Eli Börnicke // Cinematography //

growing wild

2025 documentary short
Director: Rob Crosse
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
The work foregrounds the stories of a selection of residents of the Lebensort Vielfalt am Südkreuz housing project in Berlin, and the relationships formed within their shared domestic space. It further examines the historic and contemporary cultural and political forces that shape queer communities both within and beyond the estate’s walls — analysis that is particularly meaningful in light of the paradox whereby state institutions, which have long been complicit in queer marginalisation, are now supporting such initiatives.

Growing Wild (24 minutes, QHD, 2025) follows five residents spanning four generations from the Lebensort Vielfalt am Südkreuz estate. Crosse has known some of these residents since before the housing project was formed, and came to know others in the years following its opening. With a particular focus on often overlooked care practices in the context of ageing, the work is set against the backdrop of a severe and escalating housing crisis across Europe and the UK, where access to safe, accessible homes for older adults and people with diverse access needs are increasingly scarce.

Shown in Auto Italia Gallery, London, 2025
https://autoitaliasoutheast.org/events/16544867012/
https://robcrosse.com/growing-wild/
https://www.mutualart.com/Exhibition/Rob-Crosse--Growing-Wild/D46717C4107E0C7F

Familientherapie mit Franca Cerutti

2025 documentary series
Director: Laetitia V. Baeyer-Nickol
Production: Drive Beta (Chantal Darmstädter, Alexa Josef, Jan Sohlmann, Florian Schumann)
Authors: Laetitia V. Baeyer-Nickol, Susann Kowatsch, Christin Juchheim
Cinematography: Janne Ebel
Second Camera: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
Arguments, silence, old wounds—many families are burdened by conflicts that have never been properly resolved. In the new ARD documentary series “Family Therapy,” psychotherapist and podcaster Franca Cerutti invites four families to the countryside for intensive family coaching. Why do we keep bickering? How do we talk about feelings? How can we better communicate our needs within the family? How can we leave past hurts behind us? Through conversations and psychological exercises, Franca helps the families resolve their conflicts and strengthen their family relationships. A series about closeness, hurt feelings – and the courage to talk to each other in a new way.

Published in ARD und Hessischer Rundfunk
https://www.ardmediathek.de/serie/familientherapie-mit-franca-cerutti/staffel-1/NjRhYTI2NzQtYzJiOS00OWMwLWI1MmMtM2RmMjVmMDBlOWRj/1

los tres punctos

2025 middle length fiction
Directors/Producers/Writers: Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard & Zayne Armstrong
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
This satirical melodramatic tragedy asks what happens when financial precarity forces us to ethical grey zones... and collides with forces that can literally read between the lines.

From the front desk of a Berlin hostel, Marlie hosts her up-and-coming astrology advice podcast ‘Astrosapiate’. Waking from a dream of an aggressive T-Rex, she believes that a Capricorn is coming to change her life, and hopefully boost her listener numbers. So when a fellow Chilean, Celeb, calls in to her show, sounding unhinged, she milks the drama for entertainment value only to find that she might have misinterpreted her dream and suddenly she’s running from what she thought was ancient history. A past podcast guest, whom she gave bad astrological advice to, has come back to sue Marlie and force her to recognise a new form of neurodivergence: the ability to hear “the three dots”, as in text messages being drafted. But can she sacrifice the possible gains of a good podcast in order to give her guests the help they really need?

Shown in K4 Gallerie, Oslo, 2025 / Gallerie im Turm, Berlin, 2026
https://www.k4galleri.no/new-page-57
https://aasgaard-armstrong.com/los-tres-puntos

made with support from Arts Council Norway, Hedda Grevle / K4, The Norwegian Photographic Fund, OCA (Office for Contemporary Art Norway), Triangle - Astérides

where you find me

2024 narrative feature
Production: ifs Köln
Directors: Isis Victoria Rampf, Juan Bermùdez, Willi Reinecke, Anna-Katharina Schröder
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
Isabelle Krieger and Thea Ehre command the screen in this nuanced drama about bodily autonomy. Through masterfully interwoven narratives, we follow Beatrice, a doctor seeking escape in Berlin’s club scene, and Alex, a defiant club manager juggling parenthood and protest. Their unexpected friendship evolves beyond cliché into a powerful meditation on freedom and self-determination.

FESTIVALS
BFI Flare London, UK, 2025 / Achtung Berlin, Berlin, 2025/ Vancoucver Queer Film Festival, Canada, 2025 / Cinema Divers Palm Springs, USA, 2025 / KinEstFilm Festival Catania, Italy, 2025/ Hamburg Queer Film Festival, Germany, 2025/ Queer-Streifen Regensburg, Germany 2025/ Chéris Chéris Film Festival Paris, 2025/ Slovak Queer Film Festival, Belgrade, Serbia, 2025/ Queer Film Festival Weiterstadt, Germany, 2025/

Recordari

2024
Stop-motion animation, short
Director: Carolina Cruz
Production: Nicolai C.J.Otteni & Paul Lux, Filmuniversität Konrad Wolf
Vertrieb: Magnetfilm GmbH
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke, Jana Pape

SYNOPSIS
Santiago de Chile en 1980. Camila y Paula tienen 7 años, son vecinas y mejores amigas. Fuera de sus casas, su vida y la de sus familias está determinada por la dictadura militar de Pinochet: una disciplina férrea, toques de queda, violencia y la opresión del régimen. Tras una noche de protesta pacífica y emocionante, las dos amigas están destinadas a seguir por caminos distintos…

FESTIVALS
2024

ITFS Stuttgart 2024, World Premiere. Nominated for Best International Short Film in Competition and Best School Short Film.
Awarded the SPECIAL MENTION "LOTTE REINIGER" Award, April 2024. Stuttgart | Germany / FICAM Meknès, Nominated for Best Short Film, International Competition, May 2024 Meknès | Morocco / CHILEMONOS, International School Competition, May 2024. Santiago de Chile / SUPERTOON STUDENTOON – Animated Film Competition for Students, July 2024. Šibenik | Croatia /ANIBAR, Animation Festival, July 2024. Pristina, Peja | Kosovo/ Insomnia, International Animation Festival, 2024. Moscow | Kaluga, Russia/ Biblioteca Nicanor Parra, UDP Princeton Seminar on Chilean Animation, 2024. Santiago de Chile/ Pixelatl Festival, Guadalajara, September 3-7, 2024, Jalisco | Mexico/Comic Week, Online Presentation, September 6-7, 2024, La Paz | Bolivia/ Ningen Fest, International Non-Competitive Selection of Animated Films, 2024, Belgrade | Serbia/ Animasyros, International Animation Festival ,2024, Syros Island | Greece/ Schlingel Chemnitz, 29th National Short Animation Film Competition, 2024, Chemnitz | Germany/ Weird, International Animation Market Selection, 2024, Valencia | Spain/ Bolton Film Festival, 2024 | England/ Primanima, World Festival of First Animations, October 16-29, 2024, Budaörs | Hungary/ SIFF, Sharjah International Children and Youth Film Festival
Awarded "Best Film Made by Students" at the 11th SIFF Edition, October 2024, Sharjah | United Arab Emirates / CINANIMA Espinho, 48th International Competition in the Student Films Category, November 8, 2024, Espinho | Portugal/ BitBang, Official Competition, International Animation Festival, Centro Cultural Kirchner, Buenos Aires | Argentina/ Open World Animation Festival, Non-Competitive International Selection of Animated Films, Pennsylvania | USA/ PICCOLO FESTIVAL DELL'ANIMAZIONE, International Animation Film Festival, ANIMAYOUNG Competition Program, 2024, Villotta | Italy/ ANIMATEKA, European Young Talents Competition, 2024, Ljubljana | Slovenia/ Foyle Film Festival, Light in Motion Competition, Derry-Londonderry | Northern Ireland, UK/ FBW Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung Wiesbaden, The short film "Recordari" has been recognized as a high-quality short film, rated as "BESONDERS WERTVOLL" (particularly valuable), December 2025, Wiesbaden | Germany/ MosMos Showcase, Stop Motion Short Film Selection, 2025, Valencia | Spain/ BAMBERGER KURZFILMTAGE, January 20-26, 2025, Bamberg | Germany/ MONSTRA 2025, Official Selection, International Student Short Film Competition, 2025, Lisbon | Portugal/ Animac, Official Selection "FUTUR TALENT," eligible for the FUTUR TALENT Audience Award, 2025, Lleida | Spain/ Tricky Women Official Selection 6 and 8 März Wien/ Next Generation Short Tiger 2025 Sondervorführung 37.FILMFEST DRESDEN und Marché du Film des Festivals de Cannes/ Achtung Berlin Filmfestival 21. Ausgabe 2025

drifter

2023 narrative feature
Director: Hannes Hirsch
Production: Hannes Hirsch & Hering Films & Salzgeber
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
The young Moritz follows his boyfriend Jonas to Berlin only to be abandoned by him within a few weeks. For a while he finds security with the older Noah, but then moves on. He changes his looks and dives into the city’s vibrating techno world. He learns to express his repressed desires, but he also starts to lose himself in drugs and emotional alienation. With the help of his queer friends, Moritz develops his own ideas of sexuality and masculinity, leading him a little closer to himself.
The 22-year-old embarks on a journey filled with kinks, metamorphoses and self-discovery into the depths of Berlin's party scene.

FESTIVALS
Berlinale Panorama / BFI Flare London / Pink Apple Zürich / Frameline Festival San Francisco/ Palm Springs /
Winner Best Featture Film at First Steps Award. 2023
Nomination for German Film Critics Award

https://salzgeber.de/drifter

Quiver

2022  
middle-length fiction  
Director: Berglind Thrastardottir
Production: Elisabeth Köller / dffb     
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

research experiment for

Zutiefst Unten

2021/ short fiction/ In Post-Production
Concept and Cinematography: Eli Börnicke/ dffb

16mm /  krasnogorsk + bolex camera

Ein Bisschen Gemurmel aus dem Wald (AT)

2023  
short fiction / in Post-Production    
Director: Julia von dem Berge
Production: Felice Kaufmann, Cătălina Bucos / KHM
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
The self-appointed “board of directors” has always met at the Waldhotel. They do not notice the new hotel guests: three stewardesses check into rooms. From then on, strange things happen: the flight attendants bring vacuum-packed aluminum trays, oxygen masks, salvation. The conference room collapses. When the smoke clears, the tiresome chatter has finally turned into cheerful chirping.

Seit jeher tagt der selbsternannte „Vorstand“ im Waldhotel. Sie bemerken Nichts von den neuen Hotelgästen: Drei Stewardessen beziehen Zimmer. Fortan ereignet sich Seltsames: die Flugbegleiterinnen bringen vakuumverpackte Aluminiumschalen, Sauerstoffmasken, die Erlösung. Der Konferenzsaal stürzt ab. Als der Rauch verzogen ist, hat sich das ermüdende Geschwätz endlich in fröhliches Gezwitscher verwandelt.

https://en.khm.de/studentische_arbeiten/id.32349.ein-bisschen-gemurmel-aus-dem-wald/

ablaze

2020 / short fiction
Director: Sverre Aune
Production: Charlotte Kennel / dffb
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke
shot on 16mm // ARRI SR3

SYNOPSIS
Ablaze is a 15 minute drama film about a woman’s confrontation with her own family biography. During her own mothers funeral, Lucia, a blind woman in her early 30s, breaks into her childhood home, searching for some way to confront her past. As she searches the house, memories start awaking, taking her deeper and deeper down memory lane - a road leading to only one logical and violent conclusion…

FESTIVALS
Nordische Filmtage Lübeck/ Filmfest Dresden/ Kurzfilmfestival Köln/ SHORTS Offenburg/ Amandus Blikkfang (Norway)/ Minimalen Norway

holy water

2022 video essay
Concept: Eva Lochner
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

http://evalochner.com/arbeiten/

open studios /
akademie der künste

2020-2021  Short Video Portfolios    für JUNGE AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE / Open Studios   Concept: Julia Milz & Eli Börnicke / Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

https://www.adk.de/de/programm/?we_objectID=62450

https://junge-akademie.adk.de/en/articles/digital-studio-visit/

die alchemie der wolken

2021 video  installation  
Directors: Nina Fischer & Maroan El Sani 
Cinematography: Katharina Hauke 
2nd Camera: Eli Börnicke    

https://www.fischerelsani.net/film/installations/die-alchemie-der-wolken-art-activism-and-splitting-communites

pommes paradies

2020 / short fiction
Director: Paulo Menezes
Production Elisabeth Köller& Charlotte Kennel / dffb
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

Filmfest Dresden / Oldenburger Filmtage / Filmfest Bremen / Mainz Filmfest / Seoul International Pride FIlm Festival / AGKurzfilm

rider II

2020 / short fiction
Direction: Anna Ilin
Production: Anna Ilin/ Herta Christina Mirea
Cinematography: Eli Börnicke

SYNOPSIS
Bea and her car have a unique relationship. When a group of malicious boy threaten her beloved convertible she decides to flee the city and they have a chance encounter.