From Ecuador with Love
The protagonist of this short film is plucked, beaten, skinned, and loaded. Where her beauty serves as proof of affection, a different perspective on a widely used symbol is revealed to us. As simple as it is ingenious, this beautifully shot short film follows the path of the rose as a consumer good. The observational documentary form deliberately chooses to forgo voice-over, opening up a space for reflection: after all, it is the women themselves who tend to the roses, prepare them, and ultimately send them off to end up in a gift box. So who is giving what to whom? Preserved declarations of love for those who perform the invisible labor behind them, when the roses are sent FROM ECUADOR WITH LOVE to the Western world. In its documentary clarity and unpretentious approach to work processes, what stands out most is the finely crafted image and sound editing, in which every cut — including those into the stems — becomes palpable. Each framing decision seems to consciously oscillate between the visible and the invisible. For all its sociopolitical relevance, this nine‑minute film is above all else: a love letter to the cinematic form. A cinema that can shift perspectives and make them visible.
The ZF Short Film Award 2026 goes to Jonathan Brunner for FROM ECUADOR WITH LOVE.
So ist das Leben und nicht anders
Faces melt, snails glide through the divided windows of possibility that make up our biographies. In a time when we urgently need connection and community across generations, this film is a true discovery. It creates a total work of art from animation and documentary form, while remaining rhythmically and audiovisually sharp. As we follow Mrs. Miko, we brush against questions of transience and watch memories at the very moment of their dissolution. Through it all, a life‑affirming melody resonates, opening a space for empathy that stays with us and envelops us like a mink coat, reminding us: This is life and nothing else.
The Special Mention goes to Lenia Friedrich for SO IST DAS LEBEN UND NICHT ANDERS.
