Overview

• Zikaden premiered at the Berlinale in February and opened in German cinemas on June 19 under LUPA Film’s distribution.
• The drama centers on Isabell (Nina Hoss), who coordinates Polish caregivers for her stroke-stricken father, and Anja (Saskia Rosendahl), a single mother juggling precarious work.
• Brandenburg’s sunbaked fields and sparse villages provide the backdrop for an exploration of emotional isolation and eroding community bonds.
• Director Ina Weisse drew on her own family to cast the parents’ roles, infusing the story with personal insight into intergenerational tensions.
• Reviewers have lauded the film’s nuanced storytelling, noting how the cicadas’ calls underscore the characters’ hidden struggles without descending into despair.