The Cinematheque

Germany

“[Successfully] plays like a Fassbinder set-up fused with that of a German policier … Though Hochhäusler doesn’t violate the rules of the genre, his interests lie mainly in the opportunities it affords to play with performance, theatricality, and improvisation.”

Lawrence Garcia, Standard Gauge

The latest from Berlin School genre deconstructor Christoph Hochhäusler takes the shape of a noirish psycho-thriller to interrogate thorny themes of gender, sexuality, and identity performance. A main-slate competitor at this year’s Berlinale (and winner of Best Supporting Performance for Thea Ehre’s astonishing turn), Till the End of the Night plunges the viewer into Frankfurt’s nocturnal underworld where trans convict Leni (Ehre, herself trans), in exchange for parole, assumes the role of girlfriend to straight-playing cop Robert (Timocin Ziegler) to infiltrate a drug trafficking network run by her former boss. That Robert was Leni’s lover before she transitioned—and that he stills holds a flame for her, destabilizing his sexual identity—further complicates the deep-cover operation. Part pulpy policier, part multilayered romance, Hochhäusler’s polarizing sixth feature summons the work of forefather R.W. Fassbinder in its queering of genre fare and tenor of doomed romanticism.

In German with English subtitles

“Each of [Hochhäusler’s] films has proven to be among the most interesting and thought-provoking films of their respective years of release, German or otherwise—and Till the End of the Night is no exception.” Marco Abel, Senses of Cinema

“Compellingly dense in story and style, [Till the End of the Night] also has a tight-fisted atmosphere created by its gorgeous, gray-shaded, and layered cinematography … This is a reminder of what a cinema-steeped director like Hochhäusler can do: You can’t help but feel the norms of cinema being tweaked and torqued under his sharp gaze.” Daniel Kasman, MUBI Notebook

Streaming
December 1 (Friday) through
December 17 (Sunday)

To stream this film:
Follow this link to the virtual platform.
Purchase a ticket for $12 (plus tax) or purchase a multi-film pass (details below). 

Once rented, you will have 72 hours to start the film.
If you are having technical issues with the stream, please click here.
You can also contact EUFF directly by emailing info@​euffonline.​ca.

This film is available to stream in Canada only. 

Five Virtual Film Bundle: $50 (plus tax)
Online Festival Pass: $100 (plus tax) 

Please note: Tickets to in-person screenings do not include access to online EUFF offerings, nor vice versa.