das an."
Lennart Pennart, Zuschauer, Facebook

“I was surely moved by watching it during Kino Pavasaris screening this summer in Vilnius.”
Gintarė Šoparaitė, FB Messenger

"I love that film"
Simone Soleil, FB Comment

"It's my desktop background."
Stefanie Kolk, FB Comment

"Great Film!"
Sigrid Hoerner, FB Comment


Inflorescence seen through the eyes of Kai Hermann:

"The sky is grey, a thunderstorm is looming on the horizon, there is a threatening atmosphere. A limited landscape – probably a private garden – forms the entire cinematic scene. In the centre is a rose bush. Delicate, light pink and whitish flowers. Almost innocent. They are swaying in the wind, sometimes wildly, sometimes more gently – depending on the wind’s strength. The only sound is excerpts from “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House, in particular parts of the chorus on repeat, layered in a slow-mo effect as the scene continues.
Throughout the full eight minutes of Inflorescence, director Nicolaas Schmidt takes us to different places in a single scene. The viewer might catch themselves waiting for a twist or a change of location. Perhaps we will see the roses explode into pieces or simply leave the image. Perhaps a bolt of lightning will strike and the flowers will vanish completely. The possibilities are countless. In the end, it is a slightly nerve-wracking observation of a protagonist fighting against all the odds. Good against evil, David against Goliath, a tiny rose against the big storm.
This dramaturgy is strongly supported by the choice of soundtrack. Throughout the years, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” has cemented its place as an indie pop anthem of hope, love and, most importantly, resistance. A musical ode to never giving up on yourself. When things get tough, fight the storm and keep pushing on.
Most parts of the frame are filled with grey and earthy tones. The dark roof of a small house, the gloomy bushes, those strong trees and, of course, the aggressive sky. The only colourful and bright element is the family of roses. A symbol of otherness in a monotonous, dark world?
The roses perhaps portray the outcasts, the rebels. Those who are not willing to give up without a fight. Those who are aware that this fight, this storm, will not last forever. The winds will calm down, the clouds will vanish, the sky will turn blue and the sun will shine again. Until then, there is nothing more left to do other than hope. And, as much as the roses may look delicate and fragile, their inflorescence is a force of power, covered with thorns that are ready to protect the blossoms. A shield that the strongest storm will not destroy.

The beauty of Inflorescence lies in its multiple possibilities of interpretation. Each viewer will create their own story, whether political, metaphorical or simply personal. Nicolaas Schmidt serves us a visually tender film, filled with nostalgic vibes and a feeling of hope. Even the smallest, loneliest individual is strong enough to resist it all."

Kai Hermann, Berlinale Shorts