The Players
Short Films Block: Berlin Berlin
April 7, 2019 @ ACUDkino 20h
The Players is a parable about play instinct and freedom. It is a portrait of the Berlin night and its characters. Paul’s passion is poker. He regularly plays in backroom rounds of Turkish cafés and thus finances his business studies. Only in the game does he feel truly free. Fatih was also a player. But “addiction isn’t compatible with a job and family”. He now drives a taxi and enjoys the job. After a very successful poker night, Paul crosses paths with Fatih as one of his midnight passengers. Paul’s fantasies of happiness and freedom awaken Fatih’s repressed yearnings and they make a bet that will forever change one of their lives.
About the Director
Samuel Auer was born in Hamburg on August 1st, 1986. He discovered his love for films in an early age and since he was 11, he watched several movies a week. After his community service (Zivildienst) he travelled a year through Canada, before starting his studies in media & communications and history in Erfurt. There he also shoot his first short films and his passion changed from only watching to directing itself. He finished his B.A. and went on to do various film specific internships on set („Groupies bleiben nicht zum Frühstück“, „Effi Briest“), also at the Filmfest Hamburg, in the postproduction company Arri Schwarzfilm and for the online film magazine Filmstarts.de, before applying at the dffb.
