2025 SIPFF Closing Film

KE | ALL | LQ | KP

The Light

“A film that is bold, humorous, and aesthetically daring.” 

A mysterious and provocative work that reflects the fractures and inner life of contemporary German society. 

Tom TYKWER, director of Perfume, Cloud Atlas, and Babylon Berlin, returns with his new film.

Chosen as the Closing Film of the 15th Seoul International PRIDE Film Festival (SIPFF, Festival Director KIM JHO Gwang-soo), The Light is the latest work by acclaimed German director Tom TYKWER.

Premiered as the Opening Film of the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, The Light captivated audiences with its layered portrayal of Germany’s refugee crisis and pervasive social anxiety. 

Set in contemporary Berlin, the story begins when Fara, a Syrian housekeeper, enters the life of a middle-class family, unsettling their fragile world. Through elements of fantasy and satire, 

the film explores moral dilemmas, social unease, and the human longing for transcendence. Interweaving political allegory, mysticism, and melodrama, The Light becomes an allegory for humanity’s search for illumination amid uncertainty.

Director Tom TYKWER explains, “The Light aims to be an intense, humorous, and thoughtful cinematic experience. It portrays people living in the present and confronts us with the urgency of 

our times.”

Born in Germany in 1965, Tykwer gained international fame with Run Lola Run (1998), followed by Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) and Cloud Atlas (2012, co-directed with the Wachowski sisters). Through the acclaimed TV series Babylon Berlin, he has vividly portrayed Germany’s political and artistic upheavals, exploring intersections of power, gender, and desire. Continuing this trajectory, The Light delves into the fragile intersections of social instability and individual identity.

Programmer Dave KIM of the Seoul International PRIDE Film Festival stated, “The Light goes beyond cinematic achievement—it reflects the social responsibility that PRIDE Film Festivals must uphold in East Asian contexts. In Korea, where LGBTQ rights still face legal and institutional barriers, the film’s message about a ‘journey toward the light’ resonates with even greater power.” He added, “Through The Light, SIPFF reaffirms that queer cinema is not solely about identity but about illuminating humanity as a whole in times of uncertainty.”

Dir.  Tom TYKWER | Germany | 2025 | 162min | Color | Drama | German

Schedule

Synopsis

Tim Engels, his wife Milena, their twins Frieda and Jon, and Milena’s son Dio live together in a Berlin apartment. When Farah, a mysterious housekeeper newly arrived from Syria, enters their home, long-suppressed emotions surface. Each is drawn to her with both desire and unease—until her secret threatens to shatter them all.

Film Festival

2025 Berlin International Film Festival