VOLL PAULA! can best be described as an indie comedy with ADHD. The playful opening credits show Paula the protagonist directly addressing the camera explaining that it’s actually the end of the film and that she is still there ‘just 'cause’ as she stumbles over her friend Louise while walking away. Viewers will stumble over the film as well and won’t be able to gauge what comes next. The light and airy staging is undoubtedly more important than the episodic plot that ambles along. Male Wirtz’s feature-length debut has a lot happening on the sidelines, like a mirror image that decides to act independently or a slapstick shtick ala LAUREL & HARDY. Wirtz artfully combines picturesque images with short handheld scenes and sporadic zoom ins.

The story of this low-budget film revolves around the social circle of young Paula (the charming Eva Luca Klemmt), who dreams of becoming an actress and lives in Berlin, of course. She meets Max, Randolf, and Donnie at a chaotic theater audition. Randolf takes a liking to Louise but she’d rather be with Donnie while Paula wants to get down with Max. The characters talk to each other about this and that or about nothing at all in almost dadaesque ways. The confused daydreamers get caught up with their daily life and miss one good opportunity after the other. It’s a typical big city tale told in a pretty atypical way.

Christian Horn

Translation: Elinor Lewy