Totem takes world sales on Venice-bound school drama Oasis
Jannis Lenz’s feature will premiere in Venice’s Horizons section after Totem acquired international sales rights, Variety reported.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Totem has acquired international sales rights to Oasis, the new feature from writer-director Jannis Lenz, ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Variety reported.
The film is set to debut in Venice’s Horizons competition, putting Lenz’s tense school-set drama on a major international platform as Totem adds it to its sales lineup. Variety also reported that the company is putting more of its main attention on production.
Oasis follows the fallout after a video appears online showing a student threatening classmates. According to the film’s synopsis reported by Variety, the incident pushes a school community into a harsher cycle of fear and violence.
Under pressure from adults, including teachers and parents, three isolated students retreat to a nearby forest. The film’s description says their games become more ritual-like, pain turns into a form of release, and buried hurt starts to shift the relationships between them.
A coming-of-age story with teeth
Markus Katsch of Zeitgeist Filmproduktion FFM, a producer on the film, said Oasis examines adolescence with precision and looks at fear, exclusion and violence through a human point of view, according to Variety.
Bérénice Vincent, CEO of Totem, praised Lenz as a strong emerging filmmaker. In comments reported by Variety, Vincent said Totem was struck by the film’s interest in the gap between forms of violence that society accepts and forms it condemns.
Lenz arrives at Venice with a short but already decorated track record. Variety reported that his 2017 short Wannabe won the Prix Clermont-Ferrand and received a European Film Award nomination.
His graduation film, Soldat Ahmet, premiered at Visions du Réel in 2021 and went on to win several international prizes, according to Variety.
Lenz is a graduate of the Vienna Film Academy, where he was mentored by Jessica Hausner. Variety reported that he has also worked as an assistant to Michael Haneke and is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents.
Cast and backers
The cast includes Florian Geißelmann, described by Variety as a newcomer whose credits include Sound of Falling. Godehard Giese, known for Rose, also appears in the film.
Anton Petzold and Mathilda Smith, described by Variety as emerging German actors, round out the listed cast.
Oasis is produced by Germany’s Zeitgeist Filmproduktion FFM. The co-producers are Austria’s Wega Film and Germany’s Third Picture, in collaboration with We Fade to Grey, Ocean Pictures Filmproduktion and Totem Films, Variety reported.
The film has backing from a slate of public and industry funds, according to Variety. Supporters include Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien BKM, Deutscher Filmförderfonds DFFF, Österreichisches Filminstitut ÖFI+, MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film and Filmförderungsanstalt FFA.
The Venice slot gives Oasis its first public bow, while Totem takes the film to international buyers with a story pitched around teen isolation, institutional pressure and the violence that can grow when fear takes over.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.