Jannis Lenz’s debut feature, “Oasis,” follows three ostracized high school students in Germany who forge a unique bond in the woods. The film examines the complexities of their connection and whether it will lead to isolation or support.
Lukas, played by Florian Geißelmann, is a quiet and artistic boy whose social standing declines when he befriends Andi (Anton Petzold), the son of a soldier. Lukas relies on his best friend, Maya (Mathilda Smidt), who attends a specialist music school. The film opens with Maya’s vocal exercises, establishing a strange and rhythmic tone.
The film’s cinematography, by Alexander Dirninger (who also co-wrote the screenplay), is characterized by a cool and detached observation style. This withholding of information, reminiscent of severe Austrian formalism, initially obscures the characters’ motivations. For example, Lukas is shown methodically cutting shoulder pads from his deceased mother’s blouses and taping them to his torso, not as an expression of grief, but as construction of a makeshift flak vest for paintball games with Andi.
After a paintball chase, Lukas returns home with a significant bruise on his shoulder. He and Andi then share a quiet moment, smoking cigarettes and listening to the sound of nearby wind turbines. Lenz’s film radiates ambivalence about whether this shared reality is beneficial or detrimental to the teenagers, suggesting that, like a forest, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
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