What drives a person? Can you look through someone else’s eyes and feel as if you’re taking a peek at your own life? The world is obviously not the same everywhere, but sometimes it feels like a common consciousness is connecting us all.
When tragedy strikes, it rarely affects only those directly involved. Somehow, every living thing on Earth feels the tremors. Same happens when life is good. No matter where we come from or how we live, we experience similar emotions. When one person suffers, it sometimes feels as if somewhere on the other side of the world another person is carrying the exact same pain. Call it a strange butterfly effect, or whatever you want.
This particular feeling is once again confirmed by 0911WARSCHAUERSTR.
Her narration is delivered in Russian language (not Ukrainian – quite a statement)
A short but deeply expressive film, with roots stretching from Chile via Ukraine, and landing in Germany. Co-directed by Carolina Soltmann and Boromir Bogumil.
Everything unfolds in apparently abstract lyrics, via an Ukrainian voice – a single take on Warschauer Straße, one of Berlin’s most iconic and notorious streets.
What struck me most about this apparently simple, yet surprisingly complex short story, is how many layers it manages to unpack within just a few minutes. It speaks about our condition as human beings while reflecting on the devastating wars which seem to have engulfed the planet.
And what I find interesting – how significant is the resemblance between how we all perceive life. Meaning I identified myself with a lot of 0911W. short.
Felt what Carolina wanted to express through her language and screenplay, together with Boromir Bogumil – through his cinematography + the efforts of a dedicated team supporting this project. And I’m willing to bet: when you watch it you’ll feel pretty much the same way.
Beyond the human condition explored through its narrative, the film can also be viewed as a reflection on Berlin itself.
*0911WARSCHAUERSTR.* evokes an ongoing gentrification wave, where the artistic heritage of Berlin continues to disappear over night.
Clubs close. Independent art spaces vanish. Their place is now occupied by fancy (mostly empty) offices, luxury developments, malls, and the endless pursuit for profit.
I have actually been living near Warschauerstr. since more than a decade, and witnessed the view from my apartment slowly changing. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down, quite the opposite.
Still, I have faith in my fellow Berliners to keep the city’s spirit alive. So far, my optimism has been confirmed. For every art space closed, ten underground ones emerge, quietly stating: Berlin might be getting fancy, but it’s still happy and sexy.
*0911WARSCHAUERSTR.* marks the debut of Carolina Soltmann as film co-director. Yet it is far from her first encounter with theater, cinema, or storytelling. At the core Carolina is a prolific actress, poet by instinct, and, perhaps most importantly – the mother of two children, all while building a new life in Berlin.
We met last year, shortly before the film release. Got to know her story not only as a professional from the world of theatre and film, but also as a private person. I also witnessed the emotion surrounding this new creative venture. To me, *0911WARSCHAUERSTR.* feels like a natural evolution in her artistic journey.
Imagine starting with a seemingly simple idea. Zero budget. One camera. Dedication. Years of poems to draw from (she writes every day). Then managing to gather a group of people, plus co-directing a film for the very first time.
Now imagine the satisfaction of seeing 0911W. traveling across the world, storming festivals and collecting awards, invitations, recognition.
*0911WARSCHAUERSTR.* woke up recent and past feelings in me, present world issues, future human struggles, unklar endings, optimistic beginnings. It’s like the accomplishment of all who feel the short’s lyrics, sense the same things we’re all sensing, through a small but powerful dedicated art team.
0911WARSCHAUERSTR.
Voice: Anastacia Putkalo
Screenplay: Carolina Soltmann
Cast: Freja Sande, Carolina Moreira,
Esther Lourenco, Carolina Soltmann
Camera: Boromir Bogumil
Music: Luciano Raths
Sound: Geronimo Schmidt
Technical support: Lucas Fiederling
Produced by Carolina Soltmann & Boromir Bogumil
____________________
Winner – Best Documentary (1st Place)
Pink City International Short Film Festival
Honorable Mention
NOIDA International Film Festival
Award: Jury Honorable Mention.
Festival Selections / Screenings
MISE Festival 2025
Included in the program Oneiric States.
aCinema Summer Screening Series
Official screening in Milwaukee, USA.
Woodland Pattern Poetry Marathon
Featured screening presentation by aCinema.
LUM (Lugar de la Memoria), Peru
Selected as part of a curated international short-film program.
Espiello – International Ethnographic Documentary Film Festival
Listed among admitted/selected documentaries.
0911WARSCHAUERSTR. was & still is circulating through festivals in: England, Italy, United States, Peru