Schwimmen

After her parents separate, 15-year-old Elisa’s life is turned upside down. She and her mother Anna have to move out of their family home on the outskirts of town and into social housing in the middle of Berlin-Neukölln. Her body reacts to the stress with fainting spells. During one such episode after swimming class, her classmates take advantage of Elisa’s vulnerability and make her the victim of bullying in the class. At that moment, Anthea enters her life. She is beautiful, confident, and fearless, and quickly helps Elisa out of her defenseless stupor. The two become best friends and develop a game in which they record everything they do with their cell phone cameras. Elisa takes advantage of her mother’s night shifts to go clubbing with Anthea and her older brother Pierre, and experiences an intoxicating summer with her new friend.

Anthea protects her, giving her confidence and stability. The two girls fill the void left by Elisa’s parents’ separation and the lack of affection in Anthea’s family. But Anthea always sets the pace. Soon they come up with the idea of turning the tables and secretly filming their classmates who have bullied Elisa in a similar way, as an act of revenge.

In order not to appear cowardly in front of her, Elisa collects and sends one compromising video after another. Soon they need this game to maintain their solidarity, and their close friendship develops into a destructive dynamic that becomes threatening to anyone who gets in their way.