Sound of Falling is a 2025 German drama film co-written and directed by Mascha Schilinski. It follows four generations of girls connected by a farm in the Altmark region of Germany. The film is structured non-linearly, moving between four time periods set on the same farmstead, where gestures, conversations and situations recur over the decades. It premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize.
Development and making
Schilinski and co-writer Louise Peter were inspired after spending a summer on a farm in the Altmark. A photograph of three women from 1920 prompted them to imagine the lives of the people who had lived there. The screenplay was developed over three years under a working title and won the Thomas Strittmatter Screenplay Award from MFG Filmförderung in 2023. Over 1,400 girls auditioned for the four lead roles, with the team seeking faces that could represent each period.
Release and awards
The film was theatrically released in Germany by Neue Visionen on 28 August 2025. It was selected as Germany's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards and made the December shortlist, but was not nominated. At the 76th German Film Awards, it won all ten categories it was nominated for, including Best Film, Director and Screenplay.