In the 2020 film " A Fish Swimming Upside Down " (German title: Ein Fisch, der auf dem Rücken schwimmt), Bulgarian director Eliza Petkova crafts a haunting drama centered on a unconventional love triangle within a grieving family. Plot Overview
The story follows Andrea (Nina Schwabe), a mysterious woman described as having no past or future plans, who moves into a modern Berlin home to live with her boyfriend, Philipp, and his 19-year-old son, Martin. The two men are still reeling from the death of their wife and mother, Hanna.
Andrea initially brings a sense of "lightness" to the sterile house, but she soon becomes a sounding board for the emotional voids left by Hanna. As the summer progresses, the household dynamics shift into a possessive love triangle, with both father and son competing for Andrea's affection. Thematic Analysis
The "Upside Down" Metaphor: The title refers to a nickname Martin gives Andrea due to her habit of moving around on her stomach, symbolizing her refusal to conform to social norms or traditional roles.
Desire and Possession: The film explores how "longing seeks fulfillment" through possession, eventually leading to a destructive interdependence.
Guilt and Emptiness: Reviewers at Filmaffinity note that the trio eventually becomes "burdened by their shared guilt," leaving them in an emotional void by the film's conclusion. Style and Reception
Directed as Petkova's graduation film, the movie is noted for its "sterile" and "uncluttered" visual style, mirroring the coldness of the characters' relationships. While some critics found it "enigmatic" and compared its voyeuristic tone to Hitchcock's Rebecca, others on Letterboxd felt its slow pace and "pretentious" art-school tropes made the characters difficult to empathize with. Key Details: Film A Fish Swimming Upside Down - Festival Scope Pro
The 2020 film A Fish Swimming Upside Down (Ein Fisch, der auf dem Rücken schwimmt) is a German drama directed by Eliza Petkova. It premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in the "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" section. Plot Summary
The story follows Andrea, a mysterious woman with no clear past, who moves into a modern, sterile house in Berlin with her new boyfriend, Philipp, and his teenage son, Martin. In the 2020 film " A Fish Swimming
The Triangle: Both father and son are grieving the sudden death of their wife and mother, Hanna. Andrea's presence initially fills a void, but she soon becomes the object of desire for both men, leading to a complex and transgressive love triangle.
Conflict: Martin, who has Down's syndrome, struggles with his loss and becomes increasingly possessive and jealous of Andrea. The title refers to Martin's nickname for Andrea, inspired by her habit of moving around on her stomach.
Themes: The film explores themes of existential ennui, possessiveness, and the breakdown of social norms within a clinical, "Berlin School" cinematic style. Cast and Crew A Fish Swimming Upside Down (2020) - IMDb
The 2020 film A Fish Swimming Upside Down (German title: Ein Fisch, der auf dem Rücken schwimmt
) is a provocative German drama directed by Eliza Petkova. It premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival Perspektive Deutsches Kino Movie Overview Release Date: February 22, 2020 (Berlinale). Director/Writer: Eliza Petkova. Drama / Family Relationships. 1 hour 43 minutes. Plot Summary The story centers on a mysterious woman named
(Nina Schwabe), who moves into the house of her new boyfriend,
(Henning Kober), following the death of his wife, Hanna. The household also includes Philipp’s 19-year-old son,
(Theo Trebs), who is struggling with grief and initially gives Andrea the cold shoulder. As the summer progresses, a complex and destructive love triangle Part 5: The Search for "Free" – What
develops as both father and son become obsessed with Andrea. The film explores themes of longing, the urge to possess, and the "inner emptiness" that drives people to step outside social norms. Cast & Crew
A Fish Swimming Upside Down (2020) - Full cast & crew - IMDb
A Fish Swimming Upside Down Ein Fisch, der auf dem Rücken schwimmt ) is a 2020 German drama directed and written by Eliza Petkova
. The film explores a psychological and emotional entanglement between three individuals living outside social norms in a sterile Berlin home. Film Summary The story follows
(played by Nina Schwabe), a mysterious woman without a clear past, who moves in with her boyfriend and his 19-year-old son
. Both father and son are mourning the recent death of Philipp’s wife, Hanna. The Love Triangle:
Andrea initially brings lightness to the home, but she soon becomes the object of desire for both men. As she begins a secret physical relationship with Martin while living with Philipp, the trio descends into a destructive interdependence fueled by fear, obsession, and shared guilt.
The film delves into themes of loss, the human need for possession, and the "inner emptiness" that individuals try to fill through unconventional relationships. Production & Cast Theo Trebs Behind a Patreon or Vimeo paywall (now expired)
A fish swimming upside down Director: Eliza Petkova | Actors: Nina Schwabe, Theo Trebs, Henning Kober, Leon Ullrich | Year: 2020 | Theo Trebs Eliza Petkova
The 2020 film "A Fish Swimming Upside Down" (German title: Ein Fisch, der auf dem Rücken schwimmt) is a psychological drama that explores a complex love triangle within a mourning household. Directed by Eliza Petkova, it premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). Movie Overview Director: Eliza Petkova Release Year: 2020 Genre: Drama / Psychological Runtime: 103 minutes Language: German Plot Summary
The story follows Andrea, a mysterious woman "without a past," who moves in with her boyfriend, Philipp. Philipp and his teenage son, Martin, are both struggling to cope with the recent death of their wife and mother, Hanna. A Fish Swimming Upside Down (2020) ** Berlinale 2020
"fylm a fish swimming upside down 2020 mtrjm may syma q fylm a fish swimming upside down 2020 mtrjm may syma free"
The keyword ends with "free" – a classic marker of someone looking for a free download or stream without paywalls or registration. Likely, the original "fylm" was:
The user is pleading for a re-upload or archive.org link. If you search modern trackers with the exact string, you may find dead torrents or forum threads from late 2020 where OP begged for a re-seed.
fish swimming upside down 2020 movie or "سمكة تسبح رأسا على عقب" 2020 (in Arabic)."mtrjm" "fish swimming upside down" in quotesThis paper examines an enigmatic digital artefact from 2020, titled through the iterative phrase “fylm a fish swimming upside down 2020 mtrjm may syma q…” Treating the string as a conceptual film title and instruction set, we analyse its potential meanings: the defamiliarisation of aquatic imagery, the poetics of typographic error (“fylm” for film), the repetition as durational performance, and the signifier “free” as both costless access and liberation from normative orientation. We conclude that the work—whether real or hypothetical—operates as a minimalist manifesto for post-internet moving image practice.
Given the lack of a specific title, it's possible you're referring to a video that went viral or was shared online in 2020. Many videos of fish exhibiting unusual behaviors are shared on social media platforms and video sharing sites like YouTube.
| Typo / keyword | Possible intended meaning |
|---|---|
| fylm | “film” |
| mtrjm | Unknown – possibly a producer tag, username (e.g., on TikTok/Instagram), or “M.T.R.J.M.” as initials |
| may syma | Possible artist name: “May Syma” – search suggests very low online footprint, could be a misspelling of “Mai Syma” or a pseudonym |
| q | Likely “que” (Spanish for “what”) or just a stray character |
| free | You want to watch it without paying |