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The most beautiful smile in the world

The bittersweet story about the beauty of brief love under the most cruel conditions

You probably learned about refugees, war and deportation in history lessons and films. And even today we hear terrible news from all over the world.

"The most beautiful smile in the world" is a short film about Viktor, a boy who is on the verge of death in a train wagon and finds a new will to live through his young love for a strange girl.

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Through the advice of an old man and against all odds, he finds ways to communicate with the girl. Being in love makes him forget about all the horror and deteriorating conditions in the wagon for the duration of the journey. It's about how love can give you a sense of purpose in the darkest moments of life, providing hope and strength for what lies ahead, even if only for a brief time.

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The fictional story does not refer to a single event, but alludes to several countries with different languages and combines stories about refugees and deportation from the worldwide past and present. We want to remember the innocent children who have been and are being deprived of their childhood and future through hatred and politics.

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Stills und
Behind the Scenes

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FESTIVALS:

World Premiere

Estonia:

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF SHORTS)

Nov 15th, 2024

Tallinn

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France:

Cannes Indie Shorts Awards

SEMI FINALIST

Nov 2024

Cannes

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Israel:

Tamuz Shomron Film Festival

Dec 10th, 2024

Barkan

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Turkey:

Golden Baklava Film Academy

International Student Film Festival

FICTION 3rd PLACE

Dec 10th, 2024

Gaziantep

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USA:

Boca International

Jewish Film Festival

Feb 27th, 2025

Miami, Florida​

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Germany:

Paradise Film Festival

March 4th, 2025

Cologne

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Germany:

Flimmern & Rauschen

March 13th -15th, 2025

Munich​

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Italy:

Ca' Foscari

Short Film Festival

March 19th - 22nd, 2025

Venice

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Germany & Czech Republic:

48. internationale

Grenzland-Filmtage

24.-27. April, 2025

Selb & Aš

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Poland:

Węgiel Film Festival

May 7th -10th, 2025

Katowice

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Heartbreaking. So deep, hopeful and sad. Great production.

- CANNES INDIE SHORTS AWARDS

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"Beautiful Smile” is a poignant exploration of love and resilience amidst dire circumstances. The film’s period-accurate production design and meticulous costume work effectively immerse the viewer in its historical setting. Performances, particularly by the two young leads, are notably strong, conveying profound emotional depth. The film sensitively illustrates how love can infuse meaning and hope even in the bleakest situations.

- VENEZIA SHORTS ITALY 

Who we are

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Pavel Penev

Producer

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Sophia Albrecht

Director

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Robin Csodó

Cinematographer

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Anna Pesch

Assistant Director

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Sophia Albrecht

Director

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Pavel Penev

Producer

Statement from the director:

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I have been doing Holocaust memorial work for years, including organizing talks with survivors and memorial events. I am also a youth leader at the Peace Scouts.
In 2015/2016 I organised many projects with refugees who came to Germany from Syria and other countries. The war in Ukraine also concerns me a lot and I worked at a restaurant that provided meals for refugees.  Now, my thoughts are with good friends from Israel, who are terrified of what will happen in the near future.

In all these projects, I work with children and young people who are not responsible for their situation at all. They have to see endless suffering and are afraid, even though they cannot control whats happening to them. Children became refugees,  and many didn't survive the journey to a foreign country. Children were deported to concentration camps, some of them all by themselves.


 So many children have been, and are currently being deprived of their innocent childhood. And for what? "To create a better future for the next generation"?

With this film I want to remember the stories of all these children.  And I am incredibly proud that such a motivated, large and international crew is helping me with that!

phone

Producer Pavel Penev:

+49 176 845 635 36

E-mail

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©2023 Sophia Albrecht

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