OFFICIAL TRAILER
A film about real connection in a world shaped by distance.
7 minutes in one room. No smartphones. No distractions. Just real conversations between people who have never met before.
WHAT IS THE LOVEBOX EXPERIENCE?
The LOVEBOX begins at AfrikaBurn — the largest regional event inspired by Burning Man. A place without money or competitive pressure, where community is celebrated and everything seems possible.
In this space, an experiment begins: strangers enter a converted trailer and meet one another — without distraction, without escape routes.
But closeness does not appear as a romantic idea. It becomes a challenge: a confrontation with oneself and with the other.
When the LOVEBOX leaves the event, the dynamic changes. In a world shaped by inequality and social tension, it becomes visible what has not disappeared even inside the utopia: difference, privilege and boundaries.
How can we meet one another in a world that separates and connects us at the same time?
THE LOVEBOX EXPERIENCE is an intimate documentary with social relevance — about connection and the fragile possibility of real closeness.
Year
2026
Length
96 min · Dolby Surround
Cinema production · WDR, RBB
Directed by
Daniela Michel & Alexander Kleider
Cinematography
Steph Ketelhut & Alexander Kleider
Sound
Andrea Schmid & Lorenz Brehm
Editing
Daniela Michel & Alexander Kleider
Music
Eckes Malz
Supported by
MOMENTS FROM THE LOVEBOX
What happens when people truly encounter each other?
One room. Two people. No distractions.
Sometimes closeness emerges. Sometimes friction. And sometimes something stays.
Story
A journey in five acts
How an encounter in the desert became a movement – and finally a film.
2018 · Spain
An idea is born
Two chairs. A curtain. A camera. What happens when strangers truly meet?
2019 · Nowhere
From experiment to practice
The Lovebox returns. Bigger, deeper, with a whole ritual built around it.
2020–2022 · Pandemic
Connection despite distance
All events cancelled. The Lovebox goes online – and reaches people around the world.
2023 · South Africa
From encounters to a film
A film crew. The Lovebox travels through South Africa – the camera rolls.
2026 · Cinema
The journey continues
In cinemas from 24 September 2026. And now — with you.
GET INVOLVED
Lovebox is more than a film.
It’s an invitation.
The world needs spaces where strangers can truly meet.
What people said after the Lovebox
“The Lovebox project shows that deep human connection is possible when artificial societal barriers are removed.”
“When given the chance, people can ignite the spark of good in one another.”
“I loved the film — it made me reflect on how I’m relating to the people around me.”
“The silent moments were particularly powerful.”
THE STORY OF THE LOVEBOX
From an idea to a film – and beyond.
IDEA
2018
A question in the desert sets everything in motion.
ENCOUNTERS
2019
The experiment becomes a practice.
FILM
2020–2023
The essence is captured: the film takes shape.
CINEMA RELEASE
2026
The Lovebox Experience comes to cinemas.
WHAT’S NEXT
Today & Beyond
The Lovebox lives on – through you.
Story
A journey in five acts
How a mobile wooden cabin in the Spanish desert became a growing movement – and finally a film.
2018 · Desert in Spain
An idea is born
The first Lovebox appears at the Burner event Nowhere in Spain. A small crew builds it by hand: two chairs, a curtain, a camera. Whoever enters encounters a stranger. For seven minutes. What happens between them is filmed – and projected in front of the camp at night. The response is overwhelming: people cry, laugh, embrace each other.
2019 · Return
From experiment to practice
The Lovebox returns to Nowhere. Bigger this time. With a whole Love Portal in front – a waiting area where participants are prepared for the encounter. With massages, tea, conversations. The crew has developed a ritual: eye contact, guided meditation, a question about love.
2020–2022 · Pandemic
Connection despite distance
All Burner events are cancelled. The planned trip to AfrikaBurn falls through. The crew reflects: if people can no longer meet in person, the need for connection is even greater. They develop a Lovebox Spacecraft – a virtual format. People from around the world meet online, in the same structure, with the same questions. The idea survives the isolation.
2023 · South Africa
From encounters to a film
Finally, AfrikaBurn. This time the Lovebox has a new form: a converted old horse trailer that the crew can travel with across the country. It stands in the Tankwa Karoo, the South African semi-desert. Built by an international crew. This time with a film team alongside: Daniela Michel and Alexander Kleider document what happens in the encounters. From the recordings, a film emerges.
After the event, the Lovebox travels on – into townships and communities outside the event bubble. The encounters continue, the camera keeps rolling.
2026 · Cinema Release
The journey continues
The Lovebox Experience opens in German cinemas on 24 September 2026. But the journey doesn’t end here. It starts again – now with you.
