Written and directed by Veronika Bolotina, ‘Papa Anruf’ is a short comedy film that takes a satirical look at the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Veronika Bolotina stars as a Belarusian student confronting lockdown in Germany. Ryan Wichert co-stars as her jocular father, a conspiracy theorist who calls habitually from Belarus. The witty narrative explores themes of isolation, conspiracy and trepidation. ‘Papa Anruf’ delivers hilarity throughout. The short is filmed in the German language with English subtitles.

The 5-minute comedy opens with a phone call from her father (Mr. Conspiracy) during the start of lockdown. The girl calls out his skeptical behavior, albeit jovial. The film follows their regular phone conversations throughout the year, amidst a hysterical mainstream media. The father targets Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft, scrutinizing his Windows software viruses. The girl acts as a comedy “straight-man” to her father’s outrageous, yet popular, beliefs. ‘Papa Anruf’ satirizes the pandemic to an extreme, showcasing a time jump to 2035 when lockdown is still in force. A highly entertaining short.