Dreileben – Beats Being Dead

DREILEBEN is a series of three interlocking films, a narrative experiment directed by some of Germany's best filmmakers. All revolve around the villagers of Dreileben (“Three Lives”) and their manhunt for a killer loose in the forest. Each segment is told in the director's unique style and from different points of view, so that the characters intersect in parallel worlds. When taken as a whole, the films form a puzzle in which simultaneous events gain meaning as they gradually fall into place. BEATS BEING DEAD introduces us to Johannes, an aimless young intern at a country hospital. Johannes takes in Ana, an Eastern European hotel maid, after her biker boyfriend abuses her. As their tentative relationship blossoms, the town is thrown into panic over the news that a killer has escaped from the hospital—due to an oversight on distracted Johannes' part. A growing sense of unease pervades the sunny story of young people in love, making BEATS BEING DEAD a Hitchcockian thriller. (In German with subtitles) – B.B.