2026 Berlinale Review: Four Minus Three

Barbara lives a joyful life as a clown with her partner and their two children; when a tragic accident takes her family, she is left alone.

A harmonious family life seems to be shared to between a couple and their young son and daughter.  Both of the parents are clowns, with Heli doing avant-garde performances in front of theatre audiences while Barbara entertains children at the local hospital.  Tragedy strikes when Barbara discovers that a collision with a train has left her the only surviving member.

The heart of the film is the performance of Valerie Pachner as Barbara as she goes through a wide range of emotions, whether collapsing on the hospital floor to gently smiling as she remembers a pleasant memory.   None of these reactions rings false with the exception of one moment where it can be taken as being somewhat over-the-top when briefly left alone to go through the belongings of her deceased family.  The funeral procession with all of the different clowns is bittersweet and the closing top-down shot of her facial expression is a poignant final image.

It would have been very easy for filmmaker Adrian Goiginger to adapt this true story into a surreal journey into grief but a more grounded approach is taken. The flashbacks are given a warm, nostalgic colour palette while the present day is cooler.  The flashbacks emphasize that when dealing with grief, the past coexists with the present day and it is not just happy memories that are dwelled upon but also the ones filled with regret and conflict.  Having Hali explain the meaning of the balloon to his son and then having Barbara do her own version of his performance brings everything full circle.  The most interesting section is when Barbara is initially processing the tragedy, while the latter part where she goes about dating again, drags on.

The 2026 Berlinale takes place Feb. 12 to Feb. 22  2026, in person and online, and for more information visit the official website.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.