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.
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:
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
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!