German Debut “Oasis” Opens Venice Horizons Section

The feature-length drama Oasis (German title *Oase*) will make its world debut in the Horizons strand of the 83rd Venice Film Festival, scheduled for September. The festival slot positions the film among works that push formal and thematic boundaries, signaling strong expectations from international programmers.

Hollywood Reporter

Press materials describe a story that follows three adolescent outcasts who, after a viral video shows a student threatening classmates, flee a spiraling school environment and seek refuge in a nearby forest. There, play evolves into ritualized violence, and the characters confront past wounds, blurring the lines between body, space and identity. The narrative is framed as an exploration of contemporary aggression, bodily experience and the fragility of human relationships, with the trailer emphasizing an unsettling atmosphere, stark school scenes, and disturbing drawings.

Hollywood Reporter

The film is written and directed by Jannis Lenz, who also co-edited the picture with Melisa Krasniqi. Lenz collaborated on the screenplay with Alexander Dirninger, who served as director of photography. The principal cast includes emerging German actors Florian Geißelmann, Anton Petzold, and Mathilda Smidt, alongside veteran Godehard Giese. Supporting roles feature Britta Hammelstein and Ioana Iacob. Lenz’s earlier shorts—*Wannabe* (2017), a European Film Award nominee, and *Soldat Ahmet* (2021), a Visions du Réel award-winner—have established his reputation for tackling intense subject matter.

Hollywood Reporter

Zeitgeist Filmproduktion (Germany) produced the film, with co-production support from Austria’s Wega Film, Germany’s Third Picture, We Fade to Grey, Ocean Pictures Filmproduktion, and Totem Films. International sales are being handled by Totem, while German theatrical distribution is slated for February 2027 through Mindjazz Pictures.

Hollywood Reporter

By situating adolescent violence within a stark natural setting, *Oasis* aims to comment on the ways digital threats can amplify real-world aggression. Critics note that the film’s visual and narrative intensity may resonate with ongoing debates about school safety, online harassment and the role of art in reflecting societal fractures. The Venice premiere will therefore serve as a key barometer for the film’s reception across European and global markets.

Hollywood Reporter