Undine

(Christian Petzold, Germany/France 2020, 91 min., DCP, German w/subtitles)

Director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Phoenix) reunites with his Transit stars Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski to adapt the legend of Undine to the modern world. Undine Wibeau (Beer) works as a historian, lecturing tourists on the history of Berlin’s architecture. When her boyfriend leaves her for another woman, she is pursued by Christoph (Rogowski), who works underwater repairing bridges in the river. Yet, even as Christoph opens up to Undine and tries to share his life with her, she remains distant and distracted—both called to and terrified by the water. Far more lyrical than Petzold’s recent films, Undine straddles the boundaries of myth and reality to create a star-crossed romance with a very urban feel.