Axiom: Powerful portrait of a pathological liar.
Film plot and background
Strong portrait of a pathological liar.
The museum attendant Julius (Moritz Treuenfels) tells a different story to each of his fellow men. Sometimes he invites his colleagues on a sailing trip on a sailing boat that doesn’t exist, sometimes he tells the parents of his girlfriend Marie (Ricarda Seifried) that he is an architect who will land the big projects, and sometimes he brags to the flatmates that he will soon receive a scholarship in Japan and has to move out.
None of this is true, yet Julius’ construct of lies is partly believable – at least at first, when he can score points with his counterpart with charm and embellishes the most mundane stories of others as his own great experiences. But once you smell the fuse, you know that the notorious liar likes to talk himself out of his head with his imaginary construct.
With all the lies, it becomes difficult for Julius to keep track in the long run. When something unforeseen happens, it tends to upset him rather than allow him to turn it around as his next big achievement.
“Axiom” – background, cast, theatrical release
An axiom is understood to be a valid truth that requires no proof. This is what happens to the main character Julius, played by Moritz von Treuenfels (“Schachnovelle”) in the film of the same name. Director Jöns Jönsson (“Lamento”) explores the question of how far one can change one’s identity without losing oneself.
The world premiere took place as part of the Encounters programme at the Berlinale 2022. Ricarda Seifried (“Der Überfall”), Thomas Schubert (“Risiken & Nebenwirkungen”) and Petra Welteroth (“Eine Klasse für sich”) can be seen in other roles. Axiom” opens in German cinemas on 30 June 2022. Find out how the film concludes in the kino.de review in the article.
