Directors
Franziska Schönenberger and Jayakrishnan Subramanian are a German-Indian directing duo exploring themes of identity, belonging, and societal expectations.
Their films blend documentary and fiction with animation and hybrid formats. Their documentary AMMA & APPA premiered at Berlinale and was screened in German cinemas as well as at over 50 international festivals. Their second documentary, THE SHADOWS OF THE DESERT, was part of the competition at Dokfest Munich and the São Paulo International Film Festival. With their fiction shorts RETTAI JADAI – THE GIRL WITH THE RED RIBBONS and MY MIRROR, they won multiple awards, including nominations for the German Short Film Award and the Golden Sparrow. Their animated short MAYA’S SONG was presented at Berlinale Talents and is part of SPOTS, a German Film Academy initiative promoting film culture and democracy.
Their current projects include INVISIBLE ROOM, produced with support from the ARD Program Award, as well as two collaborations with Palme d’Or winner Kalieaswari Srinivasan: the animated hybrid film PAPER PLANE, presented at Berlinale Talents, and the short film MAPPILLAI – THE GROOM. They are also working on THE G.O.A.T., an immersive XR experience funded by FFF Bayern and BKM, co-produced with the French-Indian company Trampoline Media. They are currently developing their feature film debut, THE FABLE OF KAMUNIAK, based on a screenplay by Yvonne Görlach and Cordula Bartelt.
In addition to their filmmaking, they lead workshops on storytelling, film culture, and diversity at institutions such as HFF Munich, Bauhaus University, and the Goethe-Institut. Franziska has served as a jury member at Hof International Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, while Jayakrishnan has twice received the Arts Research Grant from the Indian Foundation for the Arts. Their work challenges cultural and gender stereotypes, focusing on themes of identity, belonging, and social expectations. Today, they divide their time between Munich and Pondicherry, telling stories that bridge cultures and open new perspectives.
The G.O.A.T - Nichts zu meckern (2025, 20 Min)
Unsichtbares Zimmer (2025, 13 Min)
Maya’s Song (2024, 15 Min)
Die Saraswati von Öttling (2023, im Entwicklung)
Paper Plane (2022, 80 Min)
Braut ohne Mitgift (2021, in Finanzierung)
My Mirror (2020, 19 Min)
Rettai Jadai - Das Mädchen mit den roten Schleifen (2020, 20 Min)
Palai Nizhalgal - Die Schatten der Wüste (2018, 85 Min)
ÜberLeben (2016, 3 Min)
Amma & Appa (2014, 89 Min)
Schütze alle, die ich lieb (2011, 60 Min)
Für Elli (2010, 15 Min)
