Leeds Arts University

A couple unearth a bizarre mould infestation threatening the sale of their home, their relationship and their lives.

Building on testimony from pro-Palestinian activists in Berlin and featuring demonstration footage from between 2023 and 2025, this animated documentary explores activist culture and the people who have spent the past 2 years clashing with German police. By applying an expressive and colourful brush stroke to the experiences and anecdotes of two people closely involved with the movement, we look into the motivations that have driven them to get involved and their reactions to the repression they have experienced. Staatsraison attempts to shine light on police violence and explore how repression can drive someone ever further into a political movement.

Scenes of the life of an alien hiding behind a cat mask. A chaser stalks his fetish. A queen flaunts her beauty. The media swarm the thoughtwaves. A well-meaning girl seeks connection. Anger hides under the surface. And all the while, a mysterious voice from another place and time is calling out...