Film ab! - "She was" (2024) with the director Abril Arnauda*Once a month, the ‘Film ab!’ film forum takes place in our Mediothek. As part of this event, we screen works by Berlin-based film students and filmmakers who explore various socio-political issues through a range of audiovisual formats. Following the screening, language students at the Goethe-Institut, as well as interested external guests, have the opportunity to talk to the filmmakers themselves, ask questions and engage in discussion.*
In the sixth event of our series “Film ab!” at Goethe-Institut Berlin, we will focus on the short film *She Was* (2024) by Abril Andrea Arnauda Appel. Following the screening, the audience will have the wonderful opportunity to engage in a discussion with the director. The short film is multilingual with English subtitles, and the discussion will be held in English.
**Content Warning:** This film addresses themes of sexual violence. No explicit depictions are shown.
**SPECS**
Title: *She Was*
Production year: 2024
Country: Germany
Duration: 19 minutes
Language: English, Spanish, German
Subtitles: English
**Synopsis**
Kathrin (Katty), a 25-year-old migrant singer and composer, lives in Berlin, Germany, but is experiencing immigration grief and struggling with depression, which leaves her lacking inspiration. One day, her body is found in a lake, and everything points to suicide. However, as we delve deeper, we discover that Katty had been gradually adapting: seeking professional help, leaning on her family, building new friendships, and opening herself up to new opportunities. What is initially classified as suicide takes on a completely different dimension upon closer inspection.
The short film references the fate of Mexican woman María Fernanda Sánchez Castañeda, who disappeared and died in Berlin in 2023. Two theories surrounding her death sparked debate in both Mexico and Germany – suicide, according to the authorities, and homicide, as claimed by her loved ones. The director aims to present both perspectives, while giving particular attention to the version that is often dismissed due to a lack of evidence or resources. Moreover, she seeks to remind us of the many cases of missing or murdered women worldwide and to offer a sense of peaceful closure to María Fernanda and her family.
“I invite the audience to question their perspectives, form their own opinions, and reflect on the importance of giving a voice to those who can no longer tell their own story.”
– Abril Andrea Arnauda Appel
**Abril Andrea Arnauda Appel**
Abril Andrea Arnauda Appel is a Mexican filmmaker who holds a degree in Communications and Digital Media from TEC de Monterrey. In addition, she specialized in directing and producing at Vancouver Film School and holds a Master’s degree in Directing from MetFilm School Berlin. Her studies took her abroad to France, the USA, Belgium, and Canada. She has worked as an Assistant Director in Vancouver and Mexico on both film and corporate productions, and has also shared her passion for filmmaking with young animation students as a film instructor at her former university in Mexico.
Abril is a fiction director working across short films, music videos, and advertising, and has experience in multiple areas of filmmaking, including writing, production, and editing. Her work is strongly influenced by her passion for the performing arts, such as dance, singing, and acting. Her recent films explore the themes of trauma, mental health and emotional resilience.