Leibniz – Chronicle of a Lost Painting
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
75. Berlinale Special (world premiere)
Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International 2025
SYNOPSIS
As Queen of Prussia, Charlotte yearns for the profound answers of the illustrious thinker Leibniz to life’s greatest questions. Out of devotion to him, she commissions a portrait to stand as his presence in Lietzenburg Castle. However, the sittings with the painter soon evolve into fervent debates between the philosopher and the artist over the nature of truth in a picture. Can the essence of a person ever truly be captured? How are images subtly and imperceptibly shaped? Only the Dutch artist Aaltje van de Meer, with her unwavering dedication to her craft, can challenge Leibniz’s tireless pursuit of truth and gently open his heart.
Infos
Co-production of if… Productions Film GmbH / Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion GmbH with BR and arte
Funded by BKM, DFFF, FFA, FFF Bayern, nordmedia, Medienförderung RLP
Distributor Germany: Weltkino
World sales: tbc
Duration: 104 minutes
Year: 2025
Original title: Leibniz – Chronik eines Verschollenen Bildes
With
Edgar Selge as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Aenne Schwarz as Aaltje van de Meer
Lars Eidinger as Pierre-Albert Delalandre
Michael Kranz as Liebfried Cantor
Antonia Bill as Queen Sophie Charlotte of Prussia
Barbara Sukowa as Princess Sophie of Hanover
Team
Director: Edgar Reitz
Screenplay: Gert Heidenreich, Edgar Reitz
Co-director: Anatol Schuster
Cinematographer: Matthias Grunsky
Editor: Anja Pohl
Producers: Ingo Fliess (if…), Christian Reitz (ERF)
Production Design: Renate Schmaderer
Costume Design: Esther Amuser
Make-up: Birger Laube, Germaine Mouth
Original Sound: Thorsten Bolzé
Music: Henrik Ajax
Line Producers: Max Frauenknecht, Luzie Lohmeyer
Commissioning Editors: Florian Kummert (BR), Carlos Gerstenhauer (BR), Barbara Häbe (arte)
Screenplay: Gert Heidenreich, Edgar Reitz
Co-director: Anatol Schuster
Cinematographer: Matthias Grunsky
Editor: Anja Pohl
Producers: Ingo Fliess (if…), Christian Reitz (ERF)
Production Design: Renate Schmaderer
Costume Design: Esther Amuser
Make-up: Birger Laube, Germaine Mouth
Original Sound: Thorsten Bolzé
Music: Henrik Ajax
Line Producers: Max Frauenknecht, Luzie Lohmeyer
Commissioning Editors: Florian Kummert (BR), Carlos Gerstenhauer (BR), Barbara Häbe (arte)