Film – Numéro Berlin

TO WATCH: TWIN PEAKS BY DAVID LYNCH AND MARK FROST NOW ON MUBI

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:53:07 +0000

The iconic ’90s series Twin Peaks saw a rapid rise and fall as it was cancelled after just two seasons, but over the years, it built a devoted and memorable fanbase that has kept the story alive ever since.

Now, three and a half decades since the series first aired on cable television, the first two seasons and the mini series Twin Peaks: A limited event series from 2017 are set to be re-released this Friday, June 13th, on MUBI, global film distribution, streaming, and production platform. This release also serves as a tribute to the groundbreaking work of the late David Lynch, whose unmistakable style and vision as an artist shaped filmmaking like no other.

Numéro Berlin spoke with Mark Frost, who co-created the first two seasons of Twin Peaks alongside David Lynch and also served as executive producer on the miniseries.

Numéro Berlin: So, the reason we’re here now: Twin Peaks is returning next week to MUBI on a streaming platform, 35 years after its debut. How do you feel about the series coming to new generations on a streaming platform?

Mark Frost: It feels like this is the third generation that’s now kind of getting it. And I guess that speaks to its ability to still have something to say to people, to still entertain them, to still engage them. And honestly, you can’t ask of anything more than that from your work, that it has a way of finding a new audience with each new wave of people who come through.

And now, there’s this switch from television to a streaming platform, where we have the event of binging episodes. How do you feel about the shift from classic event television to this new way of consuming episodes?

When we started with network television, the rhythm was once a week. And when we brought it back in the States, on the premium cable channel Showtime, we still wanted to do it once a week because that was the rhythm people were used to experiencing shows with. That gave them time to kind of download it internally and talk to their friends and have maybe a day at work to discuss it.

But it’s also been available for quite some time on various streaming services here and that does lend itself to binging. I mean, I know people who’ve done like 18 hour marathons of the third season continuously, I guess with a break for dinner, I don’t know, maybe a nap somewhere, but I think the show can be consumed either way. And now, many people might be seeing it for a second time, so binging might be ideal for that. So I’ve always felt the more choices we give the audience with how they consume the stories that they like, the better it is for them and for people who do this for a living.

Why do you think shows from back then feel like they created a different kind of fandom? It’s kind of magical, especially with a show like Twin Peaks that grew to be appreciated much over time.

It’s about the attention to detail that we had, to the way the stories were constructed, the way that the show was made. We always thought of it as if we were doing feature film work on a different medium that had that kind of comprehensive production, art design, costumes, cinematography. We were always, and David particularly, because he was such a brilliant film director, wanted to marshall all those kind of departments to work at a different level than what you were used to seeing on television. I think that was part of its appeal. That you didn’t feel like you were watching just another episode of just another show.

Dreams play a big role in the storytelling and in the creation of Twin Peaks. I know also because of the great David Lynch, but what is your connection to dreams and the mystery and the mythical parts of the small town Twin Peaks?

He came from the visual arts. That was really the world that he grew up in and the world that he knew. And I came from a literary playwriting background, the theater, novels. Short stories, plays, I wrote them all, I consumed them all, even though I was in love with the movies and television. So I think it was somehow a blend of both of those disciplines created.

I particularly had a strong interest in mythology and the role that mythology has always played in storytelling. I was educated in the Greeks and in the classic plays. And I always feel that if something has a mythic underpinning, it speaks more directly to people. And what we wanted to do was apply that to a story that was quintessentially American, which hadn’t been done very often. How can a small town be a kind of a stand-in for really all of us? We found that almost everybody could find someone they truly identified with. Then we used the mystery story as a way to take you into the town, introduce you to all the people, and that way it became kind of sneakily mythical. As we got further along, we started to introduce the subconscious and the dreams and the roles that those elements play in people’s lives, which you certainly hadn’t seen depicted on television very often up to that point.

I think it’s super interesting that it’s set in this small town Americana vibe. Do you still like to go back to the Pacific Northwest?

Well, we shot the pilot all on location. And when we did the series, we shot most of it in and around Los Angeles on a soundstage where we have all the major sets. We still went up and shot exterior shots.

But when we went back and did the third season, 25 years later, we spent almost two months up there working and revisiting all those original places. And that was an amazing experience to see it a quarter of a century later: The town itself had changed. This little town of Snoqualmie had become kind of famous. So it’s very interesting how there was a kind of synergy between the real town and the town that people assume it is now. I probably met two dozen people who actually moved there as a result of their relation with the show, they just felt a kinship to it.

You mentioned the continuation of Twin Peaks in 2017 with the limited event series, and also you wrote books that dive deeper. Did you always know the story of Twin Peaks was not yet done telling?

In the back of my mind, yes. I mean, when we were cancelled after two seasons, it was very disappointing, because we thought it would go for a longer period of time. But as it turned out, it allowed us to let the show kind of build an audience over time after we’d gone off the air. Beyond anything that we had any reasonable expectation of doing. And then the demand for coming back was that much greater. We were even able to use the time gap to fit right into the story we wanted to tell.

To finish off, I’m a young creative. What advice would you give to young storytellers and creatives in collaborating and creating? Of course, you and David Lynch were working together on this for many years. How was your experience?

Well, it was great. It was based really on our friendship to start with. We just got along incredibly well, and I had never written with a partner before, and neither had he. And I don’t think either of us ever really did much of that again. So it was a special relationship.

And if you can find fellow creatives who you vibe with, particularly with an art like telling stories on film or digital, you need more than one person. It’s not a solitary pursuit, it’s a collective. So look for your group, look for the people that you feel that kinship for, that’s number one. And then, given that the entry to writing or producing your own thing on digital video now is so much lower than it used to be, I would advise everybody to get out there and make a short film. Do something together that excites you, that moves you, that makes you want to share this with an audience and put it out in the world and see what happens.

TO WATCH: 78TH FESTIVAL DE CANNES WINNERS

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:04:54 +0000

From May 13 to 24, the 78th Cannes Film Festival honored some of the most compelling new voices in cinema. The Palme d’Or went to Iranian director Jafar Panahi for UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT, a quietly powerful film shaped by his own experiences with the Iranian regime. Joachim Trier was awarded with the Grand Prix for AFFEKSJONSVERDI (Sentimental Value), while German director Mascha Schilinski received the Jury Prize for her widely praised drama SOUND OF FALLING.

This year’s Palme d’Or winner is Jafar Panahi’s Un Simple Accident – a quietly devastating political thriller that unfolds with the precision of a moral parable. The story begins with a night-time mishap: Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), a driver traveling with his pregnant wife, hits a stray dog. Seeking help, he ends up at a remote garage, unaware that the man who offers assistance believes him to be the former prison guard who once tortured him. What follows is a tense and haunting confrontation, as past traumas resurface and the lines between victim and perpetrator blur. Shot in secret to avoid the Iranian government’s strict censorship laws, Panahi’s latest film is both deeply personal and unmistakably political. Having endured imprisonment, house arrest, and a decades-long filmmaking ban, the Iranian director continues to film in defiance – turning restriction into resistance. With its stripped-down narrative and restrained visuals, Un Simple Accident speaks volumes about justice, memory, and the fragile pursuit of freedom in a society ruled by silence.

Un Simple Accident will be released in French cinemas on September 10, 2025.

A standing ovation for the screening of a movie is a rare occurrence. Even then, it’s not normal for the applause to last over 19 minutes. And if it happens at Cannes, you just know you’re in for something truly special. “Affeksjonsverdi” or Sentimental Value is a dramedy by Norwegian director Joachim Trier which intimately explores family dynamics and the reconciliatory power of art through the story of a father trying to reconnect with his two estranged daughters, by offering his eldest a role in his upcoming film. When she turns him down, he decides to cast a young Hollywood star instead. This choice triggers a chain of events that deeply challenge the families already difficult ties. This soulful premise, paired with (as usual) stellar performances by Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Stella Skarsgård won the screenplay rightfully the Grand Price (Grand Prix) of the 78th Festival de Cannes.

Sound of Falling, a German feature film by director Mascha Schilinski, won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The drama follows four young girls and their lives, all living in the same rural farmhouse in the north German region of Altmark during different decades. What the film captures with particular brilliance is its handling of perspective across the shifting timelines. It drifts fluidly through time while slipping forward and backward without warning. The camera often peers through keyholes and floorboards, as if the house itself were bearing witness.

As the story unfolds, the boundaries between characters blur. Though we rarely see them share the screen, the performances of Hanna Heckt, Lea Drinda, Lena Urzendowsky, and Laeni Geiseler, all delivering a distinct yet interconnected portrait of youth, longing, and quiet rebellion. Sound of Falling weaves impressive imagery with immersive sound design to create something both harsh and graceful, an elegy for time, memory, and the women who carry it.

TO WATCH : SELF-PORTRAIT AS A COFFEE-POT

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 14 May 2025 16:36:20 +0000

William Kentridge is a renowned artist from South Africa, using sculpture, drawing, and projection to tell his stories. In this film series, we follow William’s intimate process, where ideas come and go – waiting to become something, to disappear, or to resurface again.

These forces push him to reflect on freedom and isolation. Filmed during the 2020 quarantine, this playful series becomes a conversation with himself, as he summons his alter egos to debate and disagree – on philosophy, identity, and colonialism. Reflecting a time when isolation was at its peak, William learns to listen to himself, to grow his ideas and invites us into the heart of his creative process.

All nine episodes, roughly thirty minutes each, are available to stream on MUBI.

TO WATCH: OPUS BY MARK ANTHONY GREEN

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:56:17 +0000

Opus is the debut film from Mark Anthony Green, a movie that yet again taps into our toxic obsession with celebrity culture and the rich while exploring what happens when admiration curdles into something far more unsettling.

Thirty years after disappearing, a legendary pop star, delightfully played by John Malkovich, invites a young writer, portrayed by Ayo Edebiri, into his isolated world. What begins as an exclusive story quickly spirals into something darker, as she becomes entangled in his eerie cult of followers and a twisted plan she can’t escape.

Opus marks the feature film debut of writer Mark Anthony Green. Before turning to filmmaking, he worked as a journalist for the U.S. magazine GQ. While the film has faced its share of scrutiny from the press, many deeming it an overly ambitious undertaking for a first-time director like Green, it stands as a bold entry into the cinema.

The opening scenes draw you in as Ariel struggles with her career, criticized by a friend for being “middle as fuck.” Green adds pop culture cameos (Wolf Blitzer, Bill Burr, Lenny Kravitz), but their presence tends to feel a bit lost in a world that quickly becomes fake and disconnected, having an overly quirky visual style and logic-free escalation. Something that could make you both like – and dislike – the movie

And perhaps this highlights the absurdity of the world of the rich. Opus deserves credit for its bold exploration of celebrity obsession and the eerie, unpredictable atmosphere Green is able to create throughout the whole film.

TO WATCH: SING SING BY GREG KWEDAR

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:44:36 +0000

The story of finding hope in even the bleakest circumstances has been told countless times, but Sing Sing approaches it with a rare authenticity and depth, steering clear of clichés to deliver a profoundly moving and genuinely transformative experience.

The movie starts on stage with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by John “Divine G” Whitfield, played by Colman Domingo, and quickly jumps into the introduction of the characters. They all take part in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program.

Domingos character, a man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, is already a renowned personality in the RTA program: He helps to cast and recruit new members for the theater group. The film goes on to follow the group as they rehearse and eventually stage an original production.

Along the way, Sing Sing captures moments of vulnerability, humor, and solidarity, revealing how the creative process offers a path to healing, self-expression, and connection. Rather than centering on guilt or innocence, it highlights the humanity of its characters. By blending professional performances with real lived experience, the film becomes more than a story of redemption. It’s a powerful testament to transformation, second chances, and the enduring power of art in the unknown world behind bars.

arabsoda x OOR Studio Store Event Powered by Numéro Berlin

Anna Klusmeier — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:57:18 +0000

Berlin was buzzing on February 20th as we kicked off an incredible night at the arabsoda x

OOR Studio Store Event, powered by Numéro Berlin. Held at the OOR Studio Apparel

Store on Torstraße 76, the evening was all about celebrating fashion, culture, and

creativity. Guests got to explore arabsoda’s SS25 tailored collection, get first glimpses of

their upcoming bakhoor incense launch, and experience an unforgettable fusion of style,

culture and sound.

Starting at 7 PM, the event welcomed guests into an immersive experience where the

worlds of Middle Eastern heritage and Western contemporary fashion seamlessly

intertwined. The Berlin based streetwear Brand arabsoda, known for its Ready to Wear

garments, unveiled its SS25 tailoring collection, offering an exquisite preview of finely

crafted pieces that blend tradition with modern trends.

The atmosphere was set against the backdrop of the beautifully curated OOR Studio

space. Usman’s ongoing cultural work explores the intersection of heritage, community,

and contemporary narratives, seamlessly weaving authentic storytelling into fashion, film,

and photography—a vision that he shares with Converse. As part of Converse’s global

creative community, the All Stars, Usman created and showcased an exclusive one-of-one

arabsoda Chuck Taylor.

Elevating the night’s energy, Varholla delivered an unforgettable soundtrack, setting

the tone for an evening of style and cultural exchange. The event was further enriched by

the short film screening of JAMEEL – A Light Unveiled directed by Ahmed Mesbah, offering

a cinematic reflection on heritage and identity through a contemporary lens. Guests enjoyed

drinks kindly madepossible by our friends at Elephant Bay, as well as an elegant pairing of coffee

and dates by Bateel.

As the evening unfolded, conversations sparked, and the creative spirit of Berlin came out

strong. The arabsoda x OOR Studio Store Event was more than a showcase—it was a

statement. A testament to the power of collaboration, craftsmanship, and cultural dialogue.

JAMEEL – A Light Unveiled directed by Ahmed Mesbah