Ivo is a 2024 German drama film written and directed by Eva Trobisch. Starring Minna Wündrich, the film is about tough end-of-life decisions, told through the story of a palliative home-care titular nurse Ivo. It was selected for screening in the Encounters section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 20 February 2024, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear Plaque for Best Film in the Encounters section, and won the Heiner Carow Prize (for best German young film).

Ivo
Promotional poster
Directed byEva Trobisch
Written by
  • Eva Trobisch
Produced by
  • Lucas Schmidt
  • Wolfgang Cimera
  • Lasse Scharpen
  • Trini Götze
  • David Armati Lechner
StarringMinna Wündrich
CinematographyAdrian Campean
Edited byLaura Lauzemis
Music byMartin Hossbach
Production
companies
  • Studio Zentral
  • Network Movie Film- und Fernsehproduktion
  • Trimafilm
Distributed byLoco Films
Release date
Running time
104 minutes
Country
  • Germany
LanguageGerman

Synopsis

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Ivo, a nurse, provides palliative care at home. She sees different people every day: families, couples, and individuals. They live in various places, from small apartments to large houses. They have diverse lives and deaths. They cope differently with the time they have left. Ivo's teenage daughter doesn't need her much anymore, so she spends her days driving in her old Skoda, which she has turned into her personal space. There, she eats, works, sings, curses, and dreams. She has befriended one of her patients, Solveigh, with whose husband, Franz she has started relationship. They work together to look after Solveigh every day, and have sex. Solveigh, who is getting weaker, wants to be in control of her own fate: she asks Ivo to help her end her life.

Cast

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  • Minna Wündrich as Ivo
  • Pia Hierzegger as Solveigh
  • Lukas Turtur as Franz
  • Lilli Lacher as Cosima)
  • Johann Campean as Johann
  • Pierre Siegenthaler as Benedikt
  • Leopold von Verschuer as Henner
  • Wolfgang Rüter as Thorsten Brohnsdorf
  • Joanne Gläsel as Renate Brohnsdorf
  • Samy Challah as Jorgos
  • Benjamin Höppner as Bodo
  • Patricia Osmond as Bodo's Mother
  • Birte Leest as Gwen

Production

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The film was directed and written by Eva Trobisch, It received production funding of 200,000 from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.[1][2]

Filming took place in Cologne from 1 September to 6 October 2022, in the supervision of cinematographer Adrian Campean.[2]

Release

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Film director Eva Trobisch at the Berlinale

Ivo had its world premiere on 20 February 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Encounters.[3][4][5] In January, Paris-based Loco Films acquired the sales rights of the film prior to its world premiere at Berlinale.[6]

The film was first screened at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 3 April 2024 in Firebird Awards Young Cinema competition.[7][8]

The film was also screened at the Bolzano Film Festival, Bozen, on 17 April 2024 for its Italian premiere,[9] and at Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International, Frankfurt, on 18 April 2024.[10]

The film closed Crossing Europe, an international film festival in Linz, Austria, on 5 May 2024.[11] It also made it to the Meeting Point of the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival, where it screened on 23 October.[12] In October it competed in competition at the Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix.[13][14][15] On 29 October 2024, it was showcased at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival in the "Women's Empowerment" section.[16]

Reception

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Janick Nolting, reviewing in Kino Zeit at Berlinale, rated the film with three and half stars and wrote, "Trobisch's drama weighs down you with leaden gravity because it confronts its audience with how it must feel when death is part of normal everyday life and work".[17]

Savina Petkova, reviewing the film at Berlinale for Cineuropa, wrote, "The film fully blossoms when it acknowledges contradictions as irreconcilable; always in a calm, accepting manner, as yet another little curiosity life throws your way."[18]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2024 Golden Bear Plaque for Best Film in Encounters Eva Trobisch Nominated [19]
Heiner Carow Prize (Best German young film) Won [20][21]
Bolzano Film Festival 22 April 2024 Best Film Won [22]
Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival 13 October 2024 Grand Prix Ivo Won [23]

References

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  1. ^ "Die Film- und Medienstiftung NRW fördert 22 Projekte mit 5,52 Mio. Euro" [The Film and Media Foundation NRW is funding 22 projects with 5.52 million euros]. Film- und Medienstiftung NRW GmbH (in German). 16 November 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Ivo: Independent Feature Film - 2022-2023, Drama - Germany". Crew United. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  3. ^ Ntim, Zac (22 January 2024). "Berlin Reveals 2024 Competition Lineup: Rooney Mara, Mati Diop, Isabelle Huppert, Abderrahmane Sissako Movies Among Selection". Deadline. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Ivo". Berlinale. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (22 January 2024). "The Berlinale unveils its Competition and Encounters titles". Cineuropa. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  6. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (7 February 2024). "Loco Films boards Eva Trobisch's 'Ivo' ahead of Berlin Encounters premiere (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  7. ^ Patrick Frater (8 March 2024). "Hong Kong Film Festival to Open With Ray Yeung's 'All Shall Be Well,' Close With Japanese Charmer 'All the Long Nights'". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Ivo". HKIFF. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Ivo". Bolzano Film Festival. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Ivo". Lichter Filmfest. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Opening films on April 30th, closing film on May 5th". Crossing Europe Film Festival. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Seminci: Meeting Point". Semana Internacional. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  13. ^ "En Compétition". Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  14. ^ Pietron-Locatelli, Augustin (14 October 2024). "À Bordeaux, le Festival international du film indépendant fait encore briller l'audace". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Cinéma. Le Festival international du film de Bordeaux a livré son palmarès 2024". SudOuest.fr (in French). 14 October 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  16. ^ "TIFF: Full lineup". Tokyo International Film Festival. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  17. ^ Janick Nolting. "Ivo" [Ivo (2024 film)]. Kino Zeit (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  18. ^ Petkova, Savina (23 February 2024). "Review: Ivo". Cineuropa. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  19. ^ Rosser, Michael (22 January 2024). "Berlin film festival reveals 2024 competition line-up". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Berlinale 2024: Heiner-Carow-Preis geht an Eva Trobisch für "Ivo"" [Berlinale 2024: Heiner Carow Prize goes to Eva Trobisch for “Ivo”]. filmportal.de (in German). 22 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  21. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (24 February 2024). "The drama Memories of a Burning Body and the doc No Other Land scoop the Berlinale's Panorama Audience Awards". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  22. ^ "The Winning Films of The 37th Bolzano Film Festival – BFFB". Bolzano Film Festival. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  23. ^ Pietron-Locatelli, Augustin (14 October 2024). "À Bordeaux, le Festival international du film indépendant fait encore briller l'audace" [In Bordeaux, the International Independent Film Festival once again shines a spotlight on audacity]. Télérama (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2024.
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