Our Story

I didn’t mean to become a karaoke host. Does anyone? One night I was at the bar when it was nearly dead, five people in the audience, nobody brave enough to dance along to the warbling sound of Total Eclipse of the Heart. I spent the night hyping them up just to keep things alive, and by the end someone told the manager I should work there. The next week, I did. You’ll get to hear said manager’s take on this story in this film!

That was almost three and a half years ago. I’ve been an MC, or KJ (karaoke jockey) ever since. What started as a random night out became a second life I never expected, especially for someone who can’t actually sing. I work in documentary production, mostly in archives and history, and I’d gotten used to chasing stories that already happened. Karaoke is the opposite. It’s messy, immediate, alive, and slightly unhinged in the best way.

Wolfgang has been one of my regulars for my entire time behind the booth, no matter the bar I bounced around to. He’s a (nearly, but spiritually) Berlin original who turns his apartment into an open karaoke salon once a month. Anyone can come by, and his network originates from his volunteer work connecting immigrants to administrative help in the city. He knows everyone, remembers what songs they like, and always manages to keep the chaos welcoming. After a while, I realized there was no way not to share this story with everyone in the best way I knew how, and it's been my privilege to be doing it with the most fabulous and talented crew a girl could ever hope for.

OFFBEAT isn’t a film about perfect voices or nightlife aesthetics. It’s about Berlin as it really feels right now: people trying to reinvent themselves in a city that makes you work hard for it. It’s also about the unexpected helpers, the nights that make you think everything will be okay, and the mornings where you wonder if it’s all been a lie. It’s about the contradiction between liberation and survival, between who you want to be and what the city demands.

For me, karaoke became a way to see that more clearly. It’s where people show up as themselves, or as who they wish they could be, and the crowd meets them halfway. It’s awkward, funny, sometimes emotional, and always real.

Where We’re At

We’re in the middle of production. We’ve filmed Wolfgang, his legendary karaoke nights, and the city’s more chaotic corners. There’s still a lot ahead: the other hosts, the stories that stretch beyond the bars, and the quieter moments that hold it all together.

We plan to wrap principal photography by early 2026. Post-production and distribution will follow immediately: editing, color, sound, festivals, and community screenings.

Why We’re Raising €7,000

This campaign will help us finish the film properly and pay the people who make it possible. We’re not chasing drones or fancy gear. We’re covering what actually gets a documentary finished: time, craft, maybe a decent tripod.

Here’s roughly where the money will go:

Production (≈40%) — paying our Berlin-based crew, equipment rental, and archival needs.

Post-production (≈35%) — editing, color, and sound

Distribution (≈25%) — festival submissions, screenings, and small events

Every contribution directly supports Berlin artists, filmmakers, and storytellers.

Meet the Team

Director / Producer — Ilana Diamant

Writer, researcher, and director currently wreaking havoc in Berlin. She’s worked on short and feature documentaries, winning a Mid-Atlantic Emmy in 2021 for her work with WQED. A KJ since 2022, she now applies the same curiosity she uses in archives to the nightly chaos of karaoke.

Co-Producer / Director of Photography — Luisa Orduño

Artist and visual anthropologist from Tijuana, now based in Berlin. Her practice moves between photography, illustration, and film, balancing creative storytelling with strong production chops.

Co-Producer — Ineza

Filmmaker passionate about storytelling and collaboration. Recently completed film studies and currently interning at Flickerlab. Produces, writes, directs, and sometimes acts, depending on what the day demands.

Assistant Director — Isam Karahasanović

Film director, actor, and editor from Sarajevo with an MA in Film Directing. He’s worked on short films, documentaries, and music videos, including recent projects for ARD and the BBC.

Additional Camera — Yumeng He

Chinese transdisciplinary artist and cinematographer based in Berlin. Her documentary work has screened at IDFA, Visions du Réel, and Kassel Dokfest. Holds degrees from Stanford and USC and is currently at Berlin’s UdK.

Additional Camera — Sanipt Palakkal

Cinematographer and photographer originally from Mumbai. Known for his strong visual sense and sharp eye for lighting, now freelancing and collaborating with lighting teams in Berlin.

Editor — Gaia di Maio

Documentary editor and director from Naples, based in Berlin. Co-founder of the Farrago documentary collective and interested in stories that build community.

Sound Design — Nic

Audio professional focused on documentaries and community-based storytelling. Believes sound and film are inseparable in capturing authentic stories.

Additional Sound — Helen

Sound recordist and designer from Scotland with a decade of experience. Loves horror, roller coasters, and karaoke.

What You Get

We’ve put together a few rewards to say thank you!

All tiers include access to backer-only updates with behind-the-scenes photos, mini video updates, and anecdotes from the crew.

€20 — Opening Song

• Thank-you in film credits

• Access to behind-the-scenes updates

€35 — Mixtape Club

• Digital karaoke playlists from KJs, our regulars, and our crew (with notes about song choices)

• All previous rewards

€50 — Lyric Book

• Digital Karaoke Songbook (PDF) with lyrics, illustrations, and annotations from the team and Berlin’s favorite KJs

• All previous rewards

€75 — Photo Roll

• Exclusive digital photo set from our photographer: Berlin portraits, nightlife textures, production stills

• All previous rewards

€100 — Zine Edition (PDF)

• Limited-edition Berlin zine featuring portraits, stories, and illustrations from crew and guests

• All previous rewards

€150 — Zine Edition (Print + PDF)

• Printed and digital versions of the zine

• All previous rewards

€250 — Community Collab

• Choice of an art perk from a Berlin-based community artist (poster, silkscreen print, mini-zine, etc.)

• Invitation to the Berlin screening and karaoke afterparty (travel not included)

• All previous rewards

€500 — Framed Moment

• Signed, limited-edition fine art photo print

• Associate Producer credit on the film

• All previous rewards

€1000 — Headliner

• Executive Producer credit on the film

• Personalized thank-you video from the director and team (karaoke performance included)

• All previous rewards

Thank You!

If you’ve ever sung off-key in public (or want to!) and felt a little more human for it, this film is for you.

Thank you for helping us make something messy, honest, and alive, just like the city that's made us who we are today.