The worldwide cinema sector was worried about the post-pandemic future of movie theaters. While some thought audiences had become accustomed to online streaming and thus wouldn't return to theaters, others pinned their hopes on the release of delayed blockbusters drawing in moviegoers once again.

Surely, watching movies in theaters is important as it brings people together to experience something as a community. Moreover, it is a space where the art is the focus, as we sit together in the dark with no other distractions. This was why, all throughout the lockdown, I longed for the day I would be sitting in the audience at the cinema once more.

When cinemas reopened, I rushed to Kadıköy Cinema in no time flat. After a long hiatus, the first movie I would see on the big screen was Christian Petzold’s "Undine."

The cinema was renovated in the first months of 2018, lending its iconic halls and more modern appearance. This made me even more excited while getting prepared for the movie. The most adorable detail in the hall were the names on the backrests of the chairs. Cinephiles provided financial support to Kadıköy Cinema during the lockdown to keep it afloat, and their names have been placed on the backrests of chairs as a sign of gratitude.

On the topic of the film "Undine," I should confess that I am not the biggest fan of German cinema. But when I found out the production was directed by Christian Petzold and stars the lead actors from the director’s previous movie "Transit," Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski, I was interested in seeing Beer and Rogowski's chemistry one more time in the theater. And it certainly was there!

In his latest production, Petzold returns with the myth of the water nymph Undine, which could be regarded by some as a pointless love story between a historian and a diver. A viewer could be fooled into thinking this as the director opts to reimagine the ancient myth in a modern setting without providing any explicit hints about the original fable.

In the very first scene, we see a woman sitting at an outdoor table at a cafe among brick buildings. When her partner implies that he is having an affair with another woman and tries to end their relationship, I was expecting that her to make a scene. Instead, she says he cannot leave her and "if he refuses, she will have to kill him." Although the film does not explain it explicitly, this threat, which is surprisingly well-received by the man, is the indicator that we have dived into the story of the water nymph Undine.

Derived from Greek mythology, Undine gains a human soul when she falls in love with a man. But if he is unfaithful to her, she is doomed to kill him and return to the water. Therefore, Petzold’s Undine, played by Beer, tells her lover to wait for her until she comes back from a presentation on the urban development of Berlin at a museum where she works, as a sign of their reunion. He does not wait, which gave me goosebumps for a second.

While she looks for her lover at the cafe in panic, a visitor to the museum who had listened to her presentation a moment ago interrupts her. This is when Rogowski’s character Christoph abruptly enters the nymph’s life. The man tries to tell her how he admired her presentation and attempts to ask her on a date. Meanwhile, Undine fixates on a small statue of a helmeted diver in a large aquarium decorating the upper side of a shelf in the cafe. During their exchange, the statue explodes. Lying on the floor of the cafe in shock, drenched in water, seaweed and fish, the two become connected while looking into each other’s eyes.

The chemistry between Beer and Rogowski is practically palpable in this scene, along with many others in the movie. Actually, it is getting harder to see such harmony in modern films lately. Therefore, I can say that Christoph, who is an underwater diver, dives into the life of Undine like the helmeted statue in the aquarium with perfect congruity.

Following this iconic scene, their romance begins. As their passionate relationship develops, the film invokes the myth of Undine with fantastical elements. For example, Christoph takes Undine to work with him one day. When they dive, he thinks he has lost Undine for a moment but then sees that she is swimming with an ethereal catfish. It is like she is in a domain that is already familiar to her.

"Undine" is a skillfully made movie, with a supernatural twist. Watching the story of the water nymph Undine in the modern world, we see that Petzold applies his elegant storytelling talents to this crafted fantasy. The compassionate and soulful romance, blended with the great synergy between the lead actors, brings a fresh take and a perfect balance to this genre.