Sad Jokes

Q&A with Fabian Stumm on April 11 at 8:30pm (FLC) and April 12 at 4:30pm (MoMA)

Joseph—a gay filmmaker and father to a young child whose work-life balance inspires little confidence—is writing a comedy. “What kind?” his producer asks. In lieu of a good answer, Joseph stammers about his filmography’s move from “naturalistic” to “absurdist”—a confusion that perfectly captures the enlivening, unpredictable paths taken by Sad Jokes. As writer, director, and star, Fabian Stumm blends intense strife with hilarious slapstick so effortlessly it’s hard to tell where one stops or another starts, brilliantly paying off character relationships and conflicts in a tight frame. A refreshingly honest film about the trials of directors and the foibles of hookup culture, replete with the flights of fancy that only artists are capable of experiencing, Sad Jokes won the Munich International Film Festival’s German Cinema New Talent Award for Best Director.