THE MEANING OF A RITUAL
F E A T U R E F I L M M A G I C A L R E A L I S M / C O M I N G O F A G E B Y N A T A L I E M A C M A H O N
2023 Press Kit
about the film
German Genre Film
A true Berlin film
100% Female Cast
contact@nataliemacmahon.com
themeaningofaritual.com
@meaning of.film
@themeaningoffilm
A coming of age story about two women from different generations, who have more in common than they are willing to admit.
A headstrong, young mobile plant doctor with extrasensory powers and an emotionally unstable, isolated artist are forced to save each other, in order to be able to live again.
Genre: Psychological Coming-Of-Age, Magical Realism Drama
Length: 84 min
Language: German (with English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese subtitles available)
Release year: 2023/Color/16:9/Stereo
You live life forward, but understand it backwards.
Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones, because regret is stronger than gratitude
about the director
NATALIE MACMAHON
Screenwriter/Director
contact@nataliemacmahon.com
Natalie’s films have been screened and awarded at numerous international film festivals She recently released her latest short "Living In A Bubble" while continuing her festival tour with her short films "Pink Me Blue" and "Skeleton Tiger" and "Becoming Human".
Amongst her most successful films are "A Universal Love Story", "The Funeral Dancer" and "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" "The Meaning Of A Ritual" is her first feature film and at the same time a deeply personal story.
nataliemacmahon.com
@nataliemacmahon
@nataliemacmahonfilm
@nataliemacmahon
Directors Filmography:
"The Meaning Of A Ritual" (Feature Film, 2023)
"Living In A Bubble" (Short Film, 2021)
"Becoming Human" (Short Film, 2021)
"Skeleton Tiger" (Short Film, 2020)
"Malsano Nomata Amo" (Web Series, 2019)
"Pink Me Blue" (Short Film, 2019)
"A Violent Noise" (Short Film, 2019)
"Silent Disco" (Instagram Series, 2019)
"The Funeral Dancer" (Short Film, 2018)
"The Redhead" (Short Film, 2018)
"A Universal Love Story" (Short Film, 2017)
"It's getting darker every day" (Short Film, 2017)
"Senses" (Mini Web series, 2016)
"Lola wants to see the sea " (Short Film 2016)
“Like A Summer Sonata” (Short Film, 2016)
“The Man Who Couldn't Cry” (Short Film, 2015)
“ The Secret of Berlin” (Web Series, 2015)
awards & nominations
2023: Finalist at the London International Screenwriting Competition- “When I Stop Dreaming”
2023: Award Winner- Los Angeles International Sci-Fi Film Festival- “Pink Me Blue”
2023: Nomination in the categories: “Best International Feature Film”, “Best International Feature Film Director”, “Best International Feature Film Cinematography”, “Best International Feature Film Screenplay”, “Best International Feature Film Actress”- “The Meaning Of A Ritual”
2023: Honorable Mention- Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards- “When I Stop Dreaming”
2023: Nomination- Best Short Film- Alternative Film Festival (Canada) - “Living In A Bubble”
2022: Silver Spotlight Award- Spotlight Short Film Awards- “Living In A Bubble”
2022: Best Original Screenplay Award- SICAFILM Los Angeles International Film Awards- “Pink Me Blue”
2022: Arizona International Film Festival- Best Experimental Short- “Living in a bubble”
2022: Spotlight Short Film Award - Silver Award- “Skeleton Tiger”
2022: Award WInner- “Best Sci-Fi”- Alternative Film Festival (Canada)- “Skeleton Tiger”
2021: Best Animated Short Award- Istanbul International Nartugan Film Festival (IINFF)- “Living In A Bubble”
2021: Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short- Alternative Film Festival (Canada)- “Becoming Human”
2021: Best Sci-Fi Short Award- “The Quarantini Monthly Film Festival”- “Skeleton Tiger”
2021: Award Winner- “Best Writer” at the “Alternative Film Festival” (Canada)- “A Violent Noise”
2021: Nomination "Best Experimental Animated Abstract Short Film" at “Palm Springs Int Animation Film Festival”- “Pink Me Blue”
2021: Finalist "Best Sci-Fi Short" + Finalist Best Script + Special Mention- Dark Story Festival (Spain)- for “A Violent Noise”
2021: Nomination Best Short Film- Short Encounters International Film Festival- “Living In A Bubble”
2021: Nomination Best Short Film- Naturgan Film Festival- “Living In A Bubble”
2020: Most Original Short Film- Portland Short Fest- "The Funeral Dancer"
2019: Silver Award- Spotlight Short Film Awards- “Pink Me Blue”
2019: Unstoppable Creator Award at “Sydney Indie Film Festival”- “The Funeral Dancer”
2019: Award Of Commendation- Canada Shorts Film Festival- "Pink Me Blue"
2019: Special Mention- Best Direction- Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival
2019: Nomination Best Narrative Film- “Orion IFF Film Festival” (Australia)- “The Funeral Dancer”
2019: Best International Short Film Award at the “Disappear Here Film Festival” (Ireland)- “The Funeral Dancer”
awards & nominations
2019: Nomination Best Foreign Short Film- Kapow Intergalactic Film Festival- "The Funeral Dancer"
2019: Best Web Series/New Media Award at the "Elderhall Texas Independent Film Festival"- "Malsano Nomata Amo"
2019: Best International Short Film- Horsetooth International Film Festival- "The Funeral Dancer"
2019: Nomination Best Sci-Fi Short- Genre Celebration Festival- "The Funeral Dancer"
2019: Best Costume & Make Up in a Film at “Short Film Reviews Film Festival” in London for “The Funeral Dancer”
2019: Best Sci-Fi Short Nomination- "Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival"- "The Funeral Dancer"
2019: Spotlight Short Film Awards- Spotlight GOLD AWARD for “The Funeral Dancer”
2019: Nomination Best Costume & Make Up at Short Film Reviews Festival London- “The Funeral Dancer”
2019: Nomination Best Music at Short Film Reviews Festival London- “The Funeral Dancer”
2018: Best Experimental Film Award- Porto Femme International Film Festival"- for "A Universal Love Story"
2018: Best Short Film- Silver Award- Spotlight Short Film Awards- for "A Universal Love Story"
2018: Extra Mile Award- Nomination- Sydney Indie Film Festival- The Redhead
2018: Nomination Best Foreign Short at "Kapow Intergalactic Film Festival" for "The Redhead"
2018 Bronze Award- European Independent Film Awards ("The Redhead") (Best Short)
2018: "Best Narrative Short" Award at "Pinnacle Film Awards" for "The Redhead"
2018: Finalist Best Short at "Alternative Film Festival" for "The Redhead"
2018: Nominee Best Fantasy Short at "Genre Celebration Film Festival" for "A Universal Love Story"
2017: Best Short Film Award at the "LA Film Crash Film Festival" for "A Universal Love Story"
2017: Canada Shorts Film Festival 2017- Award of distinction for "It's getting darker every day"
2017: Headline International Film Festival- Award of Merit for "A Universal Love Story"
2017: Best Film Award at "Warsaw Independent Film Festival" for "Like A Summer Sonata"
2017: Silver Award Winner at the "Spotlight Shortfilm Awards" for "It's getting darker every day"
2017: Finalist at the "Influx Magazine Film Awards" for "It's getting darker every day"
2017: Best Web Short Award for "Senses" at the "Woodengate Film Festival"
awards & nominations
2017: Silver Award- North American Film Awards- "It's getting darker every day"
2017: Alternative Film Festival- Nomination "Best Director"- "Lola wants to see the sea "
2017: Nomination Best Web Short for "Senses" at the Transylvania Cinema Awards
2017: Largo Film Awards Award for Best Editing+ Best Photography for "The Strangest Thing"
2016: Nomination Best Short Film, Charly Chaplin Award, Honorable Mention Certificate at the "Blow-Up Arthouse International Film Festival for "Like A Summer Sonata"
2016: Nomination at the "European Independent Film Award" for "Like A Summer Sonata"
2016: Best Drama Award at the " North American Film Awards" for "Lola wants to see the sea "
2016: "Honorary Mention"- Largo Film Awards for "Senses"
2016: Nomination “Indie Spirit Award” at the “Melbourne Indie Film Festival” for “Like A Summer Sonata”
2016: "Award of Merit" for "Like A Summer Sonata" at the "Headline International Film Festival"
2016: "Extra Mile Award" Nomination for "Lola wants to see the sea " at the "Sydney Indie Film Festival"
2016: Nomination "Best Web Short" at "Bucharest Shortcut Cinefest" for "The Secret of Berlin"
2016: "Best Web Series" Award at the "Direct Monthly Online Film Festival" for "The Secret of Berlin"
2016: "Genre Celebration Festival" Nomination "Best Drama" for "The Man Who Couldn't Cry"
2016: "Best Director" Nomination at the "Top Indie Film Awards" for "The Man Who Couldn't Cry"
2016: "Top Indie Film Awards" Nomination as "Best Short" for "The Man Who Couldn't Cry"
2016: Honorable Mention at the “Amarcord Arthouse Television and Video Festival” for “The Secret of Berlin”
2016: "Best Web Series" Award at TOFF Film Festival for "The Secret of Berlin"
2016: "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" - Special Mention at Snowdance Film Festival
2015: "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" - Special Mention at Canada Short Film Festival
2015: "The Man Who Couldn't Cry"- "Best of Festival" Award at the "Texas Ultimate Shorts Festival"
2015: Nomination Best Female Lead at Sydney Indie Film Fest (Film "The Man Who Couldn't Cry")
director's statement
This is a story about different women, who have the potential to help each other, if they are open enough and see what’s right in front of them.
The nature elements and special power of nature throughout, show them that there are higher forces, things we cannot explain logically. However, they feel that all things are essentially connected and happen for a specific reason.
And then there is the power of rituals- how do they change us, transform us and even heal us?
cast
Elli Treptow
Annette Pausch
Karin Muehlhoff
Anna Pfingsten
Katinka Muth
Alexandra Ebert
Sisi Forster
special appearance by “Hauptstadtpilot”
team/crew
Screenwriter/Director/Producer: Natalie MacMahon
DOP: Tom O'Keefe
Focus Puller: Sebastian Germ
Co-Producer & Light: Camilo Zamora
Sound: Francesco Salvadori
Sound Post Production: Dino Gervasoni
Original Music composed by: Federico Truzzi
Director Assistants: Meike Grone, Emma Logan, Milena W.
Best Boy: Milo Antoine, Hugo Finlay
Make up/Styling: Lesia Vasilets
Set Photographer: Omar Abogabal
about the lead actress
Elli TreptowActress/SInger/Dancer #ellitreptow
Elli Treptow (born 2001 in Berlin) is a freelance artist in the field of theatre, dance and photography She attended the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin from 2017 to 2020 in the field of dance-theatre-theory. After graduating from high school, she first began studying theatre studies, art history and English philology at the Free University of Berlin, but after a few semesters she dedicated herself to projects in the independent art scene in German-speaking countries.
In autumn 2021, she staged the play Drums in the Night by Bertolt Brecht at the Megalomania Theatre in Frankfurt am Main. In addition, she has appeared as an actress and singer/songwriter on Berlin's independent stages and in various independent film projects Since autumn 2022 she has been attending the dance education year at the Seneca Intensive Studios and has been a guest performer in The Welkin (Das Himmelszelt) (director: Jette Steckel) at the Deutsches Theater
@ellyesabeth
themes/more
Becoming-of-Self/ Mother-Daughter Relationship/ The Power Of Rituals/ Mental Illness/ Importance Of Nature/ Karma
“The Meaning Of A Ritual” explores how everything in life, everything in our universe is truly connected.
A fable about two women in the process of becoming themselves and moving on from the past.
A story that proves that we are in the process of discovering and becoming ourselves our whole life.
There is always the possibility of change if we manage to overcome our fears that are holding us back.
behind the scenes
behind the scenes
trailer/imdb/contact
IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21826792/?
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Check out our trailer:
https://vimeo.com/nataliemacmahon/themeaningof-trailer
https://vimeo.com/nataliemacmahon/themeaningof-teaser
Get in touch:
contact@nataliemacmahon.com