A hushed press conference at Cannes turned into a standing ovation this morning when German director Mascha Schilinski introduced her second feature, Sound of Falling. The film follows four young women—Alma, Erika, Angelika and Lenka—each living on the same rural farm during the 1910s, 1940s, 1980s and today. Their stories ripple through unspoken wounds that span generations.
Schilinski and co-writer Louise Peter discovered a photograph of three 1920s farmworkers whose gaze conveyed quiet sorrow. “We felt the melancholy they carried,” Schilinski explained. “That image led us to imagine what history left behind in that house.” The screenplay tracks how small tragedies—a discarded spoon, a whisper in an empty room—can shape descendants’ lives.
Festival critics hailed the film as a Palme d’Or contender after a three-and-a-half-minute ovation at its Grand Lumière debut. Guy Lodge of Variety praised its “astonishing ambition,” while IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it “mesmerizing.” Buyers from North America are said to be circling for distribution rights.
On set, actresses responded to the script with visceral connection. Lena Urzendowsky, who portrays Angelika, said the writing let her feel the others’ pain across eras. Susanne Wuest described handling a century-old photo as “spooky,” noting the farmhouse seemed to “hold a family’s history in its walls.”
Produced by Studio Zentral’s Maren Schmitt, Lucas Schmidt and Lasse Scharpen, with support from ZDF and German film funds, Sound of Falling will seek international buyers through MK2.