The Queen Of Thule

When a memory-lapsed coat-check girl finds herself kidnapped in her cool lady boss’ car, chased on the roads of Poland, she needs to find out what happened last night. But the path into her subconscious is full of dead ends, and detours, and no less twisted as her friend's criminal past.

NINA (27), a lonely young woman who works as a coat check girl in Berlin's hottest bar, is deeply committed to belong. The bar is run by YLENA (45) and CEM (43), an enigmatic couple who have a bumpy relationship. After a legendary party, Nina finds herself in the back of a car, abducted by Ylena, with no recollection of what happened last night.
Her scattered flashbacks don’t add up – every bit contradicts the previous one. Apparently, Cem died and the Polish task force is after the main suspect, Ylena. Can Nina trust her garbled memory - or her kidnapper with a criminal record? Ylena grew up poor in rural Poland and vowed to make her life free and glamorous - never to return here. Now she has a useless coat check girl along on this mad chase towards freedom. She wants to run alone, but Nina clings to her.

Each turn in the bumpy road reveals who the women really are and turns them into the most loyal friends. When the mystery of the killing is revealed, nothing is left to lose.

Keywords: friendship, mafia, LGBTQ

Director's note:
When Paula Redlefsen sent me Queen of Thule for the first time I read it and in a blink of an eye, I decided that I’d love to direct the story of Ylena and Nina. Born and raised in Poland and spending my young adult years in Berlin I felt an instant connection with both of the characters and their desires of freedom and belonging. We follow them on a breathless ride through not only Polish landscapes but also through all emotional states, following their inner compass on their way to personal freedom.

Screenwriter's note:
I had an idea about two women in a car on the road in Poland - I worked alone on the script, taking many bizarre turns and getting lost on the road frequently. With every turn, I always made crucial discoveries about the characters, the world we live in, and my lens and voice as a storyteller. I also discovered my sister-in-crime, Ewa Wikiel, an extraordinarily driven and creative companion on this ride. My core inspiration remains: to express female rage at a male-dominated world where women are played against each other; to bring irony to „car-chase buddy movies“; and to give a mind-blowing example of a legendary sisterhood among the hunted.