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Hysteria

CENTREPIECE - 2025 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL (30 APR-28 MAY)
Hysteria - poster - a film by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
Excellent. As thought provoking as it is entertaining. Sharp-witted, measured and intelligent, Büyükatalay incrementally builds the tension, there's a sense of nervy mounting paranoia, of a pressure cooker about to blow. Even so, little can prepare us for the superbly staged explosive confrontation in the horribly funny final act.
Director: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
Cast: Devrim Lingnau, Mehdi Meskar, Serkan Kaya, Nicolette Krebitz, Aziz Çapkurt
Duration: 104mins
Country of Origin: Germany
CTC
Excellent. As thought provoking as it is entertaining. Sharp-witted, measured and intelligent, Büyükatalay incrementally builds the tension, there's a sense of nervy mounting paranoia, of a pressure cooker about to blow. Even so, little can prepare us for the superbly staged explosive confrontation in the horribly funny final act.

WINNER - 2025 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL - Europa Cinema Label (Best European Film)
CENTREPIECE SELECTION - 2025 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL

Award-winning writer/director Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay's sharp new thriller follows the unfolding drama after a burnt Quran is discovered on a German film set, throwing the project into turmoil. 

Following the day's shoot, 24-year-old intern and second assistant director Elif (Devrim Lingnau, The Empress) - desperate to make it in the movie business - is drawn into a dangerous game of deception and escalating paranoia, finding herself at the heart of an all-absorbing conspiracy as the footage of the scene vanishes, and the hunt for the culprit intensifies.

Rich in suspense, cleverly plotted and building to an unexpected climax, Büyükatalay’s provocative whodunit deftly handles the most inflammatory of hot button topics, delving deep into themes of truth, lies and racism, while reflecting Büyükatalay’s powerful, personal storytelling.

Hysteria - poster - a film by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay