A FILM BY HANSJÖRG THURN

Treu

a short film · 15 minutes · 2024

Festival Short Bochum, Germany — 2024
I. Synopsis

A film about love,
misunderstandings, and the
dignity of memory.

“TREU” is a 15-minute festival short film that begins like a thriller — and ends as a love story you will not forget.

A woman wakes in a strange apartment, certain she is being held captive by a much older man. Her fear, her insecurity, her despair — we feel them with her, beat by beat, in a claustrophobic interior that seems to close in around her. Like a nightmare, we follow her search for clues, her desperate longing to escape.

When she finally breaks free, the thriller turns into a chase — and the chase, in turn, into something altogether different. Step by step, the truth behind the two protagonists comes to light: who she really is, who he really is, and what binds them.

What begins as fear becomes character drama, and what begins as drama becomes a profoundly tender love story — one that endures despite every challenge, every loss. With its rapid genre shifts and its painfully beautiful moments of clarity in the chaos of illness, “TREU” takes the audience on an emotional journey toward a single, lasting message: the dignity and preciousness of a great love defy even the most severe human decay.

II. Cast

The faces of TREU.

Annika Kuhl
i.

Annika Kuhl

Lead — The Woman

Anthony Arndt
ii.

Anthony Arndt

Lead — The Man

Bianca Arndt
iii.

Bianca Arndt

Supporting Role

III. Behind the Camera

The makers.

Director

Hansjörg Thurn

An experienced director known for his work on celebrated German formats such as Schimanski and Die Wanderhure. Thurn has the rare ability to translate tension and emotion into vivid images — and leads TREU with a clear, visionary hand.

Screenplay

Katrin Wiegand

A screenwriter who knows how to bring complex characters and profound stories to life. Her work for TREU pairs suspense with emotional depth, building a haunting script that pulls the audience into a world of misunderstanding and intensity.

Idea & Producer

Anthony Arndt

With his original idea, Anthony Arndt laid the foundation for TREU. His conception of the story — a gripping short film about the fragility of memory and the power of love — forms the heart of the project.

Cinematography

Uwe Schäfer

As Director of Photography, Uwe Schäfer is responsible for the visual world of TREU. With a particular eye for light and shadow, he captures the oppressive atmosphere and emotional depth of the story in arresting images.

IV. A Note from Anthony Arndt
Anthony Arndt in costume for TREU — Anthony Arndt

My first film: a labour of the heart with a socially critical message.

Last year, I survived a rare neck fracture after a bicycle crash — an experience that changed my life forever. Since then my focus on the essentials has sharpened. My savings don't need to outlive me, so I'm investing them in my big dream: a top-class short film.

The film is called “TREU” and deals with the urgently topical subject of Alzheimer's — a subject very close to my heart through personal family experience. The film runs 15 minutes. With 1.8 million Alzheimer's sufferers in Germany today and that number predicted to double, it's more important than ever to raise awareness.

It was clear to me from the start: quality has its price. So I only made the film on the condition that everyone involved — from the cast to the crew — met the highest standards.

I am especially keen to draw attention to the alarming number of young people with dementia. Combined with cinematic excellence, this socially critical message is intended to meet the high standards of international festivals.

Thanks to the support of the Alzheimer Society Germany and Bochum, we were able to film a scene in front of their headquarters. I know one doesn't earn money with short films — but that was never the goal. This film fulfils a deep wish that has been with me a long time: to turn a vision into reality, and to tell a story that moves people.

V. The Poster
TREU film poster

Official Festival Poster · 2024

Two figures.
One spotlight.

The poster places its leads in a single beam of theatrical light — a quiet promise of the film's central image. What follows in the dark is for the audience alone to discover.

Annika Kuhl  ·  Anthony Arndt
v— The Location

Filmed in
Bochum.

Schauspielhaus  ·  Altenbochum  ·  Hotel Tucholsky

The stage of the Schauspielhaus Bochum became the backdrop for a key scene in the short film. The piece addresses the topic of aging and the resulting challenges in filmmaking. The ill wife is played by Annika Kuhl, who is happy to be back in Bochum — after all, she learned her craft at the Westfälische Schauspielschule and was part of the ensemble at the Bochumer Schauspielhaus from 1996 to 2000.

Anthony Arndt is not only the lead actor but also producer and originator of the film's concept. The screenplay was written by Katrin Wiegand. For the professional realisation, Arndt secured the renowned director Hansjörg Thurn (Schimanski, Die Wanderhure), who, with his experienced team of camera operators, gaffers and assistants, ensured that this stirring and touching subject was rendered sensitively and atmospherically.

His old half-timbered house in Altenbochum served as the interior backdrop, and his daughter — actress Bianca Arndt — appears in a supporting role. The festivals are the right platform for the film, says Anthony Arndt, and he will present the work at the Berlinale with great hope.

Treu

— a film by Hansjörg Thurn —

Annika Kuhl Anthony Arndt Bianca Arndt

Director
Hansjörg Thurn
Screenplay
Katrin Wiegand
Based on an idea by
Anthony Arndt
Producer
Anthony Arndt — Getty Film
Cinematography
Uwe Schäfer
Editing
Ollie Lanvermann
Music
Johannes Malfatti
Production Management
Uwe Kamitz
Costume & Set Design
Lara Villmow
Make-up & SFX Make-up
Julia Grieshaber
Sound
Juliane Vari
Camera Assistant
Lukas Luki Taglieber
2nd Camera Assistant
Julian König
Set Photographer
Anja Ensmann
Gaffer
Ben Drolshagen
Lighting
Michael Kloppert
Stage Supervisor
Dirk Wils
Stage Lighting
Bernd Felder · Marek Schoder
Catering
Marion Arndt
Legal Counsel
Julia Rönneper
Festival Coordination
Victor Oonk
Post-production
Wefadetogrey GmbH
Sound Post
Toruspost GmbH
Colorist
Philip Whitfield

“La Mer”

Music & Lyrics: Charles Trenet · Albert Lasry

Publisher: Editions Raoul Breton · Sub-publisher: Budde Music Publishing GmbH

© Courtesy of Budde Music Publishing GmbH

Special thanks

The Alzheimer Society Bochum e.V. — Jutta Meder · Christa Menzel · Christel Schulz

The German Alzheimer Society e.V. — Susanna Saxl-Reisen

The Schauspielhaus Bochum — Angela Obst · Marco Giegling · Britta Brodda

The Hotel Tucholsky — Christian Bickelbacher · Stephanie Bartocha

Anthony's suit — Martin Magielka / RAPX

— and a thank you from Anthony to all his guardian angels.

Anthony Arndt — Getty Film Production  ·  © 2024