Thomas Heise’s Posthumous Documentary 'Übergang' Debuts at Locarno

Thomas Heise’s final project, 'Übergang,' opened at the Locarno Film Festival in the out-of-competition slot, serving both as a biography of the influential German documentarian and as the completion of a work he left unfinished. Originally intended to profile Berlin’s bustling Schönhauser Allee, the film now blends freshly shot black-and-white street scenes, archival footage, photographs and diary excerpts to examine time, transition and German history.

Collaborators Peter Badel and Chris Wright, who had long worked with Heise, shaped the narrative while striving to retain his distinctive voice, even hearing his imagined guidance during editing. The duo accessed Heise’s personal archive thanks to his husband Michael, whose presence at the station also provides the film’s closing remarks. The documentary links Heise’s East-Berlin upbringing with contemporary issues such as war, rearmament and shifting political currents, aiming to remind viewers of the importance of questioning the status quo.