Lola rennt

Existential German action thriller by director Tom Tykwer as part of our monthly Philofilm, introduced and discussed by Sofie Wierda.

One situation, three scenarios. Taking action is essential, but to what extent does this affect the outcome? In the film Lola Rennt (Tom Tykwer, 1998), existential themes such as freedom, agency, the butterfly effect, and compatibilism are revealed in an intense, thrilling, and energetic manner. Is Lola trapped in a chain of cause and effect, or does she manage to prevent a catastrophe through her free will?

Important aspects from the philosophical theories of Jean-Paul Sartre, the father of French existentialism, will be discussed in relation to the film script. To what extent does a person determine their own fate? In an absurd and unpredictable world, Lola refuses to give up and demonstrates, while running through the streets of Berlin, the existential urge to act, instead of waiting apathetically.

About Sofie Wierda: Sofie is a Philosophy teacher at AKI ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design.

Philofilm is a monthly series, where each first Monday of the month a film is introduced and discussed by a philosopher. The evenings are entirely in English. Philofilm is a collaboration between Concordia and Ideefiks, the student association for Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society at the University of Twente.