Dystopian fears in film: Look For... Existential Realities unleashes emotions

Dystopian fears in film: Look For... Existential Realities unleashes emotions

On October 18, 2025, the interfilm 41 Festival in Berlin is just around the corner. With its international competition under the motto “Look For… Existential Realities”, it emphasizes how much external circumstances and social pressure shape people’s lives. The films shown at the festival deal with fear, loss and the constant threat of world unrest. berlin.de reports that these topics are not only important for the characters in the films, but also affect us in real life.

One of the films depicts parents in Haiti anxiously waiting for a call from the USA. Such emotional tensions illustrate how deeply rooted existential fears are. Passengers on a train outline their deepest fears, while the threat of an airstrike hangs in the air in a Lebanese home. These strong emotions and personal crises are not only fictional, they also reflect the reality that many people have to navigate.

Existential fears in film art

The thematic focuses of the festival were not chosen by chance. The concept of existential risks – a term that has become increasingly important over the last two decades – refers to threats that can endanger humanity as a whole. According to Wikipedia, existential risks are events that could lead to the extinction of humanity or drastically limit its long-term potential.

This includes catastrophic scenarios such as asteroid impacts, nuclear wars and pandemics. These risks are often incurable and can seriously jeopardize our survival and overall well-being. Toby Ord has quantified probabilities of various disasters, which shows us that the risk can never be completely eliminated. For example, a supervolcano eruption has a chance of about 1 in 10,000.

The creation of consciousness

In this context, the festival becomes a platform that not only serves as entertainment, but also contributes to educating people about the challenges of our time. The films shown not only show the characters' perspective on their own reality, but also encourage the audience to think about their own fears. Whether we are contemplating impending world unrest or personal failure in times of change, the films challenge us to reflect on our own existential realities.

Another important theme running through the festival content is the need for global cooperation in addressing such risks. There are numerous organizations, such as the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the Future of Humanity Institute, dedicated to global disaster risk research and mitigation. The themes of the festival create awareness that every single voice counts and that we all have a responsibility to work for a secure future.

Overall, the interfilm 41 Festival shows that the examination of existential risks should find a place not only in film art, but also in our daily lives. In this way, art can not only stimulate reflection, but also help prepare us for a possible future together.