A young man wakes up in Berlin to find a cardboard rhinoceros has appeared in his apartment. What follows is a madcap chase through the city’s streets, rooftops, and underground passages as he tries to catch the improbable creature — or perhaps it’s the other way around.
Editorial Perspective
Erik Schmitt’s Rhino Full Throttle is the kind of film that could only come from German short cinema — deeply serious about its craft while being utterly playful about everything else. The handmade cardboard aesthetic gives the film a warmth that CGI can never match, and the kinetic chase through Berlin transforms the city into a playground of impossible angles and hidden passages. It’s a love letter to handcrafted filmmaking in an increasingly digital age.
Where to Watch
Available on Vimeo. Schmitt’s subsequent short films continue his distinctive blend of handcrafted visuals and urban storytelling.
Historical data reconstructed from archive.org snapshots of the Manhattan Short Film Festival website.
