DUTY FREE
Hilke Rönnfeldt
Germany
The shop manager of a floating duty-free container cuts the chains to shore to save the universe of love that she has created inside.
SYNOPSIS
At land’s end floats a duty-free bordershop container in the Baltic Sea, attached with chains to a ferry terminal.
During day the shop manager Kaisa fills the shelves for transiting tourists with her employees, after work she takes care of them by loving them with every fibre of her being. Their universe of love comes under threat, when intruders approach and Kaisa cuts the chains.
Floating alone out at sea, their life is no longer safe and easy. Kaisa calls the coast guard. The container is tugged back and attached with chains to shore again.
INTENTION
For me the idea for Duty Free started with the thought about a mysterious thing called unconditional love. Is it an escapist’s dream of love without strings attached, safe and easy relationships, no lack and fear of commitment to others? Or is it real?
In the floating duty-free container in Northern Germany, which I grew up next to and has fascinated me since forever, I have found the perfect place to create this universe on trial with a female main character, an almost goddess at the end of the world, who wants to give everything of herself, where life has not really much to offer and people accept what they are given without expectations.
I want to tell a poetic and visually enthralling story that explores the issue knowing there are no right or final answers. Told as a mysterious and dark tale with an enchanting otherworldly soundscape, set in a contrastingly bleak and realistic landscape, Duty Free portrays a woman, entangled between turmoil and desire, who sets out on a mission to shape and control life and in the end creates chaos.
DIRECTOR
Hilke Rönnfeldt
Hilke Rönnfeldt, born in Northern Germany with Danish-Icelandic roots, graduated in screenwriting from Swedish Alma Löv Education (2019) and is a part of independent film collective Super16 in Copenhagen as a director. Her short films have successfully run the festival circuit. Currently she develops her first feature, which was selected at Tallinn FF Baltic Event and Scandinavian Debut at Haugesund FF and is funded by Filmfund Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein.
PRODUCER
Johanna Jannsen
Johanna Jannsen studied Multimedia Production and worked for German broadcaster NDR and production company Joker Pictures in Kiel.
At production collective North Ship Film in Flensburg, she works freelance in fiction and documentary.
Genre
Drama, Magical-Realism
Length
20 min
Language
German, Scandinavian and other
Shooting Location
Fehmarn, Northern Germany
Production company
North Ship Film (Germany)
Estimated budget
€40.000
Secured funding
Film Fund Hamburg / Schleswig-Holstein (FFHSH) - €15.000,
Danish Film Directors - €1.200
Looking for
Coproducers, Post-Production,
Sales, Distribution