KinoTage: Mia Maariel Meyer - 22 Lengths

KinoTage for Schools

• 10:15 Arrival
• 10:30 Film
• 12:30 Lunch break
• 13:15 Workshop / Q&A
• 14:00 End

22 Lengths
Tilda’s daily life is tightly scheduled: university classes, shifts at the supermarket checkout, swim training, and the responsibility for her little sister Ida and at times also for her mother, who battles an alcohol addiction. In the small town where they live, Tilda feels trapped; her friends have long since moved to Berlin or Amsterdam. Only she has stayed, because someone has to be there for Ida. When she suddenly gets the chance to pursue a PhD in Berlin, a path toward a freer life seems possible for the first time. At the same time, Viktor appears — the brother of her late friend Ivan — and like Tilda, he always swims exactly 22 lengths.

22 Lengths tells, in an intense and distinctive tone, the story of two sisters who believe in the beauty of life despite difficult circumstances and fight for a better future. The film is a moving story about growing up, love, and unconditional solidarity and about how to stand your ground against adversity.

About the director:
Mia Maariel Meyer (born 1981 in Braunschweig) studied film and screenwriting in New York and London. After returning to Germany, she worked in documentary film and received the Grimme Online Award in 2012. She made her feature debut with "Up the Stairs" and gained wider recognition with "Die Saat (2021)", which premiered at the Berlinale and won several awards. Meyer has since directed acclaimed series and most recently helmed the drama "22 Bahnen", further establishing her as a distinctive voice in contemporary German cinema.

Credits: Germany 2025, colour, 102 min. With English subtitles. Directed by Mia Maariel Meyer.