The Trouble with Being Born

Ten-year-old Elli lives with her father in a spacious house. They spend their summer days at the pool and in the evening he puts her to bed. But Elli is not a human – she is an android in the shape of a girl who memorizes her "father’s" words and makes sure to say and repeat them. Until one night, she goes out into the woods that surround the home and ends up in unexpected places. This first feature by Sandra Wollner is an original and surprising cinematic work that was awarded the special jury prize at the Berlinale’s Encounters Competition. Jonathan Romney from Screen Daily called it "a powerful and revelatory achievement [...] complex, artfully crafted.” The Hollywood Reporter called it the "Berlin hidden gem."