New German film 'Afire' explores artistic ego and tropes through spiky psychological drama

The film is directed by Christian Petzold and stars Paula Beer as a challenging literary scholar.
It deconstructs the manic pixie dream girl archetype through the pretentious writer character.
Set during a tense summer vacation, it uses mirroring and circular elements.
Themes include isolation, envy, stagnation, and questioning artistic ego.
Overall an atmospheric and subtly complex character study from the Berlin School.