Animated documentary film (2023)
The film “Wild Birds Fly” tells the personal story of a 15-year-old street punk in Berlin who initially discovers a new sense of freedom and rebellion while living on the streets, but at the same time is confronted with the darker sides of street life — such as drug use and trauma.
This documentary follows Frank Fuhrmann (*1979), who spent part of his youth living on the streets and now looks back on his life. Nicole “Nikki” Schwenker (*1979, †1995), his girlfriend at the time who passed away at just 16, is a central figure in this story — the film is dedicated to her.
The narration is based on an interview with Frank, in which he speaks openly about this phase of his life. The final film features the most central and emotionally powerful moments from that conversation.
The Short Nights of Berlin
Kino Central, Berlin, Germany
August 12, 2024 – Premiere
Short Film Night at the Casino
Casino, Potsdam, Germany
October 15, 2024
"TOO DRUNK TO WATCH" Punk Film Festival Berlin
Lichtblick Kino, Berlin, Germany
October 17, 2024 – Winner of the "Animation Punk Award"
Pixel Vienna
University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria
November 7, 2024
Courage Film Festival
Wein Salon, Berlin, Germany
November 21, 2024
YouTV (TV broadcast)
AlexTV, Berlin, Germany
April 14, 2025
Production Period
April 2023 – September 2023
Genre
Animation, Documentary, Student Film
Duration
06:22 minutes
Format
16:9, Full HD 1080p
Technique
Digital Animation, Mixed Media
Character Animation
Procreate, Frame-by-Frame Loops
SFX
Adobe After Effects
Backgrounds
Generative AI, Adobe Photoshop
Voice-over: Narrator – Frank Fuhrmann | Social Worker/Judge – Maria Dinitz | Production: Animation/Production/Editing – Maria Dinitz | Supervision: Prof. Klaus Dufke | Music: Phantastonia – Background Music | Dritte Wahl – “Fliegen” (End Credits) | University: University of Applied Sciences Potsdam – Communication Design | © 2023