Offline – Are you Ready for the Next Level?

Nominated on:Best Foreign Film

Film Info

Film Year: 2016

Film Duration: 87 min

Country: Germany

Language: German

Director

Florian Schnell

Film Category
Synopsis

Gamer JAN (17) spends most of his time as brave warrior FENRIS. He’s just preparing for “Ragnarök”. the upcoming online tournament, when he’s suddenly expelled from the game. He frantically realizes he’s been hacked by another player! Not only is his internet down, his debit card and cell phone are on the blink, too. He barely manages to find out another player is behind the attack: The dark sorcerer LOKI. He has no choice but to attempt a daring journey through the real, physical world without any technical assistance at all in order to get back his digital identity. In his quest for answers, he meets a girl named KARO (16), who has also been hacked. He takes an instant dislike to the loud, wild and obnoxious girl, but he needs her help since she has key information about Loki’s hiding place. Their trail leads them to a remote server in the mountains, posing very pragmatic problems for the two gamers: How can they get from A to B without any money? Should they stow away, hitchhike or walk?!? What can they eat, where can they sleep? As the two very different teens stumble from one catastrophe to the next on their trip, constantly bickering with each other, they have to learn how to work together as a team and thus get closer and closer to their goal. But soon they discover their unnamed opponent not only seems to be watching their every step, but also riling up other players against them, even sending a gang of crazy role-playing barbarians after them. Real life and virtual gaming reality start to intermingle in weird ways. Then Loki tries to drive them apart, making Jan an enticing offer to change sides. Torn by self-doubt after a fight with Karo, Jan agrees. It’s almost too late when he realizes the trip with Karo has been the best and most exciting time of his life, despite all the dangers and hardships, and that the girl has become more important to him than his virtual existence. With a heavy heart, he rejects Loki’s temptations and starts to take responsibility for his life, liberating himself from Fenris, sacrificing his digital avatar and thus becoming a brave warrior and grown man himself. In a tense race against time, he finally manages to rescue Karo from the police and help her win the tournament fair and square. In the end, shy, nerdy Jan learns to combine both worlds: The fantasy world of warriors and heroes, and the real world with all its emotional ups and downs.