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experimental // 12 min 43 sec // language: English, German // leading actress: Sarah Forbat // cinematography: Sadegh Karimi // sound design, script & production by Olaf Lenz (2026)

THE WATCHERS is a symbolic short film about a group of seven people standing at a position common to most of us: on one side to be a passive recipient of media information and on the other side to really be alive, to feel connected to oneself and to the people around in this very moment.

In my film, this group consists of people from different nations and cultures. So the whole setting is not meant to be limited to my country, but can be compared to experiences all over the world.

There are five main chapters in the narration:

1 – first we listen to news about militarism and war coming from a giant screen
2 – the introduction of the group of people plus their reaction to the news
3 – a story of life and love in the materialistic world is told
4 – a sudden catastrophe
5 – the group moving on, not the same as they’ve been

• Honorable Mention at LONDON INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Season 16th, 2026 (https://makemagiciff.com/16th-season-result/)
• Best Poem Audio/Video at HUMRO CINEMA FILM FEST 2026
• Best Indie Experimental Film at BLUEZ DOLPHINS MOISFF 2026
• Best Experimental at FLORENCE FILM AWARDS March 2026 (https://florencefilmawards.com/march-2026)
• Best Inspirational Film at NICOMEDIA FILM AWARDS 2026 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DZSKTqOgqeA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
• Best Cinematography at FLORIDA SHORTS Summer 2026 (https://floridashorts.com/summer-2026/)
• Best Cinematography at CHALACHITRA INT. FILM FESTIVAL 2026 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ4_3ZiSthS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== / https://chalachitraifa.com/screening/)